Notre Dame’s Becker ready to prove himself
Notre Dame football coach Joe McNab knows the drill.
“You want to talk to Wyatt?” McNab asked quickly.
Local media, scouts and all the personnel in between are coming to the school’s Sherman Oaks campus to catch a glance of highly touted sophomore quarterback Wyatt Becker, who has garnered 16 NCAA Division I offers already including Oregon, Ole Miss, Georgia, Penn State and Florida State.
“I still have a lot to prove,” Becker said. “I feel like I’m ready.”
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Becker played in nine games last season, switching off with Javance Tupouata-Johnson, who is now at Chaminade. Becker didn’t exactly dazzle in his time at quarterback for the Knights, but what freshman in the Mission League does?
“I dealt with some pressure last year as a freshman,” Becker said. “I played against Alemany and Bishop Amat, so there isn’t much I haven’t seen. I’m confident.”
He completed 31 of his 66 passes for 464 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown while Notre Dame went 2-8, its worst record since 2010.
Becker has impressed in camps since he was in middle school, which has helped him garner a lot of recruiting attention. But now it’s time to show it on the field.
“I’m trying to block out what other people are saying about me, even though a majority of it is good,” Becker said. “I just keep working and focus on myself and the team.”
Notre Dame will play its season opener at Crespi on Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.
Notable quarterbacks to watch
JAVANCE TUPOUATA-JOHNSON, CHAMINADE, SR. (SAN DIEGO STATE COMMIT) » The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Johnson is the most physically gifted quarterback in the area, but he has yet to surpass 1,000 yards passing in his career. He started out at Alemany, transferred to
Notre Dame for two seasons and will now play his senior year at Chaminade.
RYAN STAUB, WEST RANCH, SR. (COLORADO COMMIT) » Staub was a junior transfer last year from Sierra Canyon who helped West Ranch have its best season in program history, which included its first win over Valencia. He passed for 2,414 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also ran for six scores.
TY DIEFFENBACH, AGOURA, SR. (UNLV COMMIT) » Dieffenbach, who is 6-foot-6, threw for 2,669 yards and 34 touchdowns last season. He was a Daily News 2021 All-Area first-team selection.
JACK JACOBS, ST. FRANCIS, SR. » Jacobs might be the most underrated quarterback prospect in Southern
California. The 6-foot-6, broad-shouldered righty should have a breakout season with an upgraded wide receiver corps that second-year head coach Dean Herrington is excited about.
Other quarterbacks to watch
Isaiah Sepand, Westlake, Sr.; Steele Pizzella,
Simi Valley, So.; Travis Endicott, Thousand Oaks, Sr.; Brady Smigiel, Newbury Park, Fr.; Damon Wrighster, Sierra Canyon, Jr.; Alonzo Esparza, Sierra Canyon, So.; Alonzo Contreras, Calabasas, Jr.; Trey Erickson, Valencia, Sr.; Connor Smith, Moorpark, Sr.; Tim Larkins, Hart, Jr.; Nate Bennett, Oaks Christian, Jr.; Devin Tate, Oaks Christian, Jr.