Three local recruits face toughest test today

Rancho Cucamonga High School defensive backs Chris Hawkins and Tahaan Goodman along with Upland defensive end Joe Mathis are among 150 of the nation’s top high school football players who were invited to The Opening, a high profile camp held at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. today through Sunday.

Hawkins, rivals.com’s seventh-rated cornerback in the country, committed to USC April 1, but Goodman and Mathis are two of the top uncommitted recruits in Southern California. At The Opening, all three will face what is likely the highest level of competition they’ve seen to date. Of course, the trio of four-star prospects themselves represent some of the highest caliber competiton in the country.

Goodman is the top-ranked uncommitted safety in the country, according to rivals.com. The 6-foot-2, 184-pound senior has over 40 scholarship offers but hasn’t much begun to narrow his list. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound Mathis is rivals.com’s second-rated strong side defensive end in the country not yet verbally committed. With over 50 scholarship offers, Mathis is running out of schools to impress but the opposition at The Opening presents him the opportunity for his most imppressive performance of the summer.

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Summit CB hoping USC will be first Pac-12 domino

Charles Okonkwo has long since infiltrated the WAC and Mountain West conferences. On Saturday he hopes to begin his foray into the Pac-12.

The Summit cornerback with eight scholarship offers, seven of which are from the WAC or Mountain West, has reason to believe he can begin the domino effect in the Pac-12. There is no larger domino than USC, whose camp Okonkwo will attend this weekend.

“USC is pretty close to offering,” Summit head coach Cesar Villalobos said. “They’ve seen him on film but the defensive coordinator and the coaches just want to see him in person. Once that first offer comes in, they’ll all start coming in. He would probably get three of four more from the Pac-12.”

Army’s offer last week was the 6-foot-1, 175-pound defensive back’s first outside the WAC or Mountain West. The other offers for the senior-to-be consist of Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Nevada, Utah State, New Mexico and New Mexico State. Okonkwo’s current favorite is Boise State, which he has already visited unofficially in addition to receiving an earful from former Summit teammate and future Boise State freshman Donte Deayon.

“Boise State is just real business like and I like that,” Okonkwo said. “But at this point I’m open to anything. USC would be nice. They’re doing big things.”

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Four recruits from Inland Valley in new ESPN 300

Led by the defensive back duo from Rancho Cucamonga High School of Chris Hawkins and Tahaan Goodman, four football recruits from the Inland Valley are included in the debut of the ESPN 300 released today. Hawkins, a cornerback committed to USC, is rated the No. 71 recruit in the country, Goodman, a 6-foot-, 185-pound safety with 25 scholarship offers, is rated No. 95.

Another member of the Baseline League, Upland’s 6-4, 254-pound defensive end Joe Mathis, is rated the No. 236 recruit in the country. Mathis committed to Washington Oct. 24 but de-committed three months later and currently sports a healthy 41 scholarship offers.

Rounding out the local ESPN 300 members at No. 258 is Colony’s Samajie Grant, an athlete who played receiver and defensive back but is also coveted for his kick return ability. Grant has offers from Arizona, UCLA, Utah and Washington State.

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Upland DE Mathis didn’t expect national status

Joe Mathis is taking it as slow as he can, but that task gets more difficult by the day. The Upland High School four-star junior defensive end has received 11 scholarship offers in the last two weeks alone.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Mathis figured he’d be a target on the West Coast, but what surprised him was when his status went national. It was Oklahoma and Oklahoma State offering last week, Michigan and Michigan State this week. Nebraska offered the same day as Oklahoma, joining names on his list more familiar to Mathis like USC, UCLA, Washington and Arizona State.

“I really didn’t see that coming, all the national offers,” Mathis said. “But I’m open to anybody. I’ll go anywhere as long as I fit in.”

Mathis has solidified three of his eventual official recruiting trips, none of which are on the West Coast. He’ll visit Michigan, Oklahoma and Nebraska with two trips yet to be determined.
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National signing day: football list

Donta Abron, RB, Upland — Colorado
Jacob Ardron, LB, Diamond Ranch — Columbia
Zach Beard, OL/DL, Los Osos — Nebraska Kearney (Division II)
Blake Benjamin, OL, Diamond Ranch — Navy
Donte Deayon, DB, Summit — Boise State
Austin DeCoud, QB, Redlands East Valley — Idaho
Jamal Ellis, DB, Redlands East Valley — Fresno State
Nick Enriquez, OL, Chino Hills — Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Edmond Faimaalo, OL, Redlands East Valley, Sacramento State (FCS)
Andrew Fischer, ATH, Diamond Ranch — Harvard
Kevin Gabigan, OL, Redlands — UC Davis
Brandon Greene, OL, Redlands East Valley — Air Force
Aiseah Hanson, OL, Kaiser – Nevada
Bryan Harper, ATH, Colony — Arizona
Ezekiel Herndon, WR/DB, Bloomington — S. Dakota St.
Reshawn Hooker, LB, Miller — Utah
Kenyatta Johnson, OL, Upland — Texas Southern (FCS)
Damontae Kazee, DB, Cajon — San Diego State
Gerrad Kough, OL, Pomona — Colorado
Dylan La Frentz, OL, Los Osos — Northern Arizona
Koa LaBonta, DB, Los Osos — Army
Eddie Martinez, LB, Colony — Western New Mexico (Division II)
Chris Miller, DB, Diamond Ranch — Oregon State
Marques Mosley, DB, Upland — Colorado
Brandon Mosley, TE, Summit — Colorado St. Pueblo (Division II)
Christian Powell, FB, Upland — Colorado
Metuisela Unga, TE, Rancho Cucamonga — Fresno State
Robert Wagner, LB, Colony — New Mexico State
Jamaal Williams, LB, Summit — BYU
Junior Colleges
Travis Coons, K, Mt. San Antonio (Alta Loma HS) — Washington
Perris Scoggins, TE, Mt. San Jacinto (Summit HS) — New Mexico State
Bryan Oldenkamp, OL, Chaffey College (Hesperia HS) — New Mexico
Blake Loncar, QB, Citrus College (Los Osos HS) — Indiana State

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List of expected football signees

There are a few local players yet to decide with whom they’ll sign on Wednesday, National Signing Day, but most have made verbal commitments and all that’s left is to ink their name on a letter of intent. The Colony duo of athlete Bryan Harper and linebacker Robert Wagner have yet to settle on their plans. On Fox Sports West tomorrow, Harper will reveal his decision between Oregon, UCLA and Arizona. Wagner, who after losing his two Pac-12 offers due to coaching changes is weighing offers from New Mexico State and Idaho, will likely not sign tomorrow. Upland receiver Kenny Lawler, who has narrowed his list to Cal and Oregon State, will also announce on Fox Sports West.

Here is a list of those already committed:
Donta Abron, RB, Upland — Colorado
Jacob Ardron, LB, Diamond Ranch — Columbia
Blake Benjamin, OL, Diamond Ranch — Navy
Donte Deayon, DB, Summit — Boise St.
Austin DeCoud, QB, Redlands East Valley — Idaho
Jamal Ellis, DB, Redlands East Valley — Fresno State
Nick Enriquez, OL, Chino Hills — Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Edmonmd Faimaalo, OL, Redlands East Valley, Sacramento State
Andrew Fischer, ATH, Diamond Ranch — Harvard
Kevin Gabigan, OL, Redlands — UC Davis
Brandon Greene, OL, Redlands East Valley — Air Force
Reshawn Hooker, LB, Miller — Utah
Damontae Kazee, DB, Cajon — San Diego St.
Gerrad Kough, OL, Pomona — Colorado
Dylan La Frentz, OL, Los Osos — Northern Arizona
Koa LaBonta, DB, Los Osos — Army
Chris Miller, DB, Diamond Ranch — Oregon State
Marques Mosley, DB, Upland — Colorado
Christian Powell, FB, Upland — UCLA
Jamaal Williams, LB, Summit — BYU

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College coaches aren’t the only ones burned when fired

Most high school prospects aren’t granted the courtesy of a phone call.

A face-to-face meeting is practically unheard of, but Colony High School senior Robert Wagner found himself sitting across from Rich Rodriguez as the new University of Arizona football coach explained why the scholarship offer issued the linebacker by the previous coaching staff was being taken away.

Arizona offered the three-star middle linebacker his first scholarship in March before coach Mike Stoops was fired midway through his eighth season. The Wildcats were a mainstay at the top of the Wagner’s list until two weeks ago, when they were forcibly removed.

“Arizona was my No. 1 choice and the only reason I hadn’t committed was to work things out with my family,” Wagner said. “When they told me they wanted to go after some other dudes it brought me down. I mean, it was big of them to come and tell me but it wasn’t easy to hear.”
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Miller’s Reshawn Hooker commits to Utah

Miller football coach Marcus Soward reports that linebacker Reshawn Hooker, a first-team All-Sun selection, has given a verbal commitment to play for the University of Utah.
Soward said that the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Hooker chose Utah over Colorado, Arizona State and Hawaii.
“There were some other schools like SC looking at him as a DB, but its better for him to play a position he’s been playing for years,” Soward said.
Hooker had 112 tackles, eight sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions in 10 games for Miller.

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Upland’s Powell to decide on college future this week

Two Upland football players have made verbal commitments to Colorado but two more, who happen to be two of the Inland Valley’s highest profile recruits, are yet to make their intentions known as National Signing Day approaches.

Highlanders fullback Christian Powell was set to join running back Donta Abron and defensive back Marques Mosley at Colorado until the new coaching staff at UCLA made him a scholarship offer Jan. 4. Powell, who said he will make a decision between his eight offers this week, returned from an official visit to UCLA last weekend impressed by the Bruins.

“I was about to commit to Colorado,” Powell said. “I liked (UCLA) a lot. I had a good visit. I don’t know man but I think I’m leaning toward (UCLA).”

Upland receiver Kenny Lawler, who decommitted from Arizona State Nov. 28, will visit Oregon State this weekend but may not make a decision on his future until until close Signing Day on Feb. 1. The four-star recruit has narrowed his list to Oregon State, Oklahoma State, Washington State and UCLA.

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