Nebraska commit TJ Lateef shows out with 5 touchdown passes

Lateef has thrown seven touchdown passes in his first two games of his final high school season

Orange Lutheran 2025 TJ Lateef is one of California's Top 50 QBs to watch in 2024. / Photo: Dennis Lee

Orange Lutheran quarterback TJ Lateef posted his first career five-touchdown game on Friday night as the Lancers took down Rancho Cucamonga 45-14 in the second week of the high school football season.

• Top 25 California Southern Section high school football rankings

• Best performances in second week of Southern California high school football (Aug. 29-31)

Lateef, a senior who announced his commitment to the University of Nebraska in May, completed 18 of 21 passes for 258 yards and five touchdown passes on Friday. Lateef has thrown seven touchdown passes in the first two games of his senior season, connecting with five different receivers. He played in four games as a freshman before taking over the starting role for Orange Lutheran as a sophomore.

Through 27 career games, Lateef has thrown 38 touchdown passes and is closing in on 5,000 career passing yards. He's also rushed for nine touchdowns.

Congrats to TJ Lateef on being the Offensive Player of the Game for Week 2. @OLu_Athletics @TJ_Lateef9 pic.twitter.com/3H9pLjws8T

— OLu Football (@OLuFootball) September 3, 2024

Orange Lutheran's hot start has moved the Lancers up to No. 5 in the latest Top 25 California high school football rankings. The Lancers also moved up one spot to No. 21 in this week's Top 25 National high school football rankings.

One of three quarterbacks from California to participate in this past summer's Elite 11 quarterback competition, Lateef picked up his first scholarship offer shortly after his freshman season. He would go on to add 15 total offers during his recruitment. Lateef took visits to both Nebraska and Colorado in April and committed to the Cornhuskers shortly after returning home.

Orange Lutheran's gauntlet of a schedule picks up this week as they host St. Frances Academy from Baltimore before trips to Bishop Gorman (Nevada) and Sierra Canyon in consecutive weeks.

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

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