California has some of the best high school football in the country and Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney has been out for weeks watching some of the top teams in the nation play each other. Here’s a look at the five best players he’s seen so far this season.
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MORE GORNEY: Recruiting Rumor Mill | Texas rolling on and off the field after forgettable summer | Fall commitment flips coming into focus
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker
Penn State fans should love how Dixson plays cornerback – competitive, tough, hard-nosed and constantly in the face of other receivers.
The four-star from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei did a fabulous job shutting down the Corona (Calif.) Centennial receivers in the season opener but he did an even better job shadowing LSU four-star receiver commit Derek Meadows in Mater Dei’s 31-15 victory over Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman last weekend.
Dixson has size and strength but also a fluidity in how he plays the position and no one is as aggressive as Dixson at the line of scrimmage and always looking to headhunt in the open field.
Washington is trying hard to flip the four-star but the Nittany Lions still have his commitment.
Currently ranked as the No. 15 pro-style quarterback in the 2025 class, Lateef has put on a show this season. The Nebraska commit could really separate himself if he continues to do so against elite competition later in the season, which will include matchups against Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei and Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco.
Lateef has some talented receivers including Arizona State tight end commit Aaron Ia and an elite offensive line, but he’s so comfortable in the pocket, has a surprisingly strong arm with a smooth release and he can also throw on the run, which makes him extra special.
Orange (Calif.) Lutheran blitzed a talented Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., team already this season and Lateef was a big reason why. Last week, Lateef and his team took down Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances.
Maybe no quarterback is being tested like the future Husker with an unbelievably tough schedule and that’s where Lateef thrives most.
The Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei cornerback duo of Dixson and McDonald is arguably the best in the country and the Alabama commit continues to deliver on a weekly basis. The four-star had an outstanding summer at numerous events, he’s not afraid to compete and he hasn’t seen a ton of action his way – as is the case with elite high school cornerbacks – since many quarterbacks don’t want to test his side.
When the ball does come McDonald’s way like it did a few times against Corona (Calif.) Centennial and fewer times against Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, McDonald blankets receivers, he has great burst to come up and knock the ball away, and then he’s a big hitter, too.
Alabama has done an excellent job recruiting California defensive backs in recent years especially at Santa Ana Mater Dei with Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown now there. Soon, McDonald will be joining the elite Crimson Tide secondary as well.
There are not many players in any class that look as good as Washington and now that he’s focused on playing safety and not wide receiver, there is a good chance the 2026 four-star from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman will be moving up in the next rankings.
The late Kobe Bryant’s nephew, Washington has tremendous length, he plays fast, he can run and he isn’t afraid to come down and hit as well.
When we saw him in person, Washington was wearing an Alabama towel and the Crimson Tide have definitely made a big early impression. Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, Washington, Texas, USC and Tennessee are others to watch early on.
Wyatt was devastating off the edge in Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei’s season opener over Corona (Calif.) Centennial as his speed was too much for the offensive line and he was a one-man wrecking crew getting into the backfield.
The four-star Oregon commit relishes that point of contact where he could lay out a quarterback, blow up a mesh point with the running back or just strike people all over the field. It’s what he lives for coming off the edge.
It will be interesting to see how his game translates to college where players are bigger and faster. Wyatt didn’t have nearly the success against Las Vegas Bishop Gorman’s elite offensive line but when he can get free off the edge, track people down with his speed and play in space to make tackles, Wyatt brings a whole lot to any defense.
