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2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 28 Mission Viejo
No. 28 Mission Viejo has a new quarterback in Nash McElree, a 1,000-yard receiver in Jack Junker and a roster built to contend in Southern California.
Top 25 Public HSFB / 6 min read
CA Public School Football
California
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. 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
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.
Series
No. 28 Mission Viejo has a new quarterback in Nash McElree, a 1,000-yard receiver in Jack Junker and a roster built to contend in Southern California.
Top 25 Public HSFB / 6 min read
Series
California high school football is the most complex landscape in the country. With 10 sections and a bowl system that often sees the best public schools "bottlenecked" by national private school juggernauts, evaluating these programs requires more than just counting rings.
Top 25 Public HSFB / 4 min read