2023 Rankings Breakdown: Orange County Edition

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 saw a lot of quality football players this spring and I 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 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>It was no surprise to see [player_tooltip player_id="25419" first="Malachi" last="Nelson"] as the top ranked player in the state and [player_tooltip player_id="25398" first="Makai" last="Lemon"] as a top five player. These two are are the most dynamic quarterback/receiver duo I've seen in recent memory and they are the reason Los Alamitos was the top public school program in Orange County this spring.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25447" first="Levi" last="Sua"] was a name I had heard of but he stood out when Mater Dei played St. John Bosco in the de facto state championship game this spring. He gets into the backfield with ease and is a great tackler. With [player_tooltip player_id="25026" first="Raesjon" last="Davis"] graduating, Sua will get some high tackling numbers this fall.</li> <li>Mater Dei offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="25453" first="BJ" last="Tolo"] should be higher on the list. He is the best lineman in Orange County in the class and has been a dominant lineman in the Trinity League for two years. Tolo has offers from Colorado State, Kansas and Oregon.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="145170" first="Ethan" last="O'Connor"] is a corner who transferred to Los Alamitos from Servite. He didn't get varsity playing time as a sophomore but has a lot of upside. He impressed scouts at a workout last offseason and has offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, LSU, Northern Arizona and USC.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="39430" first="Darius" last="Cowens"] is arguably the second best Orange County quarterback in the class. He has put on some muscle, improved his completion percentage and led Pacifica to an Empire League championship. He has an offer from Arizona State and will be a double-digit offer guy this time next year.</li> <li>JSerra was the worst team in the Trinity League last season but they have three players on the list. [player_tooltip player_id="25457" first="Raymond" last="Valencia"] is a defensive back and receiver with an offer from Oregon. [player_tooltip player_id="25428" first="Jaxon" last="Potter"] is a quarterback who was given a raw deal his sophomore year. He is a 6-foot-3 quarterback who can throw on the run and had to a lot this season at JSerra. [player_tooltip player_id="145239" first="Hunter" last="Nowell"] is a tall cornerback who has been looking good on the 7-on-7 circuit and got some playing time at JSerra this spring.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25362" first="Sinn" last="Brennan"] is one of the best pass rushing defensive linemen in the class. He transferred to Los Alamitos from Santa Margarita and made a big impact for the Griffins. He will have multiple offers after another successful season in the fall and a summer of showcases.</li> <li>Mission Viejo receiver [player_tooltip player_id="25408" first="Mikey" last="Matthews"] is one of the most fun players to watch in the state. He makes spectacular catches and can make plays after the catch. He isn't a big guy but he has very good speed, is an excellent student and has will definitely be a starter at a Power 5 school.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="145203" first="Jalani" last="Liva"] played right tackle at Santa Margarita this spring and his pass blocking skills really impress me on film. He is 6-foot-4, around 300 pounds and has explosive strength.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25441" first="Kadin" last="Semonza"] should be ranked higher than a few of the quarterbacks ranked above him and I'd even say he is comparable to Cowens as the number two QB in the county. He is very accurate, poised in the pocket and makes good football decisions.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="145236" first="David" last="Rasor"] was a quality quarterback for Corona del Mar as a sophomore and will improve greatly with more reps. The Sea Kings were very young at the skill positions this spring and he will improve as the rest of the team does too.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="145234" first="Gavin" last="Porch"] took advantage of opposing teams keying on Lemon and had a nice spring season for Los Alamitos. He is a true deep threat and has room to put on some muscle without losing his speed. He runs routes at the perfect depth and truly understands the team's offense.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="25391" first="Nathan" last="Iniguez"] of Troy and [player_tooltip player_id="145232" first="Elijah" last="Cooks"] of Newport Harbor are two offensive linemen that round out the list for the OC players. Iniguez is a tall offensive lineman who needs to put on muscle but is a quality lineman in the Freeway League. Cooks is a big guy at 6-foot-6 and will likely be a tackle but can play on the interior if needed as well.</li> </ul>