While the 2021 class hasn’t been able to have a senior football season, we still wanted to take a deeper look at the class in terms of what are the strongest positions and what areas stand out.

Top Positions: Defensive Line, Tight Ends, Defensive Backs

11 of the Top 50 players play on the defensive line including Top 10 prospects Akili Calhoun Jr. (Liberty), Will Scweitzer (Los Gatos) and Jailen Weaver (Antioch). Schweitzer, Kaleb Elarms-Orr (Moreau Catholic) and Dominic Oliver (Valley Christian-San Jose) also have the potential to play outside linebacker.

This is one of the best tight end classes we have had in Northern California with eight in the Top 50 and four of the top 17. The class is headlined by Napa’s Brock Bowers, Kennedy’s Jermaine Terry, Serra’s Christian Pedersen and Jesuit’s Keleki Latu.

Monterey Trail’s Prophet Brown has long been the top defensive back in the region, but depth has emerged throughout this year. Among the eight players in the Top 50, Cal is bringing in two local players with De La Salle’s Lu-Magia Hearns and Folsom’s Kaleb Higgins.

Top Area Codes: 916, 925, 510

12 of the Top 50 hail from the 916 area code that has strong football on the 80 and 50 corridors. Eight of the top 19 are from this area including the top two quarterbacks with Oak Ridge’s Justin Lamson and Folsom’s Ari Patu. Both players are enrolling early at Syracuse and Stanford respectively.

The 925 area code finished in a close second place with 11 ranked prospects. They have six of the Top 23 prospects including three Cal commits in Calhoun, Hearns and Pittsburg’s Ryan Lange.

In the 510 area code, six players made the Top 50 rankings with three players in the City of Hayward (Moreau Catholic’s Elarms and Nikko Reed and Hayward’s Alzillion Hamilton).