Prior to the National Preps Collegiate Showcase on November 21 at Vacaville Christian High, Serra offensive lineman Drew Azzopardi wasn’t really on the recruiting radar screen other than the fact the Padres junior was the little brother of 2020 Serra grad and current Idaho freshman offensive lineman Nate Azzopardi.
Now, seemingly out of nowhere, Azzopardi was impressive enough in Vacaville that the National Preps coaches not only rated him as a Major D1 prospect, but in a bit of a surprise they named him the 2022 co-MVP for Lineman at the Showcase despite it being the one and only camp Drew has attended since the COVID shutdown began in March.
“I knew there was a lot of good talent there and I felt I had 100 percent, and I felt I did well,” Azzopardi said. “But it was a surprise because it was the first camp that I have attended,”
With his massive frame and the way he moved, it was hard to miss Azzopardi when the offensive linemen took the field in Vacaville.
The players only wore numbers at the Showcase, and as we were scouring the roster of the 560 attendees to find No. 922/ When we finally did find Azzopardi, at first we thought it was his older brother.
Brandon Huffman, the 247Sports.com National Recruiting Editor set us straight.
“It’s his little brother and he didn’t play football last season,” Huffman said.
All we could think of was why not? The answer came in Drew’s interview.
What became apparent is a huge part of the reason Drew is new to the recruiting scene is that after playing freshman football at Serra, he didn’t play football as a sophomore As a result, he never got to play on the Padres with his brother. Instead, he saw himself as a potential first baseman and baseball slugger after being a freshman and JV starter.
“I was focusing on baseball because I played that my whole life,” Azzopardi said. “I decided to pick between baseball and football so I chose baseball. But after watching my brother’s season and seeing how much fun they had, I decided to play again.”
We say Drew is Nate’s little brother, but in reality he is the big little brother. Nate goes 6-3, 275 pounds, but Drew was officially measured in Vacaville at 6-5, 317 pounds, with a wingspan of 81 inches, which tied him for the top mark at the Showcase. Plus he ran a 5.38 40 and that was two-tenths of a second faster than the next best 40 turned in by any of the other 300-pounders that made the list of the 180 Top Performers.
“Lost amidst all the skill talent the last couple years at Serra has been their offensive linemen, and Azzopardi may end up better than his D1 signee older brother,” Huffman said. “ He's longer than his brother, with good feet and a frame that could probably add 15 more pounds and not lose a step."
Speaking of not losing a step, when asked about areas where he can improve Azzopardi talked about getting faster despite being pretty quick for a 300-pounder.
“I definitely have areas of improvement,” Azzopardi remarked. “I know I could run a faster 40 than I did since I’ve been hand timed at 5.1, but I need to get quicker and continue to learn the techniques of being a lineman. I also need more time on the field with practices and games.”
What does Drew feel separated him from the other linemen in Vacaville and what does he feel are his best assets?
“I think my speed and size separated me as well as my feet,” Azzopardi said. I’ve been told that I have pretty good feet. Also, playing baseball has helped me with my hand/eye coordination, and playing infield assisted with my hands and feet.”
“The National Preps coaches were great,” continued Drew. “They gave me a lot of positive feedback and good tips about things I can improve on.”
If and when Azzopardi gets to follow in his brother’s footsteps and start for Serra as a varsity offensive lineman is still up in the air, but Padres coach Patrick Walsh sees his tremendous potential.
“An athlete is an athlete at any size,” Walsh said. “The best natural trait Drew has, besides his size obviously, is his footwork. It’s rare to find an athlete with his combo of size and speed.”
“Improvement wise, well, he just has to play so we can get him some film and actual successes and failures that we can build on. I believe the sky is the limit for him,” continued Walsh, who said his cell phone is going wild with calls and texts about the #LetThemPlayCA Facebook group he helped start.
Some game film will certainly bolster his recruitment, but what isn’t a surprise is since his performance at the National Preps event, Azzopardi has begun to hear from some college programs.
I have had some basic communication, mostly through twitter, with Arizona State, Cal, Idaho, New Mexico State, and UC Davis,” Drew said. “It has been hard because there are no games, so I have no film. I feel it will pick up when they see me play.”
As to whether he and his teammates will actually get to play this season, Azzopardi had this to say.
“We are very hopeful that we play because we think we will be good,” Azzopardi responded.
“The goal every year at Serra is to win a state championship,” Drew continued. “I really hope the seniors like Fynn Williams and Ziggy Tai don’t miss out on their last year.”
Although he’s only a junior and hasn’t played a single down of varsity football, Azzopardi is concise about his goals.
“My long term goal is to play D1 football in college, get my degree, and then hopefully play in the NFL,” Drew said.
That will be then and this is now, and Azzopardi like all high school athletes wants to play now.
“I have played sports my entire life and not being able to play has been brutal,” he said.
“It is really affecting all of us and it’s why Coach Walsh is working so hard to get us on the field,” Azzopardi added. “He knows what this is doing to his players not being able to play.”
“I want to thank all my coaches, especially Coach Walsh, Coach (Brian) Wilbur, and Coach (Darius) Bell,” Drew concluded. “They have worked so hard to keep us in shape and motivated.”
Now, all we need is a season.
