West Coast Sleepers

It’s no secret that the west coast is loaded with gems, but that also leaves a ton of athletes that are falling too low under the radar. Here’s a look at 5 players that caught my eye that deserve more attention heading into 2022:   [player_tooltip player_id="110153" first="Chris" last="Arviso"], QB, Mountain Pointe (AZ) ’23   Arviso sizes up with a slender frame at 6’2" 175lbs with room to add mass. He has drawn some FCS and G5 interest but has yet to land that first offer. He possesses a raw arm talent with the ability to hit all 3 leves of throws with velocity or touch, and has shown the ability to frequently deliver accurate balls off platform. He shows excellent ball placement to fit throws into tight windows or finesse throws over or in between opponents and can sit back and dice up any defense barring he gets the time. He does a good job escaping pressure when the pocket breaks down to extend plays and find receivers downfield or pick up solid chunks of yards on his feet. This offseason, Arviso has looked the part at various 7v7 events, checking all the boxes you would want in an FCS to G5 level QB. He’ll need to translate the maturity from last season and all the offseason work to the field this fall, but the initial eye test projects Arviso having a very productive senior season.   [player_tooltip player_id="110233" first="Darien" last="Witham"], ATH, Thurston (OR) ’23   Witham is one of those kids that can really make a difference anywhere he lines up on both sides of the ball. I love his skillset, instincts, and football IQ as a Safety. He’s well polished in the back half with a great understanding of responsibilities in coverage, and has done a solid job baiting QB’s into poor decisions. Exellent closng speed as a tackler as he eats up a ton of ground super quick, and is explosive through the tackle with good technique at all angles. Good range all around is a fly around, fearless type player for Thurston. On offense, he’s shown the ability to be pretty dynamic with the ball in his hands. He’s shown some moxy at QB, but also does solid job on the gound bringing that physicality to the POC but has also flashed the ability to make opponents miss. We should see him play multiple positions again in 2022, and will be solid tool for a college program given his athleticism and versatility.   Will Bond, ATH, Catheral Catholic (CA) ’23   Bond is severely under appreciated due to his size (5’9" 165lbs) but has been a productive machine for Cathedral Catholic with the ability to make an impact at RB, WR, and KR. He displays an excellent initial burst with quick, processing vision to identify and shoot through narrow developing lanes. He does a great job keeping his legs driving forward after contact to pick up those extra chunks or sometmes burst through. He started to showcase his ability as a WR as well, running clean crisp routes from the slot while flashing twitch. He was oftentimes an ankle tackle away from a big play. Bond is a willing and sound blocker in the run game due to their multiple back sets as well. Moving forward, I think Bond’s skillset would best translate as a slot and return spcialist at the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id="110094" first="Blaise" last="Nelson"], WR, Valley Vista (AZ) ’23   Nelson is an absolute burner and is huge threat in space. Posssibly the fastest player in the state as he is also the Arizona 100m state champ in track. He came into last season still very raw but really started to put it all together and play the position well in terms of technique and IQ. He displays a solid burst off the snap and is explosive out of his cuts. Elite top end speed to take the top off a defense or become an instant threat when he touches the ball in space. He did a great job as a KR as well, identifying those lanes and hitting them hard without hesitation to take a few to the house. Good ball skills with body control as he’s shown the ability to adjust his body and grab those difficult catches. He’s landed FCS offers from North Dakota, St. Thomas, and Northern Arizona but should continue to see that list grow.   [player_tooltip player_id="87422" first="Kyler" last="Ronquillo"], ATH, Yelm (WA) ’23   Ronquillo is another kid I’ve been raving about for a bit, but once again is tending to get underlooked because of his size. He plays fast and instictive with the ability to make a difference on both sides of the ball. He possesses loose hips with good twitch and excellent short area quickness with explosiveness out of each cut. He does a tremendous job of exploding at the top of routes to genrrate that separation. Good ball skills and body control all around as he can extend past his frame or adjust his body in air to make a play. He shows good range and burst in the back half as a Safety and does a great job patrolling those hashes, frequenty making plays and forcing PBU’s or snatching picks. He has received a PWO from Oregon and an offer from Portland State, but deserves to see a major spark in his recruitment.

It’s no secret that the west coast is loaded with gems, but that also leaves a ton of athletes that are falling too low under the radar. Here’s a look at 5 players that caught my eye that deserve more attention heading into 2022: