Chapter 30: Fresh Blood
California - Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021 - Jakari's POV
I woke up at 5:30 AM to the sound of cars pulling into the parking lot outside my dorm. Through my window, I could see parents helping kids unload suitcases, equipment bags, and boxes from SUVs and minivans. The incoming freshmen had arrived.
Here we go. Time to see what the next generation looks like.
Cameron was already up, getting dressed for our morning workout. "You see all them cars out there? These young boys about to find out what real football looks like."
"We was freshmen not too long ago," I reminded him.
"Yeah, but we earned our spots. These kids probably think they about to walk in here and take over."
I grabbed my gear and headed to the athletic center. The freshmen wouldn't start official workouts until later in the week, but Coach Rivera had scheduled a mandatory meeting and facility tour for 8 AM. I wanted to get my lifting in before dealing with whatever chaos that was going to bring.
The weight room was already buzzing with upperclassmen who had the same idea. Tyler was working through his bench press routine, Derek and Alex were doing squats, and a few of the defensive guys were going through their usual morning grind.
"You ready for the invasion?" Tyler asked as I started my warm-up.
"Should be interesting. See what kind of talent they brought in."
"I heard Coach Rivera signed some studs. Kids on ESPN and 247's watch lists. Some of them could probably start at most high schools."
Watch list kids as freshmen. When I was a freshman, I didn't even know what recruiting websites were.
I worked through my routine - bench press, incline, weighted dips, shoulder work. Every rep was helping me separate from defenders or win contested catches.
At 7:45, I headed to the team meeting room where Coach Rivera was setting up for the freshman orientation. The room was filling up with upperclassmen who wanted to get a look at the new guys.
"Alright, gentlemen," Coach Rivera announced as we settled in. "Today we meet the future of Malibu Prep football. Class of 2025 - fourteen young men who we believe can contribute to our program."
He clicked to the first slide on his presentation: INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS - 2021
"Let me introduce you to your new teammates."
OFFENSE:
Antonio Harrison - QB - 6'3" 195 lbs - Texas ESPN Next Watch ListLed team to state semifinals, 3,200 passing yards, 35 TDs
Eli Rivers - RB - 5'11" 185 lbs - Georgia 247 Sports Next Watch List2,100 rushing yards, 28 TDs as eighth-grader
Mason Bailey - WR - 6'1" 175 lbs - California ESPN Next Watch List75 catches, 1,200 yards, 14 TDs
Joey Peterson - WR - 5'10" 160 lbs - Florida Track speed, 4.4 forty-yard dash
Trevor Lewis - LB - 6'2" 210 lbs - Texas Dominant run defender
DEFENSE:
Brady Revis - CB - 6'0" 160 lbs - New York 247 Sports Next Watch ListSon of former NFL All-Pro Darrelle RevisElite coverage skills, 4 INTs as eighth-grader
Owen Jackson - DL - 6'4" 240 lbs - California Exceptional pass rush ability
Latrell Law - S - 6'1" 185 lbs - Alabama Ball hawk with 7 INTs as eighth-grader
Brad Owens - OL - 6'5" 260 lbs - Ohio Elite size and footwork
Holy shit. These kids are stacked. Every single one of them could probably start somewhere.
"Now," Coach Rivera continued, "I want to be clear about something. These young men earned their spots here through hard work and talent. But they haven't earned anything on this team yet. That starts today."
After the meeting, we headed outside where the freshmen were gathering with their parents for the campus tour. I hung back with Tyler and Cameron, watching from a distance as Coach Rivera introduced the new guys to the facilities.
"That's Antonio Harrison," Tyler said, pointing to a tall kid who was flexing in front of a mirror that reflected off the athletic center windows. "Heard he's been on recruiting radars since middle school."
Kid's flexing during orientation? This gonna be interesting.
"And that's Brady Revis," Cameron added, indicating a lean cornerback who was standing by himself, studying the practice field with this intense focus while ignoring everyone around him.
"What about that big dude?" I asked, pointing to Owen Jackson, who was literally eating a bag of chips while his parents talked to coaches.
"That's Owen Jackson. Kid's supposed to be a beast on the D-line, but..." Tyler trailed off as we watched Owen finish the chips and pull out a candy bar.
Bro is really eating candy during his first day. That's wild.
I also noticed a quiet kid standing behind all the others - Latrell Law, the safety. Dude looked like he didn't want to be there, or maybe was just really shy. While all the other freshmen were talking and showing off, he was just standing there politely, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.
That kid looks too pure for football. Like he should be in church choir or something.
Then there was Joey Peterson, who was bouncing around talking to parents and coaches, but I overheard him say to another freshman, "Bro, wait till these California girls see me in pads. I'm about to be the most popular dude on campus."
This dude really said he's here for the girls. Respect the honesty, I guess.
After the tour, Coach Rivera called all the players together for the meet-and-greet.
Antonio Harrison was the first to break away from the freshman group, walking straight toward us like he owned the place. But as he got closer, I noticed he kept checking himself out in any reflective surface he passed.
"Y'all are the receivers, right?" he asked with a thick Texas drawl, while subtly flexing his arms. "I'm Antonio. Y'all about to love throwing routes to me."
Did this dude just say we'd love throwing routes TO him? That's backwards as hell.
"Uh, you mean you're looking forward to throwing to us?" Tyler corrected.
"Nah, I meant what I said," Antonio grinned, checking out his reflection in Tyler's sunglasses. "Once y'all see this arm talent and this face, you gonna be begging to run routes for me."
This kid is really something else. Confidence is one thing, but this is a whole different level.
Mason Bailey approached next, moving quiet and calculated like he was studying everything. When he spoke, his voice was soft but direct.
"Mind if we ask y'all some questions? Coach Rivera said we should learn from the upperclassmen."
Then Joey Peterson bounced over, literally eating what looked like his third protein bar of the day.
"Yeah man, what's it really take to get playing time here?" Joey asked with a mouth full of food. "And more importantly, do the cheerleaders come to practice?"
Bro really just asked about cheerleaders. At least he's focused on his priorities.
Tyler, Cameron, and I exchanged looks. "Uh, there are no cheerleaders at practice, man," Cameron said.
"Damn. Well, what about the regular girls? They be checking out the football players?"
Brady Revis walked over at that moment, and it was like watching a mini version of his dad. Same confident walk, same way of carrying himself, but when he spoke, it was with this quiet intensity.
"The only person who can beat me... is me," Brady said, looking directly at me like he was sizing up his competition.
Did this dude just quote Aomine? This kid watches anime and thinks he's the Zone. I respect it though.
"That's... deep, man," Tyler said, not really knowing how to respond.
Then Latrell Law shuffled over, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. When he spoke, his voice was so quiet we had to lean in to hear him.
"Um, excuse me, sir," he said to Tyler. "I just wanted to say thank you for letting us ask questions. I really appreciate everyone being so welcoming."
Did this kid just call Tyler 'sir'? And say thank you for letting them ask questions? This dude is too pure for football.
"Bro, you don't have to call me sir," Tyler laughed. "We're teammates now."
"Oh, okay. Thank you, s— I mean, thank you, Tyler."
Owen Jackson finally wandered over, unwrapping what looked like his second candy bar since we'd been standing there.
"What's good, y'all?" Owen said between bites. "This place got good snacks in the vending machines? 'Cause the ones at my old school were trash."
This dude's priority is snacks. I can't even be mad at that.
"Man, you just ate like three things in the last hour," Cameron pointed out.
"Yeah, I got fast metabolism," Owen shrugged, pulling out a bag of gummies. "Plus, lifting makes me hungry. Y'all want some?"
As we talked more, each freshman's personality became crystal clear:
Antonio kept checking himself out and talking about how good he looked in his uniform. "Wait till y'all see me in these Malibu Prep colors. Gonna have every college scout and every girl on campus talking."
Joey was determined to know everything about the social scene. "So like, what parties do football players get invited to? And be real with me - does being a receiver get you more attention than being a lineman?"
Brady stood slightly apart from everyone, occasionally making these intense statements like, "Excellence isn't given, it's taken," and "I don't compete with others, I compete with perfection."
Latrell kept apologizing for everything. "Sorry for asking so many questions. Sorry if I'm standing in the wrong spot. Sorry for breathing too loud."
Owen was just constantly eating. Candy bars, protein bars, trail mix, gummies - dude had a whole convenience store in his backpack.
Mason was the only normal one, quietly taking notes and asking smart questions about the playbook.
This freshman class is absolutely wild. We got a narcissist, a player, a philosopher, an angel, a walking stomach, and one normal kid.
"What you think?" Tyler asked as we headed back toward the dorms.
"They're talented," I said. "But they're definitely... unique."
"You worried about any of them?" Cameron asked.
I thought about that. Antonio was definitely skilled, even if he was obsessed with himself. Brady had those Revis genes and seemed like he lived and breathed football. Mason was clearly smart and dedicated.
"Nah," I said finally. "I'm excited."
"Even with all their... personalities?"
"Especially because of their personalities. This is gonna make practice entertaining as hell."
Time to show these young bulls what a vet looks like. This is gonna be fun.
The competition was about to get very interesting.