Interviews with 15 top prospects, highlights, and observations.

MISSION VIEJO, CALIF. — Some of the best athletes on the West Coast gathered Sunday to compete in the Under Armour All-America Camp’s L.A. tour stop for a chance to go to the Under Armour All-America Game.

Here is what I learned via observations and interviews.

Heard: Washington coming on strong

It was no surprise that among the elite players, USC is still far and away the top choice. It has been that way for almost their entire lives. But with Chip Kelly taking over at UCLA, I thought I would hear more about the Bruins. Instead, I heard Washington, Washington, and more Washington. Chris Petersen and his staff are slowly building something special in Seattle. I had Washington as one of my four favorite classes in 2018, and that could continue for 2019. We’ll see how UCLA and Oregon do as their new staffs get more footing.

Outside the Pac-12: Oklahoma, Nebraska, and ... Tennessee?

Because very little elite football is played in the Mountain time zone, the West region is the most geographically isolated from the rest of the country. Kids often talk about going to schools in the East or South, but it usually doesn’t happen.

When it does, it is typically to schools who have a history of success with California players. And those are the names I heard Sunday: Oklahoma, Nebraska (Calibraska), and even some Tennessee.

Under Armour All-America Game Invites

These players, based on film evaluation and camp performance, earned invites to the Under Armour All-America Game: Mykael Wright, Jason Rodriguez, and Mase Funa. I have interviews with Wright and Funa, below.

Future 50 invites

Three players earned invites to the Future 50, an event in January featuring the best underclassmen in the nation. And yes, that is NFL legend Chad Johnson’s son.

5 standouts

These five players stood out to me on the day.

1. Valencia (Calif.) cornerback Mykael Wright was sticky all day. He has good size at 5’11, and nice recovery speed. I did not see anyone beat him deep on the day. Information on Wright’s recruitment is in the “scoop” section, below.
2. Hesperia (Calif.) Oak Hills tackle Jason Rodriguez was dominant all day. At a long 6’6 and 321, Rodriguez is a player who is coming into his own and beginning to understand how to control that much body. He handled both speed and power rushers on the day, and his confidence is growing. Rodriguez teased an interesting dream offer in the “scoop” section, below.
3. Carlsbad (Calif.) athlete Asa Turner is a really interesting prospect. At 6’4 and roughly 200 pounds, he could play receiver, tight end, safety, but I am intrigued by the option of him playing linebacker. He was super athletic at linebacker Sunday, and has the long frame to add 30+ pounds at the college level. It would not shock me to see him grow into an edge rusher in college.
4. Corona (Calif.) Centennial defensive lineman Drake Jackson was arguably the best defensive lineman on the day. Jackson is a bit of a tweeter, and could be a five- or three-technique in college. He was too much for opposing guards to handle.
5. Logan Loya: See the “young guns” section, below.

3 players who are better than their ranking

These are three players who are better than their current recruiting ranking (if they even have one).

1. Blake Antzoulatos, 2019 LB, West Hills (Calif.) Chaminade: Antzoulatos is currently rated the No. 20 inside linebacker nationally. Quite simply, if that is the case, then this is the best year for inside linebacker recruits ever. Antzoulatos has some great film. He’s super aggressive, and physicality runs in his family as his dad was a pro hocker player. But he backed it up in person, measuring in at 6’1, 218, and showing very well in agility drills and in coverage. Boston College and Cal are his current best offers.
2. Jamari Ferrell, 2019 RB, Mission Viejo (Calif): Ferrell is 5’7, 180 and makes some sharp cuts to get open. He looked good going through bags, and caught the ball well. Ferrell is yet to receive any offers.
3. Na’Im Rodman, 2019 DT, Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco: Rodman won rep after rep on the day, beating some good guards with quickness and power. He is listed as the No. 70 DT nationally as of February 26, and that seems low.

The scoop: In their own words

I chatted with 15 or so of the West’s best prospects. Here they are in their own words, plus intel I gathered on them talking with area experts and media.

Mykael Wright, a cornerback from Valencia (Calif.) was one of the top players at the event. At roughly 5’11, 180, Wright has good size and was like glue on receivers all day. I chatted him up after he received his invite to the Under Armour All-America Game.

“If I had to make a Top 5, I know that Oregon, USC, and Arizona would make it,” he said. Wright has connected with the new staff at Arizona. He’ll visit USC the first weekend in March, and will see Oregon in the spring.

Wright recently picked up an offer from Alabama, which he classified as a “game changer.” He thinks Texas and Michigan could be the next to offer.

Intel: Speaking to local recruiting media, they don’t think Wright is going to leave the West Coast.

Jason Rodriguez, of Hesperia (Calif.) Oak Hills had a strong day as well. A strong week, really. The 2019 tackle prospect added an offer from USC on Saturday, and on Sunday, received an invite to the Under Armour All-America Game. Rodriguez came in at 6’6 and 321 pounds, but doesn’t look sloppy.

Among his current offers, USC and Oregon really stand out to him.

Rodriguez was very excited to talk about his USC offer, but there was another school he wanted to discuss.

“Texas A&M,” Rodriguez said when asked what offer he still really wants. “That’s where my family is. They have a great program for my major (genealogy), because I want to be a geneticist. And they have amazing facilities.”

If A&M offers, the Aggies will be on the lead lap.

“A&M would be right up there with USC and Oregon,” Rodriguez said.

He models his game after tackle Donald Penn of the Oakland Raiders.

Intel: Rodriguez had a ton of enthusiasm when discussing A&M. I think the two Pac-12 schools are currently in the driver’s seat, but for him to know so much about the Aggies suggests to me that he has legitimate interest in the program.

Linebacker Jonathan Perkins, of San Bernadino (Calif.) Cajon continued his strong run Sunday, picking up an offer from LSU right before the event.

“I just talked to (LSU defensive coordinator) Dave Aranda this morning,” he said, excited about the offer. Perkins wore a purple undershirt to show off the love he was feeling from the Bayou Bengals.

Perkins’ list of top schools is interesting for its lack of California schools: Oklahoma, Oregon, LSU, Texas A&M, and Texas. The first three stand out more, and of his five, all but Texas have offered, though he thinks Texas and TCU could soon offer.

But what about the California schools?

He was a UCLA commit until the coaching change, but decommitted.

“I’m still interested in UCLA, Chip Kelly came by my school and I am getting to know the new staff,” Perkins said. USC has not shown interest.

Intel: Perkins looked good in early drills, which surprised me a bit because he looks heavier than his listed 6’1, 207. There’s no doubt that when he’s in top shape, he’s a baller.

Lawndale (Calif.) running back Jordan Wilmore is short at 5’8, but he is quick and packs a punch at 200 pounds. The four-star also caught the the ball well on Sunday.

Wilmore has 15 offers, but one really stands out: USC.

“It made me say ‘wow,’” Wilmore said of his USC offer.

“With USC, it’s my hometown,” Wilmore said. “I’m cool with all the coaches, they’re all cool with me. It’s family.”

Utah is also strongly in the running for Wilmore.

“Coach Mac hits me up all the time, he’s a great guy,” Wilmore said of Utah RB coach Kiel McDonald.

He thinks Georgia could be the next to offer. He wants to pick up offers from Oklahoma, LSU, and FSU.

Wilmore plans to major in communications and business, with a minor in kinesiology.

2019 DT Keyon Ware-Hudson is a prospect I was eager to see, as the four-star is coming off a torn ACL. The 6’3, 305-pounder out of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei looked good.

He said that Oregon is recruiting him the hardest, and wants to return to Oregon for its spring game.

“Oregon is on me every week,” Ware-Hudson said.

USC is the other school standing out. He visited USC for junior day a few weeks ago.

Ware-Hudson said that he thinks Virginia Tech and FSU could be close to offering.

Bonus: Look for my interview with four-star defensive lineman Stephon Wright, to come Tuesday on SB Nation Recruiting.

Young guns

Take this opportunity to learn about some of the top young players in the game.

Logan Loya, 2020 WR, Orange (Calif.) Lutheran: Whoa. Logan Loya is really nice. An underclassman, the 6’0, 170-pounder was quite simply the best receiver at the event all day. He was able to vary his tempo, gets in and out of his breaks without having to gear down, and catches everything. I was shocked that Loya only has one offer (San Jose State). That should change soon. Loya is currently unrated by all of the major sites.

The top 2020 QB DJ Uiagalelei has everything going for him. The Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco prospect is huge at 6’5 and 240 pounds. He has a cannon for an arm. He has a very high IQ, both on field (countless relatives are coaches) and off (he says he has the grades to play for Stanford or Cal). He is also an excellent baseball player who will likely get drafted, though he expects to play football. Basically every major program in the nation has offered.

Intel: Everyone, and I mean everyone, I spoke with expects him to go to USC.

Keep an eye on Sefita Tupe, a 2020 DT out of Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra High School. At 6’0 and 280 pounds, Tupe’s only offer is from Oregon State. But he plays with a lot of power and a good motor, getting rep after rep. Arizona is showing interest, and he wants offers from USC, Notre Dame, and Oregon. Like many players of Polynesian descent (Tupe is Tongan), Tupe looks up to Oregon defensive line coach Joe Salave’a.

I liked what I saw from La Habra (Calif.) cornerback Cam Phillips III. The 5’10, 180-pound 2020 CB is very physical, and plays with great focus. He tries to make the most of every rep and had a good day in coverage.

Next at the controls of the machine that is Mater Dei HS is 2020 QB Bryce Young. Young transferred from Cathedral to Mater Dei after the departure of J.T. Daniels, who elected to graduate a full year early in order to enroll at USC. Young threw the ball very well.

2020 guard Myles Murao, of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei impressed me in January during the Army All-American Bowl combine, and did so again Sunday. The 6’3, 270-pound Murao has a great sense of body control and footwork for a young players. Among his offers, Washington and USC stand out, and he is hoping Stanford and Notre Dame will come through with an offer. Murao wants to stay close to home.

2020 DT Ricky Correia is a name to keep an eye on. The 6’4, 300-pounder from Fresno (Calif.) Edison carries his weight well, and if he gets more accustomed to his newfound size, he could be pretty good. Arizona offered under the previous coaching staff, and Correia wants to receive offers from USC, Washington, and Arizona State.