No. 28 Mission Viejo 2026 Football Preview | T25PS | Top 25 Public HSFB
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2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 28 Mission Viejo
Nash McElree takes over at quarterback for a Mission Viejo team with enough proven talent to make another Division 1 run.
Top 25 Public HSFB7/24/20266 min read
Mission Viejo will hand the offense to a quarterback who already knows what it takes to lead a winning program.
Nash McElree arrives from Aledo after starting for a 14-1 team in Texas. He steps into an offense led by one of California’s most productive returning receivers, with several college-bound targets around him and a schedule that will test the Diablos early.
Mission Viejo has the skill talent to make another run through the CIF Southern Section Division 1 bracket. Its ceiling will be decided by how quickly a rebuilt front and several new defensive pieces come together.
Team Snapshot
School: Mission Viejo High School Location: Mission Viejo, California League: Alpha League 2025 record: 9-2 2025 finish: CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinalist Head coach: Chad Johnson T25PS preseason rank: No. 28
2026 Outlook
McElree threw for 1,331 yards and 16 touchdowns across two seasons at Aledo and brings experience from one of the strongest public-school programs in Texas.
He will not have to build the passing game from scratch. Jack Junker returns after catching 58 passes for 1,147 yards and 14 touchdowns. Arizona tight end commitment Max Markofski is back, and Luke Karby and Kole Davis give the Diablos more size and flexibility at tight end.
The line has a new centerpiece in LSU commitment Amaziah Siale. His development will matter because Mission Viejo must replace important experience up front while getting McElree comfortable in a new offense.
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Jordan Hicks leads the returning defense after producing 62 tackles, five interceptions and three forced fumbles as a sophomore. Mission Viejo also added Class of 2029 cornerback Kiingbaraka Kizzee, a UCLA commitment who played his freshman season at Orange Lutheran.
That is enough talent to win the Alpha League and return to Division 1. Turning a strong roster into a championship roster will depend on how quickly the new pieces fit around the proven ones.
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Players to Know
Nash McElree — QB, Class of 2027
McElree started for a 14-1 Aledo team last season and threw for 1,331 yards and 16 touchdowns across two years with the Bearcats. Mission Viejo needs him to manage a difficult schedule, distribute the ball beyond its top target and bring stability to an offense replacing a veteran starter.
Jack Junker — WR, Class of 2027
Junker is the proven center of the passing game. The San Jose State commitment caught 58 passes for 1,147 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2025. McElree has experience, but having a receiver who already commands coverage should make his move from Texas much easier.
Jordan Hicks — DB, Class of 2028
Hicks recorded 62 tackles, five interceptions and three forced fumbles as a sophomore. Those numbers show why he is more than a promising young defensive back. He is already a proven takeaway threat, and Mission Viejo will need that production while replacing several veteran defenders.
Kiingbaraka Kizzee — CB, Class of 2029
Kizzee joins Mission Viejo after a freshman season at Orange Lutheran in which he recorded 15 tackles, an interception and three pass breakups. The UCLA commitment gives the Diablos another high-level defensive back, but he is still entering only his sophomore season. His talent is clear; how quickly he settles into a new program will determine how large his role becomes.
Amaziah Siale — OT, Class of 2027
Siale is committed to LSU and gives Mission Viejo a major piece for its rebuilt offensive front. His job is bigger than protecting a new quarterback. The Diablos need the line to create enough balance that opponents cannot build their entire plan around McElree and Junker.
Max Markofski — TE, Class of 2027
Markofski is committed to Arizona after catching nine passes for 116 yards and a touchdown in two appearances last season. His return gives McElree a college-bound target who can work the middle of the field and keep defenses from sending all of their attention toward Junker.
Luke Karby — WR/TE, Class of 2027
Karby is another large target in a deep group of Mission Viejo pass catchers. His 50-yard reception created the Diablos’ best scoring opportunity against Mater Dei in last year’s Division 1 quarterfinal. That postseason play is a useful glimpse of what he can add in a larger senior role.
Kole Davis — TE/DE, Class of 2027
Davis can contribute on either side of the ball and gives Mission Viejo another option at tight end and defensive end. With established seniors gone from both lines, his value will come from helping the Diablos rebuild the physical part of the roster without relying entirely on newcomers.
Cash Gervase — LB, Class of 2027
Gervase is a returning senior linebacker on a defense replacing significant experience. Mission Viejo does not need him to imitate last year’s seniors. It needs dependable tackling and senior leadership around Hicks and Kizzee as the secondary takes on a larger share of the defense.
Schedule Breakdown
Mission Viejo opens with five consecutive nonleague games before an open week. The Sept. 4 trip to No. 29 Folsom is the first major test, followed by home games against Lincoln of San Diego and Pittsburg.
Alpha League play begins Oct. 2 against Edison. Three straight road games follow, including San Clemente and Los Alamitos, before the Diablos close the regular season at home against San Juan Hills.
The schedule gives McElree two games before the trip to Folsom, but there is no soft middle. Lincoln and Pittsburg follow immediately, and the road-heavy stretch in league play will test the rebuilt lines.
2026 Mission Viejo Schedule
Aug. 21: vs. Chaparral
Aug. 28: vs. St. Paul
Sept. 4: at Folsom
Sept. 11: vs. Lincoln (San Diego)
Sept. 18: vs. Pittsburg
Oct. 2: vs. Edison
Oct. 9: at Yorba Linda
Oct. 16: at San Clemente
Oct. 23: at Los Alamitos
Oct. 30: vs. San Juan Hills
Biggest Question
Can Mission Viejo rebuild the lines fast enough to make a Division 1 run?
McElree brings starting experience, Junker is a proven No. 1 receiver and the tight end room gives the offense several options.
The larger concern is everything that must happen around them. Mission Viejo needs Siale and the new offensive-line combination to protect McElree and establish a running game. On defense, the Diablos must replace veteran production without asking Hicks and Kizzee to erase every problem in the secondary.
If both fronts settle in, this team can beat anyone on its regular-season schedule. If they do not, the stretch from Folsom through Pittsburg will expose it before league play begins.
T25PS Prediction
Regular season: 9-1 (9-hour trip to Folsom will be too much and be their lone regular season loss) Postseason: CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinalist.
Mission Viejo has enough talent to improve on last season’s quarterfinal finish. McElree stabilizes the quarterback position, Junker gives him a proven lead receiver and the defense has two young playmakers in Hicks and Kizzee.
The schedule is too strong to assume perfection, and the Division 1 bracket will again be unforgiving. A 9-1 regular season and quarterfinal appearance is the right expectation for this team.
Bottom Line
Mission Viejo has an experienced quarterback, one of California’s best returning receivers and two young defensive backs capable of changing games. Siale anchors the rebuilding work up front, while Markofski, Karby, Davis and Gervase give the senior class enough depth to keep this from becoming a one-dimensional team.
If the lines hold up, the Diablos can win the Alpha League, reach the Division 1 semifinals and force their way into California’s top public-school conversation.
