Video: Breaking down Bryce Young and DJ Uiagalelei MaxPreps football editor Zack Poff offers insights on nation's top two QBs.
"In the modern recruiting rankings era (1999), this Friday will be the first ever matchup featuring quarterbacks ranked No. 1 and 2 in the country," he tweeted on Monday.
For the record, Uiagalelei, a 6-foot-5, 245-pounder, is ranked No. 1 by 247Sports and the 6-foot, 190-pound Young is No. 2. Fittingly, they play for the top two ranked teams in the nation as well.
They square off 7:30 p.m. (local time) Friday when top-ranked Mater Dei travels to second-ranked Bosco, whose coach Jason Negro finds it amazing these two elite signal-callers are so closely connected in terms of talent, proximity and demeanor.
"This is as unique as the unicorn," he said Tuesday. "I mean, this is is truly quarterback heaven."
In addition to their recruiting rankings, their statistics playing for 8-0 teams are nearly identical, right down to their passing rating, 141.8 for Young and 141.6 for Uiagalelei. Beyond the numbers, Negro said their talents and similarly humble personalities are worth savoring.
"I hope I don't stand around Friday and marvel at Bryce Young and how talented he is," Negro said. "But it would be easy to do. I'm sure (Mater Dei coach Bruce) Rollinson would say the same about DJ.
"What makes it so cool is that they get it done in such different ways. Bryce uses all that quickness and speed, has a quick delivery and makes plays all over the field. DJ stands strong and firm in the pocket, with all that size and strength, and delivers passes with so much power.
"One is going to Clemson (Uiagalelei), the other is going to Alabama (Young). It doesn't get any better than that."
As far as evaluating the two, Biggins, a Southern California native who has evaluated high school talent since 1996, said Young "has the feel, maturity and poise of a college quarterback right now. … In terms of his ability to escape pressure and make plays outside the pocket with his arm or his legs, he's probably the best I've seen out of California in the last decade."
MORE UIAGALELEI/YOUNG: Biggins' complete analysisAs for Uiagalelei, Biggins wrote: "I've said it multiple times before but it's worth repeating, yes, Uiagalelei has a huge arm, generational arm strength, but he's so much more than just a big arm. He's a pure thrower from the pocket who can make every throw in the book and make it look easy. In terms of his ability to get the ball down the field with accuracy and timing, he's one of the best to come out of California in years."
