Forgive my West Coast bias, but my Friday night lights are all the Southern California variety. 

Here are 10 I like, 5 I'd worry about and all of which I've seen with my own eyes:

10) Jordan Zumwalt, LB, Edison

He led an underrated defense all the way to the title game.  Zumwalt looks the part (6'4" 220) and plays his size.  On the negative side, he does not make a ton of plays, but he's a good foundation for a 4-3 defense.

If Pete Carroll had stayed, my guess is that he would have switched his commitment, now he appears to be headed to "the Farm". 

Verbal - Stanford

On iBN: Watch Edison vs. Fountain Valley (11/6) to see Zumwalt's D shutdown FV's Kyle Middlebrooks (Arizona St.).

9) Giovanni Di Paolo, OT, St. Bonaventure

It was not a great year in SoCal for linebackers or offensive linemen.  Di Paolo (6'4" 260) would be considered a finesse tackle, but his versatility playing on both sides of the line stood out.  He was well-schooled in a pro-style offense, but don't expect him to contribute immediately at USC.

Verbal - USC (soft), also considering UCLA

On iBN: Watch St. Bonnies take on Crespi featuring two Oregon commits (QB Bryan Bennett and OL/DL Hroniss Grassu) in an absolute classic (9/18).

8) Tyler Shreve, QB, Redlands East Valley

If you ever wonder why Utah, Boise St., TCU and BYU are so good, come on the road with me for a month and you'll see why.  Every single broadcaster who saw Shreve came away impressed, yet the big boys saw some missing measurable and passed.  Sure enough, he'll be a Ute and starting in a BCS bowl game one day.

Verbal - Utah

On iBN: Watch REV upset perennial power Orange Lutheran (9/25).

7) Sean Parker, DB, Narbonne

Parker played both ways for Narbonne, but he knows he's a defensive back, which gives him a leg up on all the kids that want offensive glory.  Parker is a hit-first safety, who will cover every inch of the field to find the ball-carrier.  Plus, he helped build a high school program to championship heights that had never been there before.

List - Cal, Michigan, USC and Washington (I was told he wants to get out of SoCal, but the Trojans are still a real possibility).

On iBN: Watch Parker singlehandedly keep Narbonne afloat in the City Title loss to Crenshaw (featuring LB Hayes Pullard and top Junior RB De'Anthony Thomas).

6) Anthony Wilkerson, RB, Tustin

The Tillers run an old-school option package, so Wilkerson would routinely get 30 carries per game.  Still, he made them all count.  Following in the footsteps of former Tustin RB Deshaun Foster, expect Wilkerson to fill the void left by Toby Gerhart.  Plus, he's a great kid and student.

Verbal - Stanford

5) Malcolm Jones, RB, Oaks Christian

You cannot argue with the numbers.  Jones ran for 2,477 yards and 40 TDs in 14 games.  He will be a fascinating case going forward because like Gerhart, USC offered him only as a FB or LB.  So, like Gerhart, he will play RB for a Pac-10 rival and likely torture the Trojans in the next few years.

Verbal - UCLA

On iBN: Watch Jones and the rest of the Oaks stars lose a classic title game to Serra in the high school game of the year (12/11).

4) D.J. Morgan, RB, Taft

Morgan is a world-class athlete.  He is the best 110 meter hurdler in the nation 18-under, but he has football speed as well.  On the field, he is a human highlight reel.  Off the field, he has some attitude question marks and a torn ACL to repair.

Verbal - USC

On iBN: Starting in the 2nd quarter, Morgan puts on a show against Notre Dame (9/18).  

3) Jesse Scroggins, QB, Lakewood

Scroggins is a traditional pro-style pocket-passer, who can make all the throws.  He has great play-action mechanics and was well-schooled under Coach Thad MacNeal.  A veteran iBN broadcaster swears that Scroggins will be a better QB than Matt Barkley, so the ceiling is high.  He reminds me of Chris Leak, who had a tumultuous Florida career, but ended up raising a glass football. 

Verbal - USC

On iBN: Scroggins controlled his CIF quarterfinal against Bishop Amat (11/27).

2) Ronald Powell, DE, Rancho Verde

I have not seen much of Powell, but he's a well-known beast, who showed the nation his skills during an MVP performance at the U.S. Army All-American game.  For most of the season, he was listed as an outside linebacker, but he's really a defensive end. 

Verbal - Florida

On iBN: We had him just once in a playoff loss to Corona Centennial (11/27).

1) Robert Woods, WR, Serra

There is nothing this kid cannot do on a football field.  He could be a star at free safety or wide receiver, but he's chosen the offensive side of the ball.  At 6'1", he has decent size, but blazing speed.  Powell and Woods are neck and neck for the best player in the state, but I'll take Woods, who is more of a known quantity against the best competition.

Verbal - USC

On iBN: If you could watch just one HS football game, watch Serra vs. Oaks Christian for the CIF Title (12/11).

 

Beware...

Cecil Whiteside, LB, Newport Harbor

Whiteside was playing out of position in high school, so maybe he'll be more productive as an outside backer for Cal.  However, I saw him at least 4 times and he never made plays.  He looks great in a uniform, but I fear he'll fit in all too well with a generally soft and overrated Bears defense.

Verbal - Cal

Kenny Stills, WR, La Costa Canyon

Bob Stoops did awfully well to pry away three of San Diego's top talents.  Along with RB Brennan Clay and DB Tony Jefferson, Kenny Stills is set to be a Sooner.  However, he was a decoy against a completely overmatched Santa Margarita team in the one game we saw him.  Great high school players don't ever need to be decoys.

Verbal - Oklahoma

Nick Montana, QB, Oaks Christian

Did you know that his dad is Joe Montana???  Of course you did and so does Steve Sarkisian.  It's a high-profile pick-up for Sark, but he's going to have to play the kid or the name will become a distraction.  I've heard mixed opinions that range from real deal to overrated.

Verbal - Washington

Dion Bailey, DB, Lakewood

He had a huge Junior season with 8 interceptions, but he never stood out once in the two games that I called.  Great high school safeties are easy to spot.

Verbal - USC

Anthony Barr, ??, Loyola

I love Barr.  He has a great pedigree as the son of former Notre Dame QB Tony Brooks.  He's built like Taylor Mays (6'4" 230) and he's a great kid.  But, what position does he play?  Truth is, nobody knows, not even Barr.  He was a running back and safety in high school, but his height led to multiple leg injuries during his running career.  He could turn out to be the best defensive end in the Pac-10 or a kid who never found the right fit.

Verbal - UCLA