Sacramento Area: Top 2023 and 2024 Prospects: Part I

All through out Northern California, the prospects in the 2023 and 2024 class have shined this past Spring season on both sides of the ball. The Greater Sacramento area was no different in that it is loaded with talent from players that either had successful Spring seasons, are National Recruits or are poised for huge break out Fall in 2021. Below, we will take a look at part I of just some of the top 2023 and 2024 Greater Sacramento Area prospects in these respective classes. This segment will be a III part series.   Walker Lyons, Folsom HS Already having been a National Recruit for some time now, Lyons is one of the best tight ends that the Golden State has to offer, regardless of class. Holding offers from coast to coast, he has the abilities to be a multi-year Power Five starter and as just a Sophomore, he is barely scratching the surface of his overall potential ceiling of play. He meets the ideal measurables for the position and has strong hands and a big catch radius while able to go up and atack 50/50 balls and bring a physical style of play to the position with very good overall athleticism, coordination and body control.   Lucas Hardeman, Folsom HS Starting as a Freshman at offensive tackle for one of the states top teams, Hardeman is a technician in the trenches and will soon find himself with FBS offers as he continues to develop and progress from a very impressive Freshman campaign. On tape, he plays with terrific pad level and initial inside hand placement while creating immediate drive through his legs and finishing off his blocks downfield with a nasty aggression. He is a balanced blocker that is patient in pass pro while also able to scrape to the second level and takes good angles to linebackers and third level defenders. As he continues to pack on weight, he has terrific upside at the next level and will be one of the most dominant lineman in Northern California for years to come.   Carlos Wilson, Inderkum HS Holding multiple Power Five offers and just recently picking up Oregon and USC last week, Wilson can go the distance every time he touches the ball. Showing an elite burst and open field speed, he shows good foot speed through his breaks and attacks the ball in the air while able to make contested catches from various different body angles. Twitchy in the open field due to short are quickness and explosion, he is extremely tough to take down and is a very well physically put together prospect that should impact the FBS level for multiple years.   [player_tooltip player_id="25423" first="Simione" last="Pale"], Elk Grove HS Pale is one of the most physical and dominant interior lineman in the entire state and is only a rising Junior. Holding offers from the likes of Oregon and Oregon state, Pale is a mauler with strong hands and control at the point of attack. He is also a natural bender at the position and does a good job at exploding through his hips upon contact and finishing with good toughness and physicality. He has all the potential to land some national offers and should see his recruiting stock take off as he progresses through his Junior season for Elk Grove.   Zaire Collier, Antelope HS Another top 2023 lineman from this region, Collier is a stout and physical run blocker that without a doubt, has FBS caliber abilities. Very light on his feet and athletic for his size, he is a North and South blocker that wins with lower body strength and leverage while also able to pull and block in space. Collier has now put together two very good seasons of his high school career and should see his stock rise as he enters into his Junior season.   Jared Wiley, Christian Brothers HS Wiley is a vertical burner that has ideal size and length for the next level. He is a natural ball catcher with high point ability and strong hands in the air while able to box out defenders and win with athleticism and physicality. A long strider that covers ground in a hurry, he shows nice adjustments to the ball while able to turn short receptions into long gains and attacks the ball in the air from various body positions. He should see his recruiting stock continue in an upward trend as he gets set for his third season for Christian Brothers.   Derek Houston, Rocklin HS Houston is one of the only starting linebackers in the 2023 class at the Varsity level through out the Sacramento area. He is a very good athlete that can play physical in the box while able to cover both in the flats and vertically against smaller and faster receivers. He has fluid hips in space while showing nice closing speed and takes good angles in the open field while bringing a good pop at the point of contact. Playing for one of the top teams in the entire region, he also flashed quick play diagnosis especially for his age, and can play outside the tackles and track down ball carriers from behind while able to apply pressure off the edge and has well timed blitzes.   [player_tooltip player_id="25353" first="Nick" last="Afato"], Yuba City HS Afato is another one of the top 2023 defenders across Northern California and is a big time playmaker from the second level. He is a true new age mike backer and is a high motor kid that flies around and makes plays. Inside the box, he takes on blockers with a nice shock and shed while showing good lateral movement/breaking abilities in space while able to force fumbles with hand placement and is active in the pass game while baiting quarterbacks into bad throws. He is a strong tackler that loves contact and will continue his dominance this Fall season.     Other Top Prospects... [player_tooltip player_id="25378" first="Rico" last="Flores"], Folsom HS (Power Five prospect/National Recruit) [player_tooltip player_id="115457" first="Maealiuaki" last="Smith"], Inderkum HS (Offers from SJSU, Florida State, UNLV)