Gavin Garretson commits to San Diego State: California high school football recruiting updates

Garretson had 16.5 sacks during Pleasant Valley's road to the CIF State title game in 2023
Pleasant Valley's Gavin Garretson holds up the trophy help the Vikings win the Northern Section title in 2023
Pleasant Valley's Gavin Garretson holds up the trophy help the Vikings win the Northern Section title in 2023 / Justin Couchot

Here's a look at how the top high school football recruits in California fared during the third week of the 2024 season.

Skylar Robinson fitting in at Serra

Class of 2027 wide receiver Skylar Robinson made the move to Serra (Gardena) prior to this season alongside his older brother Jadyn (2025 WR). In the final game of this past weekend's Honor Bowl game in San Diego against Long Beach Poly, the younger Robinson showed off his skillset in all three phases of the game.

Robinson caught two passes for 66 yards, grabbed an interception late in the fourth quarter and even blocked an extra point attempt by Long Beach Poly in the 27-21 Serra victory. Robinson received several offers this past summer, most recently from Western Michigan.

"I want to get to Cal and Arizona State and I just got my offer from Western Michigan so I want to try and get there too," Robinson said.

The transition in to Serra after playing last season at San Juan Hills has been a smooth one for Robinson.

"What I love about it is the tradition and how when I came in they all took me in as a brother and loved me since day one," Robinson added.

Matai Tagoa'i sees defensive improvements at USC

San Clemente linebacker Matai Tagoa'i is USC's top rated recruit from California in their 2025 recruiting class. Following last week's game, Tagoa'i discussed his thoughts on USC's revamped defense in 2024 as well as other recruits that have taken notice.

Madden Williams comes up big against Sierra Canyon

St. John Bosco four-star junior wide receiver posted one of the best statlines we'll see this seasoon in Saturday's 38-28 win at Sierra Canyon. He finished the night with 10 catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Braves pull away late for the victory. His most recent scholarship offers have come from Texas A&M, Louisville and Wisconsin.

UCLA commits on the move

Madden Iamaleava and Jace Brown, four-star prospects in the class of 2025 who have both committed to UCLA, have checked out of Warren High School and are headed to Long Beach Poly for the remainder of their senior seasons. The duo played in their season opener before a disagreement led to the transfer.

Honor Fa'alave-Johnson setting visits

Honor Fa'alave-Johnson transferred from St. Augustine to Cathedral Catholic after his freshman season.
Honor Fa'alave-Johnson transferred from St. Augustine to Cathedral Catholic after his freshman season. / Photo by Steven Silva

Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, who had a breakout season as a freshman in 2023, has become a highly sought after prospect. Fa'alave-Johnson was at USC this past weekend and will see Oklahoma and Oregon in the upcoming weeks. After playing his freshman season at St. Augustine High School, he's now at Cathedral Catholic High School and will be able to play once the sitout period ends on September 26.

Recent commitments in California

Gavin Garretson, 2025 DL, Pleasant Valley: San Diego State

Christopher Williams, 2025 DB, San Juan Hills: Northern Arizona

New offers in California

Vander Ploog, 2025 TE, Troy: Alabama

Taurian Nash, 2025 LB, Crean Lutheran: Bethune Cookman

Javari Nash, 2026 DB, Crean Lutheran: Bethune Cookman

Ryder Barnes, 2026 DL, Crean Lutheran: Portland State, Bethune Cookman

Dash Fifita, 2026 LB, Santa Margarita: Arizona

Tristan Phillips, 2026 LB, Ventura: Oregon

Israel Briggs, 2026 TE,Mt. Whitney: Oregon, Utah

Isaiah Williams, 2026 WR, Folsom: Nevada

Havon Finney, 2027 DB, Sierra Canyon: UCLA

Taven Epps, 2027 LB, Tustin: UCLA

Caleb Bey, 2027 RB, Crean Lutheran: Portland State

-- Bodie De Silva | bodie@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveca

SBLIVE SPORTS LAUNCHES HIGH SCHOOL ON SI

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before. For more information, visit si.com/high-school.


Published