USA TODAY Sports Super 25 Regional Football Watchlist: West region

Keep an eye on these teams out West …

The 2023 high school football season has arrived, with teams kicking off across the country in August.

That means the first USA TODAY Sports Super 25 is nearing, which marks another start to an iconic franchise that began back in 1982.

Last year’s Super 25 was one of the tightest races of all time, as St. John Bosco narrowly won out over Mater Dei and Bishop Gorman, among others.

How will things stack up this season? Ahead of the opening Super 25, USA TODAY HSS is looking around the country at the five regions we use to create the national rankings:

Next up is the West region, which comprises of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming

Georgia adds another great RB recruit with Mater Dei’s Nate Frazier

they have an especially rich history with great running backs.

These days Georgia is recruiting all the best prospects for every position, including the top quarterback in this class. However, they have an especially rich history with great running backs. This past weekend the Bulldogs added yet another potential star to the future of their backfield.

Here’s how Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star running back Nate Frazier announced his commitment to Georgia – echoing head football coach Kirby Smart’s Go Dawgs message on Twitter.

Frazier (5-foot-11, 208 pounds) had offers from 23 other schools, including Alabama, Oregon, Auburn, Cal, Colorado, Miami, Penn State and USC.

Asked why he picked the Bulldogs, Frazier made it clear he’s aware of their awesome tradition at running back. Here’s what he told Chad Simmons of On3 about his commitment.

“If you look at the history of Georgia with their two backfield players like Sony Michel, Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and D’Andre Swift, all of those guys were around playing with each other at the same time. They all made it to the NFL so if you look at that closely and when they played, if you’re a good player and you go to Georgia, you’re going to play…”

Going by the 247Sports composite rankings, Frazier is No. 4 among running backs in his class, also No. 4 overall in the state of Georgia and No. 51 nationally. However, both On3 and Rivals have him ranked first at his position.

As for the big picture, Georgia remains No. 1 in the nation by a wide margin in the 2024 recruiting rankings.

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Updated 2024 National Recruiting Rankings: Georgia still No. 1

Florida State steals commitment from five-star safety KJ Bolden

Watch: Mater Dei RB hurdles over tackler at first padded practice

A lot goes into fielding a high-quality team from year to year, but the easiest step is finding great athletes.

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) is one of the most dominant teams in high school football, winners of several national championships over the last few years. It’s one of the best programs in the sport and should be near the top of our first Super 25 rankings – which will be coming soon.

The Monarchs are already turning heads in 2023, too, and in only the first padded practice of the season.

Watch:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvcccCpNK5p/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

Mater Dei will begin their 2023 season on the road against Centennial (Calif.) on Friday, August 18.

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South Carolina gets commitment from top-10 recruit Dylan Stewart

Watch: Auburn flips five-star OLB Demarcus Riddick from Georgia

Mater Dei 5-star RB Nate Frazier names his top 8 schools

Frazier has gotten offers from 24 different programs, but he seems to be closing in on a decision.

One of the best running backs in the 2024 recruiting cycle is Nate Frazier from Mater Dei (Calif.).

So far, Frazier has gotten offers from 24 different programs, but he seems to be closing in on a decision for his college team. Yesterday, he told Hayes Fawcett at On3 that his final eight schools are Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Texas A&M, Miami, Auburn, Nebraska, and Tennessee.

As a Junior, Frazier posted 791 Yards on 61 carries (11.4 per attempt) and scored nine touchdowns.

Here’s a look at the kind of top-tier athleticism he possesses out of the backfield, with a burst of speed through to the second level that doesn’t seem real.

Frazier (5-foot-11, 208 pounds) is ranked No. 4 at his position, No. 4 in the state of California and No. 51 nationally going by the 247Sports composite.

So, where will he go?

According to On3’s prediction model, there’s no clear favorite. Oregon has the best chance at 29.7%, followed by Alabama (25.9%), then USC (11.4%) and Georgia (9.5%). 247Sports says Texas A&M is also a contender.

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Zabien Brown commitment helps put Alabama in top 15 nationally

HS Football Watchlist: The top 10 quarterbacks in the 2024 class

Zabien Brown commitment helps put Alabama in top 15 nationally

This cycle is far from over, though and Nick Saban’s squad is beginning to catch up with the usual contenders.

Alabama won last year’s recruiting cycle, putting together the highest-ranked group of prospects in the nation. However, this year the Tide has been lagging behind a little bit compared to how high they usually finish. Heading into this past week, they weren’t even in the top 20 of the 247Sports composite 2024 recruiting team rankings.

This cycle is far from over, though and Nick Saban’s squad is beginning to catch up with the usual contenders. They got an especially big boost on Sunday night when Alabama got a commitment from Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star cornerback Zabien Brown.

Brown (6-foot-0, 180 pounds) reportedly had offers from 18 other schools. Among the other programs that were considered contenders for his commitment were Ohio State and USC.

According to 247Sports, Brown is the fifth-best cornerback in his class, ranks No. 4 overall in the state of California and No. 45 nationally.

Asked why he picked Alabama, Brown credited his relationship with the coaches, per Hayes Fawcett at On3.

“I just felt like there was a unique opportunity being presented and I really felt at home out there… I grew a great relationship with coach T-Rob, coach Wiggins, and coach Sam Petitio… Also had great talks with coach Saban and my family and reminded me a lot of coach Rollo.”

The Crimson Tide also got a commitment from three-star German linebacker Justin Okoronkwo.

Alabama is now No. 14 in the nation in our updated national recruiting rankings for the 2024 cycle.

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HS Football Watchlist: The top 10 QBs in the class of 2024

12 most-unbelievable WR performances in HS football history

All-time high school QB rankings: Western region

To begin, we will rank the five best QBs to come out of the Western region.

Capping off USA TODAY High School Sports’ look at some of the greatest quarterbacks in high school football history, we’re ranking the five best QBs to come out of the Western region of the United States.

These QBs played for schools from the following states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. All high school stats are courtesy of Max Preps.

An arguable note: seven-time Super Bowl champion and the sport’s all-time greatest competitor Tom Brady played for Junipero Serra (Calif.) but is excluded because he didn’t truly become Tom Brady until he was already in the NFL – and these rankings are all about how the players performed in high school.

More All-time HS QB rankings:

East region

Southeast region

Midwest region

Southwest region

WATCH: Bryce Young gets emotional seeing his NFL locker for the first time

WATCH: Bryce Young and his family get to see his Panthers locker for the first time

The one thing that never ceases to amaze me about [autotag]Bryce Young[/autotag] is how humble he is. As the No. 1 recruit coming out of high school and a Heisman Trophy winner, it would be easy to let the fame and success get to your head, but never Young.

For months it was widely speculated that he would be the No. 1 selection in the 2023 NFL draft, so it came as no surprise to hear his name called by the Carolina Panthers but despite that, he never took anything for granted and was beyond appreciative to receive the call. Young has been at Mater Dei and Alabama where they have state-of-the-art facilities, so he should be used to these kinds of things.

Yet, it didn’t stop Young from getting emotional after seeing his NFL locker for the first time. In a video released by the Panthers, Young and his family are invited to see his new locker for the first time and you can see the reality set in that he made his dreams come true. In a touching moment, you can hear Young’s mom tell him, “You did this” as his dreams are now a reality.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

No. 1 ranked Mater Dei OT Brandon Baker names his top 10 schools

Baker narrowed that list down to his top 10.

Mater Dei (Calif.) five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker is the No. 1 ranked player at his position in the 2024 recruiting class. So far, Baker has gotten offers from 27 different schools.

On Thursday, Baker narrowed that list down to his top 10. According to Chad Simmons at On3, those programs are Georgia, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.

While it’s far from a settled issue, right now Oregon is the overwhelming favorite to get his commitment. On3’s prediction model has the Ducks at 84.6%, followed by a nearly 80-point gap to second-place Georgia (4.9%). On3 says that Baker is scheduled to visit Texas today and Georgia next weekend.

Going by the 247Sports rankings, Baker is second overall in the state of California and No. 23 nationally in his class.

More football stories

Georgia pads ’24 recruiting lead with another blue chip DL

Clemson continues hot streak with 4-star RB’s commitment

Mater Dei WR Jack Ressler names Oregon in his top five, sets commitment date

Mater Dei WR Jack Ressler names Oregon in his top five, sets commitment date

Earlier this week, the Oregon Ducks received a prediction to land the No.1 OT in the class of 2024, Brandon Baker. On Wednesday, Bakers Mater Dei High School teammate, Jack Ressler announced his top 5 schools via 247Sports, which includes the Ducks.

Oregon has drawn the interest of quite a few recruits from Mater Dei High School in the 2024 cycle, including 4-star DL Aydin Breland. While Ressler only announced his top five, he is expected to join up with the Ducks according to a 247Sports crystal ball prediction of 100% confidence.

While most outlets only rate Ressler as a 3-star receiver, he still has the potential to be an impactful player. In high school, he has demonstrated the ability to find soft spots in zones, sure-handedness catching the football, and has been a reliable target.

Currently, Oregon has a star-studded WR class, but many of those stars will be on their way out soon, so a receiver like Ressler — that is less likely to transfer away than a more highly-rated recruit —could be a key pickup for the Ducks.

Jack Ressler’s Recruiting Profile

No. 1 OT plans visit with UGA, Michigan, and others

Brandon Baker is planning to visit Georgia football this month

Brandon Baker is the top ranked offensive tackle recruit in the class of 2024, per 247Sports. Baker plays high school football for Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. Mater Dei is one of the top high school football programs in the country.

Brandon Baker is planning to visit the Georgia Bulldogs on April 13. Baker also plans to visit FSU on April 11, Michigan on April 7, Texas on April 14, and Nebraska on April 22. Baker visited Tennessee on March 31.

The talented offensive tackle is ranked as a four-star recruit. Baker is the No. 34 player in the class of 2024 and the third-ranked recruit in California.

The 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive tackle has already taken a recent visit to Nebraska, Miami, and Ohio State. The Mater Dei star has over 30 scholarship offers.

Kirby Smart and Georgia are off to a strong start with the 2024 recruiting cycle. The Bulldogs have 11 commitments and the nation’s top ranked recruiting class. Georgia has a commitment from in-state offensive tackle Malachi Toliver.

On3 reported Brandon Baker’s upcoming recruiting visits via Twitter:

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