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Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Running back Brian Bonner of Valencia has speed, and moves, to burn
Second in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Brian Bonner, Valencia running back. There are many ways Brian Bonner of Valencia High impacts a football game. As a running back, using his 10.48-second speed in the 100 meters, any kind of opening creates the opportunity for a touchdown. Ditto catching a ball out of the backfield and being allowed to improvise as he makes defenders miss. And then there's kickoff returns, where he builds up speed like a locomotive and heads to the end zone faster than putting mustard on a hot dog. 'I think being versatile is very important,' he said. 'A lot of teams in college look for a running back that can do more than run the ball. They want you to be able to catch and block.' At 6 feet and 190 pounds, Bonner is ready to take a place among the many great Valencia backs of the past, from Manuel White to Shane Vereen to Steven Manfro, all of whom made it to the college ranks. 'It's really cool to learn about the history of the other running backs and it would be an honor to be part of that group,' Bonner said. 'I've learned all the great things they've done at Valencia.' No one has been faster in Valencia history than Bonner, who started attracting attention when he ran 100 meters in 10.85 seconds during his last race as a freshman. A stampede of football offers started coming after his 10.48 time last year. 'My recruitment started to blow up,' he said. 'They were really impressed by speed and my football form backed up my speed. The best way to determine how fast someone is by track times. People can see how fast you are as a player and it shows how important speed is to coaches.' Bonner rushed for 1,493 yards and 25 touchdowns last season and also caught 40 passes for 498 yards and four touchdowns. He committed to Washington last month. His combination of speed, size and versatility makes him a valuable offensive weapon. Add to that his patience and youth. He just turned 17 in July and was perfectly fine with playing junior varsity football as a freshman. 'I think everybody wants to play varsity as freshman,' he said. 'Now that I look back, it was good. I learned things that I brought to varsity. I knew what to expect instead of being a freshman and not knowing what to expect.' Valencia coach Larry Muir is plotting how to best use Bonner's versatility and quickness. 'When you're special, you have a skill set to catch the ball out of the backfield and he does that as well as anyone,' Muir said. 'His speed is incredible, but when you get him in the open field and get him in open space, it's fun to watch.' Read more: Complete coverage: Prep football preview 2025 It's Bonner's senior year, and he has no intention on relying what he's done in the past or what 100-meter time he ran. 'You have to work hard, because everyone is going to get better,' he said. 'You have to stand out and do things a lot of people won't do to be the best. Putting in extra hours, learning the plays, learning defenses, becoming a student off the game.' Thursday: St. John Bosco receiver Madden Williams. Running backs to watch Maliq Allen, St. John Bosco, 5-8, 180, Jr.: Showed flashes of brilliance with 1,003 yards rushing Brian Bonner, Valencia, 6-0, 190, Sr.: Speed and hands make him explosive weapon Justin Lewis, Mater Dei, 5-10, 195, Sr.: Thousand Oaks transfer gained 1,306 yards as junior AJ McBean, Mira Costa, 5-11, 208, Jr.: Big back with speed and power Sean Morris, Orange Lutheran, 5-10, 195, Sr.: Northwestern commit transfers from Loyola Deshonne Redeaux, Oaks Christian, 6-0, 185, Sr.: USC commit has high expectations for senior season Edward Rivera, Compton, 6-0, 185, Jr.: City Section transfer gained 1,843 yards and 21 TDs last season Ceasar Reyes, Garfield, 5-11, 175, Jr.: Rushed for 1,520 yards, 22 TDs with relentless energy in 2024 Journee Tonga, Leuzinger, 5-8, 175, Sr.: Rushed for 2,267 yards, 29 TDs last season Jorden Wells, Servite, 5-7, 150, So.: Let's see what track speedster can do in first varsity season Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
New York Times
9 minutes ago
- New York Times
Ohio State takeaways: Why Ryan Day hasn't named a QB yet, plus optimism grows on both lines
Fresh off its first scrimmage, Ohio State is entering a crucial part of preseason camp. The second full week is when most teams get to their final evaluations before setting a preliminary preseason depth chart, and that's no different for the Buckeyes, who will open the season ranked No. 3 in the AP poll against No. 1 Texas on Aug. 30. Advertisement On Monday, coach Ryan Day said he expects to set the first depth chart at the end of this week, but there are still some battles that need to be worked out. Though reporters haven't had a chance to watch practice since Aug. 2, there have been some developments worth updating. Here's what we've been hearing in the past week: There's not a lot of news on the quarterback front other than that the competition hasn't been decided, which shouldn't come as a surprise. It seems that some fans want Day to come out and name a quarterback already, much like Alabama did by naming Ty Simpson its starter, but what the Buckeyes are doing is understandable. Ohio State is working with two inexperienced quarterbacks, neither of whom has made a start yet. Lincoln Kienholz played in the 2023 Cotton Bowl loss, but that was a long enough time ago that it feels irrelevant. He didn't throw a pass last year, while Sayin had just 12 attempts as the third-stringer. Because of the inexperience, Ohio State would benefit from getting each player as many reps as possible in the first half of camp, and that's what it is doing right now. Kienholz and Sayin are splitting reps again this week. 'We are trying to get both guys ready to go win the game,' Day said. 'I think we have to have them both ready to play in that first game, and as we get closer we'll name a starter and go from there, but we need them both and that's the goal right now.' I think it's fair to say that Sayin holds a lead, but they're also two different quarterbacks. Sayin has shown better arm talent, and Day continues to praise him for his decision-making. The key for him is moving the offense down the field consistently. He did a nice job of that in the spring game, but can he duplicate it week after week once the season begins? That's the question. If you're a coach and you still have that question on Aug 11, then it doesn't matter what the arm talent looks like, the competition has to go on into the next scrimmage at least. Advertisement That's not to say Kienholz hasn't shown off his arm, either. He's the better athlete of the two and that's where his strength is. He's been in command of the offense this summer and physically looks much different. Being named an 'Iron Buckeye' is no small matter, either. But we're past the conservations about the offseason, improved mechanics and who is looking comfortable in the offense. Those are opening-week conversations. It's now going to come down to who can consistently move the offense down the field. I wouldn't be surprised if Day ends the quarterback battle when he speaks next week and names Sayin the starter. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if it stretches into game week before Texas visits, either. To name a starter right now would've been too early, given the state of the competition throughout the offseason. This will all work itself out, and from what the staff and people around the program have said, this isn't a competition between two average quarterbacks playing it out. There's talent and upside to consider with both players. For those who have been reading all offseason, you've probably heard about how much Austin Siereveld has impressed the staff. He entered camp as a surefire starter, in my eyes, but I expected him to be at right tackle. Now, in the second week, he's working exclusively at left tackle. That's a major development because many assumed that Rice transfer Ethan Onianwa, who was the No. 6 senior tackle in Dane Brugler's preseason NFL Draft rankings, would take over at left tackle. Onianwa looks the part and even dropped more than 20 pounds during offseason workouts. But Siereveld has become the name to watch. His offseason development is a major boost to an offensive line that was already deep coming into the preseason. Now, it's even better. Advertisement If camp ended today, Ohio State would likely run out against Texas with the lineup of Siereveld at left tackle, Luke Montgomery at left guard, Carson Hinzman at center, Tegra Tshabola at right guard and either Onianwa or Minnesota transfer Phillip Daniels at right tackle. Daniels has gone from rotational player to potential starter after a good scrimmage on Saturday. Offensive line coach Tyler Bowen raved about his 'mean streak,' and when he talks you can understand why. 'When you are beating on people, they don't like to get beat on,' Daniels said. 'That's when they react and we are going to scuffle. Me not reacting, I'm going to start winning more. I'm just here to get my job done and sometimes you have to get dirty.' This tackle group is so talented that Ohio State is even working Onianwa at guard a bit as it tries to give its players secondary and primary targets. This is a deep unit when you begin referring to a potential Day 2 NFL Draft pick as a 'swing player.' That's not to say Onianwa won't start; it's just reality for Bowen's group right now: He has to mix and match and find the best five in the next week or two. Bowen hasn't gone into how many players deep he feels like he can go, but realistically this feels like the deepest Ohio State offensive line in a few years and it should continue to rotate throughout the season. This is a major development and one that could make a huge impact with a first-time starting running back and quarterback lined up in the backfield. Coming into camp, one of the major position concerns was defensive tackle. Those concerns grew when Eddrick Houston went down on the first day with an injury, though it turned out to not be serious. Since then, reviews have been that the defensive tackles have been stellar, especially Kayden McDonald. Advertisement For much of the offseason, I thought McDonald would turn into a star, and it sounds like he's playing like it in camp. Running back James Peoples has raved about him, along with just about anybody else you ask. For as much criticism as Larry Johnson gets on the recruiting trail, he really does a great job of developing tackles. The last three, Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton and Michael Hall Jr., were all draft picks. McDonald sounds like he's working his way into one as well. If that's the case, Ohio State is going to have a duo of Houston and McDonald that should give defenses headaches. Ohio State can live with 15 snaps a game from Jason Moore, Tywone Malone and/or Will Smith Jr. There's been optimism about that depth as well. Tshabola said that all of the defensive tackles bring a different skill set when they are in, and center Josh Padilla raved about Smith after practice on Tuesday. 'Will has taken great strides this year,' Padilla said. 'I feel like he's a whole different player.' Still, Day said on Monday he wants to see more. 'We say all the time, you're either a pro or a player,' Day said. 'If you're a player it means you can do some things but you're inconsistent. A pro does it the same way every single time and that's the challenge. We've seen guys flash, but we need more consistency.' At the midway point of the preseason, I tend to side with the belief that my biggest concern, the defensive line, isn't as big of a deal as I once thought and that Johnson will be able to put a strong rotation together despite losing all four starters to the NFL. We still need to see this group in a game setting together, so I still worry slightly about the tackle depth in a long season, but the talent is obvious in the starting group. (Photo of Julian Sayin: Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today Network via Imagn Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
9 minutes ago
- New York Times
Predicting Michigan football's offensive depth chart: Is Bryce Underwood a lock for QB1?
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Covering preseason camp at Michigan is an exercise in reading between the lines. There are no open practices or public scrimmages, and coaches avoid definitive statements in the same way quarterbacks are coached to avoid turnovers in a two-minute drill. Still, anyone who's paying attention should have a decent sense of where things stand by this point in camp. Advertisement Coach Sherrone Moore described this week as the most intense stretch of camp, culminating in a full-squad scrimmage on Saturday. Depth chart decisions — including the announcement of a starting quarterback, which Moore said will happen on the Monday before Michigan's first game against New Mexico — will come after that. While Michigan has held off on naming him the starter, freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood remains the prohibitive favorite to win the job. The quarterback battle, such as it is, reflects a broader theme: Moore has a good sense of who Michigan's best players are, and the next week is all about confirming it. 'This is where camp really gets hard, practice 12, 13, 14, 15,' Moore said Monday. 'You can easily take a step back. Are you going to, when it's 95 degrees outside, blame (the heat) or not have as good a day as you've had before, or are you going to keep that level of play?' With a few exceptions, projecting Michigan's starters was pretty easy. Projecting the backups was a lot harder. Here's an educated guess at how Michigan's offensive two-deep will shake out. Starter: Bryce Underwood Backup: Jadyn Davis Michigan posted a short highlight video from its first scrimmage on Saturday that included a shot of Mikey Keene in a helmet and pads, throwing a football. Progress! But remember, Keene isn't an incumbent starter who just needs to show he's healthy enough to play. To win the job, the Fresno State transfer needs to outduel Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025, in preseason camp. We've seen no evidence that he's been able to do that. Today, not tomorrow. Win each day. — Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) August 10, 2025 Michigan's coaches have said Keene is 'coming along great' and 'doing everything,' but players have indicated that Underwood, Davis and East Carolina transfer Jake Garcia have gotten most of the reps. This is starting to feel like the Jack Tuttle situation all over again: A veteran quarterback coming off an injury who can't quite get healthy in camp, costing him a chance to compete for the job. Advertisement Tuttle wasn't cleared until Week 6 and ended up starting one game last season before announcing his medical retirement. Perhaps Keene will be a midseason option, or maybe he's close enough that we'll see him on the field in Week 1. He's in line to be Michigan's No. 2 quarterback when he's ready, but it's hard to say with certainty when that will be. 'He's participating at his rate that he can,' Moore said. 'We'll see how much he can do and what he'll do as we go through (camp). He's been doing a good job for us and managing everything he needs to do.' There would be a bigger rush to get Keene back in action if Michigan had concerns about Underwood's readiness. Coaches and players continue to signal extreme confidence that Underwood is ready to lead the team. 'The quarterback has to be the captain of that room and that offense,' Moore said. 'Whoever that is, that's what I want him to be.' Starters: Justice Haynes, Jordan Marshall Backups: Micah Ka'apana, Bryson Kuzdzal Is it cheating to cram four running backs onto a two-deep? Not at Michigan. The Wolverines love their running backs, and they have two who are worthy of being designated as co-starters. Perhaps one or the other will earn a heavier workload as the season goes on, but Haynes and Marshall are coming out of camp on relatively equal footing. Unlike running back tandems of the past, the Haynes-Marshall duo isn't going to provide a big stylistic contrast. If you force them to pinpoint a difference, they'll say Haynes is more likely to put a move on a linebacker in the hole, whereas Marshall is more likely to lower his shoulder and plow forward. They're both low center-of-gravity runners who blend power and speed, which makes them ideal backs to thrive in Chip Lindsey's offense. 'We're not the same person, so everything's not going to be the same,' said Haynes, who transferred to Michigan after two seasons at Alabama. 'We can both be very explosive. We can both do it all, whether you need us to pass block, whether you need us to run routes, whether you need a fourth-and-1 yard or you need an 80-yard touchdown.' Advertisement Identifying a No. 3 running back is one of Michigan's tasks in training camp. UMass transfer CJ Hester, who committed following Michigan's spring game, was a contender for that role but left the team early in August. With Ben Hall, Tavierre Dunlap and Cole Cabana gone from last year's roster — not to mention Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings, both in the NFL — the Wolverines don't have many proven options behind Marshall and Haynes. Kuzdzal came to Michigan as a preferred walk-on and had a breakout performance with 105 rushing yards in the spring game. With freshmen Jasper Parker and Donovan Johnson still settling in, Kuzdzal is competing with Ka'apana and Princeton transfer John Volker for the third running back spot. 'If you want to be the best running back in the country, it comes out of the best running back room,' Haynes said. 'We say it all the time: We want to be the best unit in the country. Not just the best running back unit, but the best overall unit.' Starters: Evan Link (left tackle), Andrew Sprague (right tackle) Backups: Andrew Babalola, Blake Frazier The longer the battle continues at left tackle, the more likely it is that Babalola finds his way into the starting lineup at some point this season. The five-star freshman is locked in a competition with Link, who was Michigan's starting right tackle most of last year before moving to left tackle in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Link's experience is enough to make him the projected starter, but for how long? He has three years of eligibility remaining, and Babalola is going to be ready sooner rather than later. If another starter struggles or gets hurt, Link could move inside or back to right tackle, clearing the way for Babalola. Link had his struggles as a first-year starter and responded just as Michigan's coaches hoped he would. It's a testament to Babalola's talent and maturity that the left tackle competition remains as close as it is. Advertisement 'He's going to push for the starting left tackle spot,' Moore said. 'That's a day-to-day competition with Evan. Evan's played tremendously better and his confidence is where it needs to be. Those two are pushing.' Starters: Giovanni El-Hadi (left guard), Greg Crippen (center), Nathan Efobi (right guard) Backups: Brady Norton, Jake Guarnera, Lawrence Hattar El-Hadi had trouble keeping his weight up last year and wasn't as dominant as he wanted to be at the point of attack. After what he described as a 'bad camp' last year, he's been meticulous about his nutrition and hydration to keep his weight between 325 and 330 pounds, up about 25 pounds from last year. 'Last year I was a little light,' said El-Hadi, one of three returning starters on the offensive line. 'I still felt very powerful, but I was kind of light in the butt. I was getting moved back more than I wanted to. Now, when I get my hands on you, it's a lot more weight trying to push through.' We've heard very little about the center spot, good or bad. That suggests its mostly status quo with Crippen as the returning starter. Adding Hattar, a transfer from Ferris State, means more competition for Efobi, who emerged as a potential starter in the spring. Hattar and Norton, the two transfers, are providing depth right now, though either could step into the starting lineup if needed. 'We've got a couple spots that we think are cemented, but we're going to let those other guys fight it out,' Moore said. 'We're going to need them all.' Starters: Marlin Klein, Max Bredeson (fullback/H-back) Backups: Hogan Hansen, Jalen Hoffman Klein, the No. 35 player on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List, has elite testing numbers that compare favorably with those of Colston Loveland, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Michigan won't have a drop-off in athleticism, but Loveland's productivity as a pass-catcher will be tough to replace. Advertisement Klein said he 'went to the jungle' with tight ends coach Steve Casula, whom he credits for pushing him to new heights this offseason. If that's enough to unlock his full potential, Klein could be in the conversation with Ohio State's Max Klare and Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq as one of the best tight ends in the Big Ten. Bredeson knows his role and plays it with gusto, even if it doesn't translate to carries or receptions. He and Klein should command the majority of the snaps, but assuming Lindsey's offense is similar to Michigan offenses of the recent past, the Wolverines will find ways to get multiple tight ends involved. Hansen earned snaps as a freshman at one of Michigan's deepest positions, and Hoffman was the breakout star of Michigan's spring game with 148 receiving yards. Either one could emerge as an option in the passing game. Starters: Donaven McCulley, Semaj Morgan, Fredrick Moore Backups: Channing Goodwin, Andrew Marsh, Jamar Browder McCulley is Michigan's No. 1 receiver, matching the number on his jersey. Morgan and Moore had things to prove after last season, and it appears they've done enough to separate themselves as returning starters. 'When you look at the receiver corps, besides maybe one or two guys, it's really the same corps,' defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan said. 'But I think the quarterback play has been better. These guys are getting open. The ball's in the right spots. I think they've done a good job.' Aside from McCulley, a veteran wideout who transferred from Indiana, the new faces are mostly young faces. A big unknown is whether Marsh and Browder, both freshmen, can surpass the returning players on the depth chart. Morgan referred to Goodwin as 'Mr. Reliable,' and he should be heavily involved as a second-year player. Beyond that, Michigan will have to weigh the upside of Marsh and Browder against the experience of players like Kendrick Bell and Peyton O'Leary. Advertisement 'Jamar Browder, Andrew Marsh, those guys are going to play for us this year,' Moore said. 'They're both dynamic athletes and ahead of where they need to be and where guys usually are as freshmen. From a talent standpoint, they're really, really good.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
