West Spotlight: Five 2023 prospects already turning heads

Prospects in the class of 2023 are getting a late start with the elimination of the spring evaluation period and cancellation of off-season camps, but some are starting to emerge with their freshman years coming to an end. Here are five from the West region who are soon-to-be household names in college football recruiting.

RELATED: Class of 2023 Midwest prospects to watch | Southeast prospects | East prospects

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2022: Top 100

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Mauigoa came to San Bernardino Aquinas from American Samoa in June 2019 and it’s been a wildly productive year for the 6-foot-6, 280-pound prospect who shined at the Rivals Camp Series event in Los Angeles before the coronavirus shutdown. A dozen schools have already offered, including LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, USC and Washington and lots of other college coaches are interested.

The defensive lineman is really just starting to harness his power and understand how dominant he can be on that side of the ball. The 2023 prospect is physically-developed, coachable and that hungry to be dominant in the coming years. Mauigoa is a really special prospect with a lot of tools who is already a national recruit. USC is his dream school, but there’s a long way to go.

If there is one quarterback in the 2023 class to be ready-made as the next big-time prospect at that position nationally, Nelson has to be near the top of the heap. The 6-foot-3 quarterback showed at the Rivals Camp Series in Los Angeles just how smooth he is at every level, from making all the throws, to the right reads, to delivering the ball on the money. Even his personality off the field shows a mature, steady person who knows how to answer questions.

It’s no surprise that Nelson already has 15 offers and almost all of them are from major national programs including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and USC. Nelson is going to be big-time and he’s just wrapping up his freshman season.

One of the next big-time linebackers at powerhouse Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei will be Su’a, whose forte is playing with power as a middle linebacker, but he’s great covering in space and he’s excellent at diagramming plays and then attacking the ball.

Washington and Oregon have jumped out early on even if he doesn’t have much varsity film yet with a host of top-notch linebackers playing ahead of him. Su'a has showed just how talented he is during his freshman year and at the Rivals Camp Series.

You know the last name well. D.J. Uiagalelei was a five-star quarterback in the 2020 class who signed with Clemson and now his younger brother, Matayo, is coming up through the ranks and is steadily becoming a national name as well.

Uiagalelei is not a quarterback but a defensive end who is already 6-foot-5 and 221 pounds and projects to be thicker and bigger than his older brother. The Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco prospect will still need to show elite power off the edge, but he has a good motor, good technique and the drive to be a special football player.

Ten schools including Alabama, Arizona State, LSU, Miami, Oregon, Texas A&M and USC have already offered. It will be interesting to see if and when Clemson pulls the trigger on an offer.

Wayne already has all the physical tools to be special and he has such a high ceiling as the 6-foot-5, 222-pound defensive end has incredible length and athletic ability. He tips passes. He has long arms to hold on to ball carriers and rip them down. He has a great burst to the edge and then excellent closing speed to make tackles. And Wayne has impressive physical tools to build on in the coming years as he refines his game even more.

Oregon, Tennessee and USC have offered so far, but there is little doubt Wayne is going to land more offers, especially after the coronavirus travel ban is lifted and he’s able to be seen by more college coaches.