Where the top 10 recruits in California for the 2024 class are signed
The state of California continues to churn out top talent on the gridiron. That’s once again apparent in the 2024 cycle.
As Mater Dei High and St. John Bosco continue to dominate, other programs up and down The Golden State are also continuing to increase with talent at all levels. A grand total of 16 California high schools have at least one top-300 recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking.
With the conclusion of the 2024 class upon us and all major recruiting services having locked in their rankings, On3 looks at who the top 10 recruits in California are and where they’ll begin their college football careers.
1. QB Julian Sayin — Ohio State (Alabama Short-Term Signee)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 8
School: Carlsbad
Scouting Summary: “Julian Sayin is the most refined and accurate passer in the 2024 cycle. Measured in at over 6-foot-1, 195 pounds with a 9.25-inch hand prior to his senior season. Touts one of the quickest releases in the cycle with a tight, compact throwing motion. Has outstanding overall mechanics. Consistently throws in rhythm, marrying his eyes, upper body and feet. Generates good zip on short and intermediate passes. The ball gets out quick. Layers his passes with ease, delivering with advanced touch. Hits receivers in stride. A good deep ball thrower. Comfortable passer on the run with the ability to deliver from off-platform. Navigates the pocket with ease and with intention.
…Plays on his toes and has quick, reactive feet. A surgical passer on Friday nights. Decisive passer who reads the field quickly and efficiently. Turned in an efficient junior season, completing 66.5% of his passes for 2,708 yards (11.1 yards per attempt) and 27 touchdowns against 4 interceptions. Also rushed for 154 yards and three scores. A standout in neutral settings, as he was named the On3 MVP at the Elite 11 Finals and OT7 Finals prior to his senior season. Does not possess the eye-popping physical traits of some of his highly-touted peers. Can continue building on his improvisational skills and overall creativity as he often wins from within structure. Considered a very safe quarterback prospect with a high floor at the next level.”
2. CB Zabien Brown — Alabama
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 27
School: Santa Ana Mater Dei
Scouting Summary: “Zabien Brown is a polished, battled tested cornerback who stars for one of the nation’s top high school programs. Listed at around 6-foot-1, 180 pounds with unverified length. Primarily lines up on the outside for Mater Deil. Shows good ball skills, picking off 3 passes and breaking up 5 more as a junior. Comfortable reading the quarterback’s eyes and jumping short routes. Plays both press and off coverage. Comfortable lining up in man against top receivers. Plays with good technique, getting his hands on receivers to disrupt routes. A solid tackler in open space. Play speed and trigger are adequate, but wins more with technique and instincts. Speed registers as solid to average, as he typically runs in the 11.2-11.3 second range in the 100 meters. Can continue getting stronger. Older for the cycle, turning 18 years old during his junior season. Will be a 20 year-old as a true freshman.”
3. OT Brandon Baker — Texas
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 34
School: Santa Ana Mater Dei
Scouting Summary: “Brandon Baker is a high floor offensive tackle who is battle tested against top competition while playing at one of the nation’s top high school programs. Measured in at 6-foot-4.5, 300 pounds as a rising senior. Has good length for the position with a 34-inch arm. Lines up at right tackle for powerhouse program Mater Dei. Technically advanced and proficient as a run blocker. Understands technique, angles and hand placement. Shows developed footwork as a puller when working to the second level. Keeps his feet moving and uses his size and strength to create a push. Further along as a run blocker than pass protector at this stage but has the ability to improve on that front. Has a tendency to lunge at times in pass protection. Not overly flashy from an athletic standpoint and can continue to improve his lower body flexibility. Projects as a steady, safe offensive tackle prospect who could potentially play multiple spots on an offensive line.”
4. LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa — Notre Dame
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 43
School: Bellflower St. John Bosco
Scouting Summary: “In a position group that usually struggles to shine in All-American settings, linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa managed to put on a very strong showing during practices and the game. To say that Viliamu-Asa was flying all over the field is an understatement. His ability to trigger to the football is special. The Notre Dame signee’s ability to sniff out the play before the snap is elite. During the 9-on-7 and team periods at practice, Viliamu-Asa was playing downhill at a different speed than the rest of the defense. He was constantly bringing down ball carriers in the backfield and was beating offensive linemen to their spots in the run game. Despite the first couple practices being without pads, Viliamu-Asa was making noise and knocking helmets with ball carriers. His physicality and violence will fit right in at Notre Dame and he will be making plenty of noise in South Bend.”
5. RB Nathaniel Frazier — Georgia
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 49
School: Santa Ana Mater Dei
Scouting Summary: “Nathaniel Frazier is a dynamic every down back with projectable size and home run ability. Measured in at 5-foot-10 and around 210 pounds in the summer prior to his senior season. Has some of the best long speed among top running backs in the 2024 cycle, running a wind-legal 10.77 mark in the 100 meters as a junior. Carries that speed over to the field where he displays arguably the best burst among 2024 running back prospects. Explodes through the hole and consistently defeats defenders’ angles as an outside runner. Has the long speed to pull away once in the open field. Runs with outstanding pace. Makes defenders miss at a high rate, with lateral agility. Side-steps tacklers in confined spaces. Runs with high-level contact balance.
…Stays grounded on contact and spins out of tackles. Dangerous in the screen game and has upside as a pass catcher given his showings on the camp circuit. Transferred to powerhouse Mater Dei as a junior and split carries in a talented backfield. Does not have the workload or production of most other top running back prospects, but is highly efficient. Rushed for 693 yards and eight touchdowns on 61 carries (11.4 yards per carry) as a junior. More of a skill set evaluation than a pure high school football resume builder heading into his senior season.”
6. DL Aydin Breland — Oregon
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 71
School: Santa Ana Mater Dei
Scouting Summary: “Aydin Breland is a pass-rushing defensive lineman with rare movement skills for his size. Measured in at around 6-foot-4.5, 320 pounds in the off-season prior to his senior season. Has good length for the position with arms over 33 inches. Has a naturally large frame, with his weight fluctuating between 280 and 320 pounds for most of his high school career. Typically lines up at defensive end for SoCal powerhouse Mater Dei. Moves like a much smaller player. Pushes the pocket with his speed to power. Bowls offensive tackles into the backfield on contact.
…Has the strength to stack and shed linemen to make plays against the run. Tracks down plays with his notable pursuit athleticism. Punishes offenses for leaving him unblocked. Also participates in track and field. Turned in a personal best throw of 46-6 feet in the shot put as a sophomore. Works as a rotational player for Mater Dei and is not as productive as most other blue chip defensive linemen to this point. Finished his junior season with 24 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. Older for the cycle, turning 19 years old in January of his senior year.”
7. IOL Eugene Brooks – Oklahoma
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 89
School: Chatsworth Sierra Canyon
Scouting Take: “Eugene Brooks had a phenomenal showing at the Under Armour All-America Game. I think he was probably the strongest interior offensive lineman we saw at the point of attack. He’s just a bull on contact. Really was able to stone defensive linemen once he was able to get his hands on them and had a really good showing. Brooks has kind of transformed his body over the past year or so — cut a ton of weight, probably 60 pounds and is just moving much better. He’s a guy who is very explosive in short areas, strong, just has explosive power.
…He is a great shot-putter and just has a lot of natural play strength. Going to need to continue improving athletically and not overly long, but he’s just a rock-solid guard propsect and one who certainly helped himself in Orlando.”
8. WR Xavier Jordan — USC
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 97
School: Chatsworth Sierra Canyon
Scouting Summary: “Xavier Jordan is a highly skilled and coordinated receiver who was the most productive pass-catcher in the 2024 cycle as a junior. Has a thin, narrow frame, measuring at over 6-feet and around 160 pounds. Turned in a huge junior season, catching 83 passes for 1,626 yards and 20 touchdowns. Shows a very high skill level. Has some of the best ball skills we’ve evaluated in the 2024 cycle. Tracks the football effortlessly. Makes diving grabs at a high rate. Comes down with contested catches in traffic and elevates to win in jump ball situations. A fluid, natural mover who projects as a strong route-runner. Uses pacing and tempo to separate within his routes. Runs with outstanding body lean. Registers solid speed, with a personal best of 11.09 in the 100 meters as a sophomore, with most times coming in the 11.2 range. A very high floor prospect given his skill level. Will need to fill out and continue to add mass and strength given his relative lack of size at this stage.”
9. CB Dakoda Fields — Oregon
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 111
School: Gardena Junipero Serra
Scouting Summary: “Dakoda Fields is a tall, rangy corner with smooth movement skills. Measured in at around 6-foot-1.5, 180 pounds as a junior. Owns good length for the position. Has a track background and turned in a variance of times as a junior, running 100 meter times of 10.92 seconds and 11.19 seconds, respectively. Works as an outside corner at one of the top talent-producing high school programs in Los Angeles. Effective at jamming receivers of the line of scrimmage, making use of his size and length. Smooth in his backpedal. Plays with a solid degree of technical acuity for the position. Tracks the ball well, showing good awareness in coverage.
…Turned in solid showings against top receivers as a senior. Had good ball production in his final prep campaign, breaking up ten passes along with two interceptions. Can continue improving his reactive quickness in addition to progressing as a tackler. Has some natural ability to go with technical skills that point to a nice upside.”
10. SAF Peyton Woodyard — Alabama
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 128
School: Bellflower St. John Bosco
Scouting Summary: “Peyton Woodyard is a polished, refined safety with well-rounded skills in coverage and run defense. Measured at a shade over 6-foot, 200 pounds prior to his senior season. Has a muscled, developed build. Stars on the back end for one of the nation’s top high school programs. Lines up at safety and in the slot. Finished his junior season with 53 tackles, 8 pass breakups and one interception. Sees plays quickly and shows good instincts. Does a nice job recognizing route concepts. Refined footwork in coverage. Has adequate deep range. Shows some coordination in playing the ball. Assertive in working downhill as a run defender. Physical and lowers his shoulder on contact. Will come into college with a more advanced understanding of defenses given his experience at St. John Bosco.
…Does not have strong marks relative to verified athleticism. Long speed and athletic upside are not as noteworthy as many of his fellow blue-chip safety prospects. Works in a specialized role as a one-way player for a powerhouse high school program and does not have the breadth of playmaking experience of some other top safety prospects. Has the look of a high floor prospect who could be primed to contribute early in his career given his polish and refined game.”