2023 Rankings Breakdown: Long Beach Edition

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/2023-rankings/">updated class of 2023 rankings</a>. The rankings were released last week and here are my thoughts on the players in Long Beach, including St. John Bosco, on the list. <ul> <li>It is no surprise to see [player_tooltip player_id="25456" first="Matayo" last="Uiagalelei"] as the top Long Beach player on the list. He is dominant as a tight end and as a defensive end and is already a national recruit. He creates matchup nightmares for even the best teams like Mater Dei. He is so much fun to watch and he will be a big part of Bosco’s scheme on both sides of the ball this fall.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25367" first="Pierce" last="Clarkson"] looked better than I expected this spring and was able to take away some reps from [player_tooltip player_id="25273" first="Katin" last="Houser"], who I expected to be the full time quarterback for Bosco. He is very accurate with the football and extends plays with his legs.</li> <li>Long Beach Poly cornerback [player_tooltip player_id="144960" first="Daylen" last="Austin"] had his stock rise dramatically over the past six months and it’s easy to see why. He is a really good cover corner who clearly puts in the time studying film and predicting the opponent’s tendencies. He has impressive strength for a skill position player and will be a Power 5 prospect after this fall season.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25410" first="Jahlil" last="McClain"] saw some playing time as a sophomore for Bosco but didn’t get to showcase what he is capable of. With [player_tooltip player_id="25105" first="Jode" last="McDuffie"] graduating, McClain will be a major part of the offense this fall and show he can beat some of the top defensive backs in the state. He has five offers including Oregon and USC.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="145132" first="Ty" last="Lee"] is a lengthy safety who will be a bigger part of St. John Bosco’s defense this fall. He is 6-foot-3 and closes to the ball very quickly. He has good football instincts and has offers from Arizona State and USC.</li> <li>Bosco had a three-headed running attack last season and [player_tooltip player_id="25421" first="Nygel" last="Osborne"] showed he is a very capable back. He averaged seven yards per carry and had a touchdown this spring. [player_tooltip player_id="25266" first="Jabari" last="Bates"] and [player_tooltip player_id="25233" first="Rayshon" last="Luke"] get more recruiting buzz, but Osborne would be a 20 touches a game guy at any other school and will be a guy with double-digit offers this winter.</li> <li>Millikan is full of talent at the skill positions and [player_tooltip player_id="145190" first="Jaden" last="Hunt"] is a guy who stands out when you watch the Rams. He’s a good cover corner but also comes up in the run and sets the edge well on sweeps. He is a good tackler and has offers from Arizona, Nevada and UNLV.</li> <li>Bosco has two linebackers on the list in [player_tooltip player_id="145191" first="Deven" last="Bryant"] and [player_tooltip player_id="145202" first="Nehemiah" last="Sagiao"]. Bryant is a great pass rusher who keeps a low pad level throughout the play. He is very difficult to block as a blitzer and he has the athleticism to cover running backs on wheel and swing routes. Sagiao is a tight end and outside backer with offers from Cal and Kansas.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="145229" first="Tyson" last="Ruffins"] is a solid offensive lineman for Long Beach Poly who can play tackle or guard. He is very strong and pushes defensive linemen with ease. He has measurable strength and good fundamentals, but I’d like to see how he does against better competition. Poly only played against one good team this spring, which isn’t their fault, but he will get a chance to play some better teams this fall.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="145230" first="Mosiah" last="Talanoa"] is a left tackle for Bosco who didn’t get a lot of varsity action as a sophomore, but will play this year with the departure of [player_tooltip player_id="25067" first="Maximus" last="Gibbs"]. Florida Atlantic has already offered him and he will get some more after putting together good varsity film this fall.</li> </ul>