Signing day list: The stars, snubs and steals

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Fab 5 recruits

Here are the county’s top 5 recruits (ranked by position):

1. Blake Ayles (Orange Lutheran, TE) USC: His size, skills and athleticism made him simply dominating and one of the top three tight ends in the nation.

2. Matt Kalil (Servite, OL) USC: A midseason injury was a setback, but when healthy he was by far the best tackle in the county and one of the best in the country.

3. Khaled Holmes (USC, OL) USC: Think Kalil, but at guard.

4. D.J. Shoemate (Servite, ATH) USC: He has the talent to play a half dozen positions. Which one will he end up at?

5. Nick Crissman (Edison, QB) UCLA: He is good enough to compete for the Bruins’ vacant starting gig in the fall.

1. Andrew Abbott, Mater Dei, DB, unsigned: This Mater Dei athlete can also play a receiver. His size (5-foot-9, 160 pounds) might have deterred colleges from paying attention, but Abbott proved himself in the Southern California Bowl and Mater Dei’s biggest games. (Who do you think caught that 97-yard touchdown from Matt Barkley against Servite?) He also had the game-clinching interception against Centennial of Corona. His plan is to wait for a better offer, and perhaps he will get one. Remember, Oregon snagged Tustin running back Javes Lewis last year in June.

2. Robbie Boyer, Mater Dei, WR, unsigned: After a meeting with UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel, he did not get a scholarship offer. Boyer was both possession receiver and playmaker in the Monarchs offense. He also didn’t shy away from going over the middle, making him the county’s best receiver in 2007. He looks headed toward a walk-on tryout at UCLA or USC, where his cousin, Matt Barkley, is committed to play in 2009.

3. Wes Fletcher, Valencia, RB, Idaho State: Did he not rush for nearly 6,000 yards? Fletcher is not undersized (6-0, 215) nor slow (4.50 40), so I’m surprised bigger schools were not in the picture. I saw both he and UCLA-bound Derrick Coleman (Troy) and didn’t see a great disparity between them. But Fletcher said he is happy with his destination.

4. Ryan Saumur, Cypress, LB/DB, Northern Arizona: There wasn’t anything Saumur couldn’t do. Playing at Cypress kept him out of the recruiting limelight, but he is a gamer. I could see him playing at a bigger school.

5. Blake Hyepock, Orange Lutheran, QB, Wesleyan: By the numbers, he had the second-best season of any quarterback in the county. Yes, better than Nick Crissman. He didn’t just manage games for Orange Lutheran, he was a big part of their run to the Pac-5 semifinals. Hyepock (6-0, 180) doesn’t have ideal size for a quarterback, but haven’t we learned that lesson already?

1. Ross Williams, Mission Viejo, LB, San Diego State: Anytime a player chooses San Diego State over Ohio State it is a major steal for the Aztecs. Williams was All-County in 2006, and he would have made the 2007 team had a back injury not forced him to miss half the season.

2. Anthony Laurenzi, El Dorado, DL, Washington State: The Register's Defensive Player of the Year seemed like was in on every play. It took some time, but Washington State finally saw what we were treated to the past two seasons.

3. Ricky Pemasa, Orange Lutheran, LB, Fresno State: It’s not every day a player chooses Fresno State over Boise State. But this is where Pemasa said he was most comfortable. One of Mater Dei's coaches said Pemasa, not Blake Ayles, was the Lancers’ most valuable defensive player.

4. Toa Tuitea, Westminster, TE, Arizona State: I did not get the chance to se him play, but the Sun Devils made their move late in the recruiting season and snagged a player who can play tight end and on the defensive line. How good is he? Tuitea’s brother said Arizona State coaches are split as to what position he’ll play first.

5. Cameron Meredith, Mater Dei, DL, Nebraska: Nebraska was about the last place Meredith wanted to be when initially offered a scholarship. But after a visit to Lincoln, this All-County lineman was sold.

Contact the writer: amaya@ocregister.com