HEIR Football in Review: One of the Nation's Top Programs

One of the most impressive aspects to football in the NW is the talent which has come out of the state of Washington. Every year for the better part of a decade, former Super Bowl Champion Reggie Jones and his HEIR Academy organization, have consistently been listed among the top programs in America. Both them and Ford Sports continue to compete for national championships on the 7v7 circuit while training some of the countries top athletes.   Looking at the youth movement currently within HEIR, we see a group which has the potential of winning national titles in the years ahead.  Just recently at the Redzone elite 7v7 tourney in AZ, they finished 7th out of 44 teams with eight sophomores and freshman playing an influential role. Other nationally ranked teams who finished in the top 10 in Arizona include (Full Gorilla Black- 1st, Tucson Turf- 2nd, AZ Dolphins- 3rd & 5th, FSP-10th)    Maybe even more intriguing is Jones' 12u Apex Predators squad who might literally be the top team in the nation for their age group. Thus far they have won all three tournaments which they have played Pylon/Association/Redzone.    With Jones and former NFL counterpart Courtney Taylor leading the HEIR program, the sky's the limit. Referenced below are a few of the academy's top young athletes and other nationally ranked talent. Check it..          *No Particular Order         [player_tooltip player_id='273753' first='Jonathan' last='Epperson Jr']. 6-0 195 ATH/SS 25' Auburn Riverside OFFERS (4) Oregon, USC, Oregon St, Wash St   Epperson's stock has sky rocketed, recently being offered by some of the top schools in the West. He earned 1st team all-league honors, while projecting as more of a strong safety. After having a breakout freshman season, he made 77 total tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss on the year.   Tristan Baker 6-1 185 FS/WR 26' Lakes OFFERS (1) Nevada    Expect Baker to blow up in the coming year. He's one of the rare freshman to garner a division 1 offer after earning honorable mention all-conference honors at WR, and averaging 29 yards per catch. He ran an 11.7 100 meters as an 8th grader to put his speed into perspective.    Joey Thomas III 6-0 160 CB 26' Kennedy Catholic OFFERS (1) Texas Tech    The name and blood lines speak for themselves. Thomas will rank as one of the top players on the west coast for his class, already landing offers from the likes of Texas Tech. He's long and fast and will be a household name.    Jasiah Denmark 6-0 160 CB 26' Spanaway Lake   Played Varsity ball as a freshman. Called "Very Special" by Reggie Jones and someone you could compare to 4* All American [player_tooltip player_id='87403' first='Jasiah' last='Wagoner'], just taller.    Jerimyah Mitchell 6-1 170 ATH/CB 25' Puyallup    Made the move from Sacramento. As a sophomore down in Cali he did well on defense and as a kick returner, averaging 25 yards per return. He is springy and explosive, projecting as a power 5 guy.    De'arius Hawkins 5-11 170 DB/ATH 25' Spanaway Lake   You have to like the way Rico plays. As a sophomore he made 56 total tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss on year. As of right now he projects as an FCS athlete.    [player_tooltip player_id='158324' first='Unterrio' last='Latin-Henley'] 5-11 185 RB/S 24' Washington OFFERS (6) Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Wash St   Super talented overall athlete with a high ceiling. He went for 8+ yards per carry and 20 yards per reception last year, with the potential to be a POY in 2023.    [player_tooltip player_id='338805' first='Kage' last='Repenn'] 6-2 200 WR 24' Tahoma OFFERS (1) Idaho    One of the most versatile kids in the state. Repenn landed his first D1 offer from Idaho over the last week as he should garner many more. His combination of size and speed along with his ability to return kicks is appealing.    Isaiah Jennings 6-2 175 S 24' Emerald Ridge   The 1st team all-district CB from Rowlett HS in Frisco, TX will be a huge addition to an already talented Emerald Ridge program. He accounted for 26 total tackles, 9 PBUs, and 1 INT last year, with Reggie Jones stating that he has the potential of being offered by the entire Pac 12.    [player_tooltip player_id='87431' first='Micah' last='Balzarini'] 6-3 200 QB 24' Blair Academy NJ    The 3* QB had a 2nd team all-conference season in NJ with the likes of Temple on the verge of offering. He has been playing lights out for HEIR as you can expect big things this off season.   [player_tooltip player_id='158377' first='Marquise' last='Thorpe-Taylor'] 6-6 315 OL 24'  Mt Tahoma OFFERS (7) USC, Washington, Wash St, Arizona, BYU   One of the fastest rising line recruits in the west, landing offers from close to ½ the Pac 12 thus far. The big man has thrived as part of the HEIR program.