2022 Rankings Reaction: Orange County Players

This spring I covered a lot of football games in Orange County for the <a href="https://www.ocregister.com/author/michael-huntley/">Orange County Register</a>. I’ve seen a lot of quality football players this spring and was excited to see Prep Redzone’s <a href="https://prepredzone.com/california/rankings/2022-rankings/">updated class of 2022 rankings</a>. The rankings were released this week and here are my thoughts on the players in Orange County on the list, and maybe some guys who are underrated who could be on the list. <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25223" first="Domani" last="Jackson"] remains at the top of the list and rightfully so. He is the most physically dominant cornerback I have seen at the high school level. He has very few holes in his game and can excel in multiple coverages and tackle.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25225" first="Raleek" last="Brown"] being the top running back makes sense given the recruiting attention he has gotten. He didn’t have gaudy numbers for the Monarchs this season because he split carries with a senior in [player_tooltip player_id="25109" first="Marceese" last="Yetts"], who is headed to Air Force. I am curious to see how Brown does as the primary running back. He has breakaway speed on the outside and can break tackles.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25227" first="Tetairoa" last="McMillan"] and [player_tooltip player_id="25224" first="CJ" last="Williams"] are 1A and 1B for receivers as far as I’m concerned. TMac is so gifted and draws pass interference penalties more frequently than anyone in the state. Williams is a great route runner and can make spectacular catches.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="141878" first="Hero" last="Kanu"] of Santa Margarita was not on the first edition of the list last summer and now is the top defensive lineman in the class. He is physically imposing at 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds. He had nine tackles for a loss against a tough Trinity League schedule and has offers from Clemson, LSU, Texas and UCLA.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25278" first="Cooper" last="Barkate"] went from being a big fish in a small pond at St. Margaret’s to a big pond at Mater Dei. He missed parts of the spring due to injury but Mater Dei’s receivers coach said Barkate is a big part of their plan for the fall. He can make big plays after the catch and is a gym rat.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25286" first="Noah" last="Fifita"] being the sixth ranked quarterback feels low to me but if you ask me who I’d put him in front of I would have a hard time. Noah is one of my favorite quarterbacks to watch because he isn’t afraid to make risky throws and he plays his best against the best teams.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="141893" first="Jacob" last="Kongaika"] was not on the first edition of the list but is in the top 100 this year and deservedly so. He is a versatile defensive linemen for the Monarchs who can play nose tackle or three-technique. He will be a key member of Mater Dei’s defensive front this fall.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="141899" first="Braden" last="Pegan"] had his stock rise more than any receiver in the state this season. He had a big year for San Juan Hills and he continues to impress scouts at showcases. He went from an unknown JV player to a player with multiple Power 5 offers in less than four months.</li> <li>Los Alamitos gets a lot of publicity for it’s insanely talented 2023 class, but I was happy to see [player_tooltip player_id="141949" first="Lane" last="Broderick"], [player_tooltip player_id="141956" first="Adam" last="Tomczyk"], and [player_tooltip player_id="141963" first="David" last="Main"] get some love on these rankings. Tomczyk is an excellent defensive lineman for a Los Alamitos team that dominated the trenches in the Sunset League this spring.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25295" first="Logan" last="Gonzalez"] of Orange Lutheran had a rough junior campaign largely because his team was overmatched in the Trinity League. He has the talent to have a bounce back senior season under a new coaching staff with some nonleague games to get his feet wet and the Lancers some wins.</li> </ul> &nbsp; Some players from Orange County that I think should have made the Watch List: [player_tooltip player_id="143118" first="Nico" last="Brown"], Edison [player_tooltip player_id="143137" first="Jason" last="Costa"], Santa Ana [player_tooltip player_id="143138" first="Nathan" last="Kornely"], Villa Park Cole Monach, San Juan Hills