Orange Unified College Showcase: Hidden Gems

Michael Huntley May 12, 2022 @ 11:20 PM

Three schools in the Orange Unified School District got together to showcase their athletes for several college coaches. Many scouts were already in the area to see Servite and Mater Dei’s college showcases that were held earlier in the day Thursday. But some players stood out and were drawing attention from the college coaches on hand. Here are some players that impressed me from the event that I had not previously heard of or seen much of. Disclaimer: I did not get to watch much of the lineman 1on1 pass blocking period of the day so the list does not include many linemen. CANYON Kayvon Monfared, WR, 2023: Monfared is a three-sport athlete at Canyon (football, soccer, volleyball) and joined Canyon midseason last year. He is lengthy around 6-foot-3 and is explosive out of his stance. He always knows where he is on the field which sounds simple but is impressive for a player with as little experience as he has. He made some circus catches and looked good against quality defensive backs from Orange and El Modena. He could be a great No. 2 receiver for Canyon alongside Fox Haugen. https://twitter.com/Kayvon_Monfared/status/1524983113054425088?s=20&t=fdzP836iCT3v6wec65Cylg Connor Leonard, DB, 2023: Leonard is a basketball player for Canyon’s great basketball team and has not played football before. He is very raw but his athleticism sticks out when you watch Canyon’s defense. He is 6-foot-1but can jump and has the speed to hang with a lot of receivers. His backpedal isn’t very clean but he moves his hips well and never looked lost against any route combinations. He has some work to do but good athletes pick up football movements quickly and Leonard likely will too. <hr /> EL MODENA Esteban Choucair, DL, 2023: Choucair has quick feet and is one of the more agile defensive linemen I have seen at his size. He needs to work on getting his hands on the offensive lineman before going for his pass rush move. Sometimes he spins inside without engaging with his hands at all which is easier for an offensive lineman to stop when pads come on. I’d like to see him get his hands on people and use that power to get into the backfield even faster. He has a strong work ethic and some time on the one-man sled will do him good this offseason. But his combination of size and agility make him an intriguing pass rusher. https://twitter.com/ChoucairEsteban/status/1508501409980854276?s=20&t=fdzP836iCT3v6wec65Cylg Jonathan Tabb, LS, 2023: Tabb is a Rubio long snapper and that camp churns out Division 1 long snappers every year. He is a scholar-athlete and every snap I’ve seen is right at the numbers. He does a good job using his legs to get all of his strengths into his snaps. He will likely be the best long snapper in the county this season and is a real Division 1 prospect. https://twitter.com/jonathantabb54/status/1524143354996424704?s=20&t=fdzP836iCT3v6wec65Cylg <hr /> ORANGE Ardwon Morris, LB, 2025: Morris is an inside linebacker with a solid frame and tree trunks for legs. He moved pretty well for his size during the 7on7 period and at his size I am sure stopping the run is not an issue for him. He is young and still learning the position which was evident when Orange would allow some receptions over the middle, but he will get better with more reps and Orange will be very active on the passing league circuit this summer.