Prospects To Watch: Northern California Central Coast

Photo: Jack Susank Hudl

Paul Gregorian May 28, 2021 @ 09:31 AM

The Central Coast always produces some top tier players at multiple positions while being home to some very storied and dominant schools across Northern California. Weather it is Palma OL [player_tooltip player_id="25076" first="Noah" last="Pulealii"] inking to UCLA, Carmel’s TE J.T Byrne going to Oregon State or Palma’s Oki Hautau signing to Columbia, the next group of prospects have some nice talent at multiple positions within the 2022-2024 classes and should start to make a name for themselves as we enter into the 2021 Fall season. Below, we will highlight some of the top returning prospects that come from the Central Coast in the classes of 2022-2024.   WR/LB [player_tooltip player_id="141939" first="Cody" last="Ahola"], Gilroy HS Ahola is a FBS caliber prospect that already holds offers from Army, Davidson and Air Force. Able to play the Y position at the next level, he is a very well put together kid that attacks the ball and is explosive in the open field. On tape, he shows he is a true vertical threat that can stretch the field and has nice high point ability while able to win 50/50 balls while also able to play underneath and turn upfield showing nice open field speed and big play abilities. He is an interesting prospect due to his build, as he can play anywhere from WR/TE to OLB/SS at the next level. He is one of the most versatile athletes the Greater Bay Area has to offer.   DL Michael MacNeill, Salinas HS The 2022 prospect is a true plug in the middle of the defense and shows next level abilities anywhere from the 0-3 tech. Showing a quick and explosive first step, he has nice twitch for his size with the ability to explode from his hips and use heavy/tight hands with good extension to keep blockers away from his body and read the play. Very balanced against both the run and the pass, he shows a quick use of hands when rushing from an edge and has nice closing speed/tackling ability in the short area while playing with violence. A rare combination of size and athleticism/movement ability, MacNeill is one of the top defensive lineman that the Greater Bay Area has to offer in the 2022 class.   QB [player_tooltip player_id="145248" first="Darian" last="Mensah"], San Luis Obispo HS Only a current Sophomore, Mensah is one of the top quarterbacks in his class across the region. In two games as a Sophomore for SLO, he showed that he is an accurate passer while both in the pocket and when on the run outside the pocket. Very mobile while showing good footwork and balance through incoming pressure, he keeps his eyes downfield and does not force any throws. Able to place the ball into tight windows when throwing across his body while having a quick release, he will only continue to develop and possesses nice upside in college as he has untapped potential.   RB/LB Jack Susank, Mission Prep HS Susank is one of the most versatile and under-recruited players that the Northern California region has to offer. A big and physical back, in the right system he could stay at that position in college at a high level or even make the transition to inside linebacker due to his size, strength, versatility and athleticism. On tape, he is a downhill runner that gets vertical quickly while showing deceptive speed and a nice burst through the LOS while able to run outside the tackles and stick his toe in the ground. Tough and physical, he breaks tackles in the open field and wins with strength and leg drive through contact. Showing nice vision in traffic while able to make defenders miss with nice lateral movement abilities for his size and can also catch the ball out of the backfield. A very physical, tough and throwback player that will make a positive impact for any college team.   RB Jeff Shaffer, Salinas HS Shaffer is an under-rated back that is posed for a huge 2021 season. A well put together kid, he shows a nice burst through the first level and has the speed to run outside the tackles while being tough and physical enough to gain tough yards inside. Looking for contact and running through arm/ankle tackles and terrific contact balance in traffic while always falling forward and running with a low pad level/COG. He is a well rounded prospect that is not afraid to block at all three levels and plays with a good motor and physicality with or without the ball in his hands.   Other Names To Know.. QB [player_tooltip player_id="141943" first="Luke" last="Rossi"], Palma HS TE/DE Joseph Finley, Palma HS RB Caleb Alalem, Mission Prep HS RB Juan Carlos Escutia, Palma HS RB/LB Drew Harrigan, Mission Prep HS QB Nick Forbes, Aptos HS RB/SS Qwentin Brown, Santa cruz HS