With the 2019-20 school year approaching, Prep2Prep takes a look at some of the top football recruits in the Class of 2020 for each coverage area, with a small sampling of underclassmen at the end. This feature focuses on 20 of the top recruits within the Central Coast Section. This is not a comprehensive list, and all athletes are listed in alphabetical order.
Justin Anderson, Menlo-Atherton
The six-foot multi-purpose threat and dual-sport standout for the Bears has seen his recruiting stock skyrocket, with offers from Boston College, Washington State, Iowa State, Utah and Utah State. He had five interceptions last year as a defensive back, the position for which he is being recruited, but also serves as a Swiss Army knife offensively, with nearly 600 yards combined rushing and receiving last year combined with the ability to fill in at quarterback when needed. He was also an All-CCS selection on the hardwood.
Moon Ashby, Valley Christian
The athletic and extremely rangy 6-foot-4 outside linebacker returns after a junior season in which he totaled 33 tackles, and will now be a leader among what should be an outstanding defensive unit in 2019. He has offers from schools such as Fresno State, Washington State, Kansas State, Utah State and San Jose State.
Kavir Bains, Valley Christian
Bains returns at safety for the Warriors after earning WCAL Defensive Back of the Year honors as a junior. He had 62 tackles, five interceptions and six pass break-ups last season and has an offer from William & Mary.
Shamir Bey, Archbishop Mitty
Injuries hampered the 6-foot-3 Bey’s junior season, though he still managed to throw 18 touchdowns with just seven interceptions, while adding four more rushing scores. Considered one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in Northern California, Bey has offers from Howard and William & Mary.
Teddye Buchanan, St. Ignatius
Buchanan will be the anchor for the Wildcats’ defense in 2019, and the 6-foot-2 linebacker currently holds offers from Colorado State, San Jose State and the University of San Diego. He was a first-team All-WCAL selection as a junior.
Andres Dewerk, Los Gatos
The massive 6-foot-7, 295-pound Dewerk recently gave his verbal commitment to play offensive line at USC, after also receiving offers from schools such as Arizona, Nebraska, UCLA, Colorado, Washington State and Boston College.
Isaiah Dwelle, Milpitas
The returning first-team SCVAL-De Anza defensive back has the size (6-foot-2) and speed to shut down part of the field, which he did last fall for the Trojans and throughout the spring for KT Prep. If teams test him at all this fall, expect his numbers to go through the roof, after notching 23 tackles and an interception last year, and also expect his first official offer to come as well.
Jackson Lataimua, Serra
The hard-hitting safety for the Padres is verbally committed to the University of Nevada, after racking up 59 tackles last fall to go with an interception and a sack. Expect him to be all over the field for Serra this season, as a playmaker from sideline to sideline.
Terence Loville, Serra
The Serra speedster holds offers from Air Force and New Mexico, while starting to also gain the attention of Pac-12 recruiters. The six-foot Loville had 31 catches for 589 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior, then showcased his speed on the track during the spring, running on the Padres’ 4x400 relay team which qualified for the CIF Championships and anchoring the 4x100 relay team which reached the CCS Finals.
Nusi Malani, Serra
The 6-foot-6 Malani brings range and explosiveness off the edge for the Padres, which he converted into eight stops behind the line last fall. He is nearing double-digits in college offers at this point, adding a recent offer from Arizona State to go with previous offers from schools such as Nebraska, Boise State and Colorado.
Isaiah McElvane, Valley Christian
McElvane will be the focus of the Warriors’ run game again in 2019, after rushing for 1,204 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He also had three interceptions on defense last year, was named WCAL Junior of the Year in 2018 and has offers from BYU, New Mexico and Wyoming.
Tevita Moimoi, Sacred Heart Prep
Moimoi topped the 1,000-yard mark on the ground for the Gators in 2018, while adding 16 touchdowns from scrimmage. He also had 60 tackles and two sacks. The six-foot athlete has offers from Air Force, Columbia and the University of San Diego.
Frank Poso, Branham
The 6-foot-5, 335-pound offensive lineman had offers from schools such as Fresno State, New Mexico and William & Mary, but recently gave his verbal commitment to the University of Nevada. He is a returning first-team BVAL-Mt. Hamilton selection.
JT Reed, Valley Christian
The disruptive 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive tackle has offers from Fresno State, Montana State, New Mexico and Sacramento State, and figures to be one of the Warriors’ leaders up front this fall.
Carl Richardson, Salinas
The 6-foot-4 son of former Stanford player Kevin Richardson, Carl is forging his own legacy as one of the top returning quarterbacks in Northern California. After throwing for 3,606 yards and 24 touchdowns last fall, to go with nearly 600 yards on the ground, he is nearing double-digits in offers, including a recent one from Washington State. Other offers include Nevada, Idaho and Yale. He is also one of Salinas’ top returners on the hardwood.
Jamir Shepard, Palo Alto
One of the rising stars in the CCS, Shepard holds offers from a half-dozen schools, half of which are in the Pac-12. He had 1,074 yards and 19 touchdowns receiving in 2018, and the 6-foot-2 game-changer then excelled on the hardwood as well, leading the Vikings to a CCS Division I title. His top offers so far are from Arizona State, Oregon State and Washington State.
Derrick Smith, Archbishop Mitty
Smith may still be looking for his first official offer, but the prototype 6-foot-2 inside linebacker should see them during his senior season, after racking up 90 tackles with 7.5 tackles for a loss and an interception as a junior.
Deven Vanderbilt, Valley Christian
Part of a lock-down secondary for the Warriors, the speedy Vanderbilt had 37 tackles, two interceptions and three pass break-ups last season before showcasing his speed on the track, running sub-11 in the 100 meters and sub-22 in the 200 meters, qualifying for the CIF championships in the latter event. He has offers from BYU and Howard.
Mose Vavao, Saint Francis
The big interior lineman will anchor the Lancers’ run game in the fall, and holds offers from schools such as Air Force, Fresno State, San Jose State and Hawaii. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Vavao also does double duty on the interior of the defensive line, where he had four stops in the backfield last fall.
Carson Yates, Leland
The 6-foot-3 dual-threat signal caller and multi-sport standout, Yates has an offer from San Jose State and interest from multiple prestigious academic schools such as Harvard and Cal Poly. In his first two varsity seasons, Yates has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns, and he also reached the 1,000-yard mark on the ground last season to go with 15 rushing touchdowns. He has 28 of those in his first two years as well. He is also one of the top returning outfielders in the CCS.
Five to watch in the Class of 2021
Evan Branch-Haynes, Sacred Heart Cathedral
The 6-foot-3, 280-pound interior lineman was an impact two-way player for the Fightin’ Irish as a sophomore, earning second-team All-WCAL honors in the process. He does not have any reported offers yet, but that should change by the end of his junior year.
Troy Franklin, Menlo-Atherton
Considered to be one of the top dozen recruits in this class nationwide, Franklin has a bevy of offers from top schools around the country, including Alabama, Nebraska, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, USC, LSU and Washington. The electrifying receiver has over 1,100 yards receiving and 25 all-purpose touchdowns in his first two high school seasons.
Dominic Oliver, Valley Christian
The 6-foot-3 outside linebacker who already has an offer from San Jose State got a taste of varsity action as a playoff call-up last season, notching six tackles in games against Christopher and Liberty.
Raymond Price III, Menlo-Atherton
He might not hold the offers that his new teammate Franklin has, but Price will likely be the most scrutinized underclassman at the start of the 2019 season, after his transfer to M-A from Sacred Heart Prep. As a sophomore last season, Price led the Gators to 11 wins, completing 55 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and three interceptions, while also rushing for 361 yards and five scores.
Will Schweitzer, Los Gatos
The 6-foot-5 tight end/outside linebacker was a force off the edge for the Wildcats last season, earning the distinction as the top sophomore in the SCVAL-De Anza for 2018. He had 88 tackles, including 11 tackles for a loss, and four sacks on the defensive side, while adding seven catches and two touchdowns from his tight end spot. He already has an offer from California, which welcomes former teammate Kyle Smith this fall.
