From CIF to NFL: Former California high school football stars in the pros
With the 2023 National Football League season getting underway this weekend, SBLive is taking a look at former California high school stars in the NFL.
164 former California high school football stars are on NFL opening week rosters in 2023. 43 other standouts are opening the season on practice squads. Here's a look at every player, listed in alphabetical order by team:
Arizona Cardinals—
Krys Barnes – LB – Liberty (Bakersfield)
Aaron Brewer – LS – Troy
Emari Demercado – RB – Downey
Zach Ertz – TE – Monte Vista (Danville)
Keith Ismael – OL – Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco)
Geoff Swaim – TE – Pleasant Valley
Cameron Thomas – DL – Carlsbad
Jalen Thompson – DB – Downey
Michael Wilson – WR – Chaminade College Prep
Andre Baccellia – WR – Westlake (Practice squad)
Andre Chachere – DB – Clovis West (Practice squad)
Atlanta Falcons—
Tyler Allgeier – RB – Kaiser
Drew Dalman – OL – Palma
Jaylinn Hawkins – DB – Buena Park
Nate Landman – LB – Monte Vista (Danville)
Drake London – WR – Moorpark
Clark Phillips III – DB – La Habra
Keith Smith – FB – Charter Oak
Tucker Fisk – TE – Davis (Practice squad)
Baltimore Ravens—
Josh Johnson – QB – Oakland Tech
Patrick Mekari – OL – Westlake
Kevon Seymour – DB – Muir
Marcus Williams – DB – Eastvale Roosevelt
Buffalo Bills—
Josh Allen – QB – Firebaugh
Alec Anderson – OL – Etiwanda
Taron Johnson – DB – Sheldon
Khalil Shakir – WR – Vista Murrieta
Kameron Cline – DL – Patrick Henry (Practice squad)
Bryan Thompson – WR – Rancho Verde (Practice squad)
Carolina Panthers—
Troy Hill – DB – St. Bonaventure
DJ Johnson – LB – Burbank (Sacramento)
Shaq Thompson – LB – Grant (Sacramento)
Bryce Young – QB – Mater Dei
Dezmon Patmon – WR – Patrick Henry (Practice squad)
Chicago Bears—
Rasheem Green – DL – Serra (Gardena)
Elijah Hicks – DB – La Mirada
Jaylon Johnson – DB – Central (Fresno)
Marcedes Lewis – TE – Long Beach Poly
Equanimeous St. Brown – WR – Servite
Cincinnati Bengals—
Chidobe Awuzie – DB – Oak Grove
Jake Browning – QB – Folsom
Alex Cappa – OL – Dublin
Jalen Davis – DB – Helix
Trenton Irwin – WR – Hart
Joe Mixon – RB – Freedom
Josh Tupou – DL – Buena Park
Jonah Williams – OL – Folsom
Demetric Felton – RB – Great Oak (Practice squad)
Sidney Jones IV – DB – West Covina (Practice squad)
Cleveland Browns—
Joel Bitonio – OL – Long Beach Wilson
Corey Bojorquez – P – Mayfair
Nick Harris – OL – JSerra
Sione Takitaki – LB – Heritage (Menifee)
Lorenzo Burns – DB – Linfield Christian (Practice squad)
Lucas Havrisik – K – Norco (Practice squad)
Dallas Cowboys—
Bryan Anger – P – Camarillo
DaRon Bland – DB – Central Catholic (Modesto)
Brandin Cooks – WR – Lincoln (Stockton)
Viliami Fehoko Jr. – DL – St. Francis (Mountain View)
Tyron Smith – OL – Rancho Verde
Nahshon Wright – DB – James Logan
Sean Harlow – OL – San Clemente (Practice squad)
Denver Broncos—
Greg Dulcich – TE – St. Francis (La Cañada)
Alex Singleton – LB – Thousand Oaks
JL Skinner – DB – Point Loma
Luke Wattenberg – OL – JSerra
Dwayne Washington – RB – Gahr (Practice squad)
Detroit Lions—
Khalil Dorsey – DB – Colony
Jared Goff – QB – Marin Catholic
Marvin Jones Jr. – WR – Etiwanda
Amon-Ra St. Brown – WR – Mater Dei
Darrell Daniels – TE – Freedom (Practice squad)
Green Bay Packers—
David Bakhtiari – OL – Serra (San Mateo)
Kenny Clark – DL – Carter (Rialto)
Josiah Deguara – TE – Folsom
Romeo Doubs – WR – Jefferson (Los Angeles)
Jordan Love – Liberty (Bakersfield)
Matt Orzech – LS – Paloma Valley
Sean Rhyan – OL – San Juan Hills
Daniel Whelan – P – Rancho Mirage
Arron Mosby – LB – Sanger (Practice squad)
Houston Texans—
Alex Austin – DB – Long Beach Poly
Cory Littleton – LB – Mount Miguel
CJ Stroud – QB – Rancho Cucamonga
Henry To’oTo’o – LB – De La Salle
Robert Woods – WR – Serra (Gardena)
Indianapolis Colts—
Segun Olubi – LB – Corona Centennial
Michael Pittman Jr. – WR – Oaks Christian
Rigoberto Sanchez – K – Hamilton
Darren Hall – DB – Rancho Cucamonga (Practice squad)
Isaac Taylor-Stuart – DB – Helix (Practice squad)
Jacksonville Jaguars—
Jamal Agnew – WR – Point Loma
Elijah Cooks – WR – Atascadero
Caleb Johnson – LB – Point Loma
Devin Lloyd – LB – Otay Ranch
Kansas City Chiefs—
Trent McDuffie – DB – St. John Bosco
Matt Dickerson – DL – Serra (San Mateo) (Practice squad)
Keith Taylor – DB – Servite (Practice squad)
Las Vegas Raiders—
Davante Adams – WR – Palo Alto
DeAndre Carter – WR – Washington (Fremont)
Marcus Epps – DB – Edison (Huntington Beach)
Austin Hooper – TE – De La Salle
David Long Jr. – DB – Loyola
Kolton Miller – OL – Roseville
Marcus Peters – DB – McClymonds
Cole Fotheringham – TE – San Clemente (Practice squad)
Hroniss Grasu – OL – Crespi (Practice squad)
Tyler Hall – DB – Serra (Gardena) (Practice squad)
Los Angeles Chargers—
Michael Davis – DB – Glendale
Elijah Dotson – RB – Antelope
Daiyan Henley – LB – Crenshaw
Joshua Kelley – RB – Eastside
Eric Kendricks – LB – Hoover (Fresno)
Tuli Tuipulotu – DL – Lawndale
Terrell Bynum – WR – St. John Bosco (Practice squad)
Keelan Doss – WR – Alameda (Practice squad)
Hunter Kampmoyer – TE – Bishop Union (Practice squad)
Los Angeles Rams—
Quentin Lake – DB – Mater Dei
Ronnie Rivers – RB – Freedom
Coleman Shelton – OL – Loyola
Zach Thomas – OL – Carlsbad
Akhello Witherspoon – DB – Christian Brothers
Royce Freeman – RB – Imperial (Practice squad)
Miami Dolphins—
Jake Bailey – P – Santa Fe Christian
Chris Brooks – RB – El Camino
River Cracraft – WR – Santa Margarita
Jevon Holland – DB – Bishop O’Dowd
Jaelan Phillips – LB – Redlands East Valley
Jason Sanders – K – Villa Park
Minnesota Vikings—
Mekhi Blackmon – DB – Menlo-Atherton
Camryn Bynum – DB – Corona Centennial
Troy Dye – LB – Norco
Alexander Mattison – RB – San Bernardino
Johnny Mundt – TE – Central Catholic (Modesto)
Josh Oliver – TE – Paso Robles
David Quessenberry – OL – La Costa Canyon
Ryan Wright – P – California
New England Patriots—
Myles Bryant – DB – Loyola
Joe Cardona – LS – Granite Hills
Marte Mapu – LB – Hawthorne
Antonio Mafi – OL – Serra (San Mateo)
Brenden Schooler – DB – Mission Viejo
Matt Slater – WR – Servite
Juju Smith-Schuster – WR – Long Beach Poly
Jahlani Tavai – LB – Mira Costa
New Orleans Saints—
Derek Carr – QB – Bakersfield Christian
Isaiah Foskey – DL – De La Salle
Chris Olave – WR – Mission Hills
Carl Granderson – DL – Grant (Sacramento)
Rashid Shaheed – WR – Mt. Carmel
Michael Thomas – WR – Taft
Jamaal Williams – RB – Summit (Fontana)
Tommy Hudson – TE – Archbishop Mitty (Practice squad)
Jordan Mims – RB – Menlo-Atherton (Practice squad)
New York Giants—
Darnay Holmes – DB – Calabasas
Adoree Jackson – DB – Serra (Gardena)
Isaiah Hodgins – WR – Berean Christian
Taiwan Jones – RB – Deer Valley
Bobby Okereke – LB – Foothill (Santa Ana)
Kayvon Thibodeaux – DL – Oaks Christian
Alex Cook – DB – Sheldon (Practice squad)
Kaleb Hayes – DB – San Gorgonio (Practice squad)
New York Jets—
Nick Bawden – FB – Los Gatos
Ashtyn Davis – DB – Santa Cruz
Aaron Rodgers – QB – Pleasant Valley
Alijah Vera-Tucker – OL – Bishop O’Dowd
Tyreque Jones – DB – San Gorgonio (Practice squad)
Nehemiah Shelton – DB – Serra (Gardena) (Practice squad)
Philadelphia Eagles—
Grant Calcaterra – TE – Santa Margarita
Tanner McKee – QB – Corona Centennial
Rashaad Penny – RB – Norwalk
Pittsburgh Steelers—
Najee Harris – RB – Antioch
Damontae Kazee – DB – Cajon
Luz Barcoo – DB – Castle Park (Practice squad)
Greg Bell – RB – Bonita Vista (Practice squad)
David Perales – LB – Merced (Practice squad)
Trenton Thompson – DB – Palm Springs (Practice squad)
San Francisco 49ers—
Arik Armstead – DL – Pleasant Grove
Aaron Banks – OL – El Cerrito
Sam Darnold – QB – San Clemente
Ross Dwelley – TE – Oak Ridge
Drake Jackson – DL – Corona Centennial
Deommodore Lenoir – DB – Salesian (Los Angeles)
Matt Pryor – OL – Lakewood
Fred Warner – LB – Mission Hills
Correry Luciano – OL – Monte Vista (Danville) (Practice squad)
Curtis Robinson – LB – Mater Dei (Practice squad)
Seattle Seahawks—
Zach Charbonnet – RB – Oaks Christian
Jake Curhan – OL – Redwood
Jason Myers – K – Mater Dei Catholic
Uchenna Nwosu – LB – Narbonne
Colby Parkinson – TE – Oaks Christian
Bobby Wagner – LB – Colony
Easop Winston Jr. – WR – Serra (San Mateo) (Practice squad)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers—
Greg Gaines – DL – La Habra
David Wells – TE – Clovis North
Vita Vea – DL – Milpitas
Patrick Laird – RB – Mission Prep (Practice squad)
Tennessee Titans—
Daniel Brunskill – OL – Valley Center
Ryan Stonehouse – P – Mater Dei
Kyle Peko – DL – La Habra (Practice squad)
Washington Commanders—
Charles Leno Jr. – OL – San Leandro
Casey Toohill – DL – Cathedral Catholic
Alex Akingbulu – OL – Narbonne (Practice squad)
Terrell Burgess – DB – San Marcos (Practice squad)
Brycen Tremayne – WR – Venice (Practice squad)
(Feature photo by Connor Morrisette)
