Pac-12 Serra Football Grads like Arizona QB Khalil Tate set blueprint for their legacy

Oct 15, 2016; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate (14) is tackled by USC Trojans defensive end Porter Gustin (45) during the first half at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate (14) is tackled by USC Trojans defensive end Porter Gustin (45) during the first half at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Recently three Serra HS graduates who play in the Pac-12 visited a football camp at their alma mater to give back, and Zona Zealots was there to catch the action.

Arizona Football coaches have recruited in California, even though lately their offers are going out to young men all over the country like Utah and Nevada.

In California, they have recruited with their fellow Pac-12 opponents specifically at Long Beach Poly HS (Josh Brown 2017 signee), Augustus Hawkins HS (offered to Brandon Jones, Jalen Hall, and DeGabriel Floyd), Cathedral HS (Rhedi Short ’17 Signee) and Narbonne HS (Redshirt Freshman WR Devaughn Cooper).

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Those are just a few. The Wildcats coaching staff hit pay dirt when they were able to recruit Arizona QB Khalil Tate out of Serra Gardena High School. Tate was recruited by both Jim Mora at UCLA and Clay Helton at USC. Both coaches have nothing but praise for Tate.

Arizona has to compete with USC and UCLA for four and five-star talent when recruiting from these Pac-5 high school programs. Just last summer, Hawkins senior Greg Johnson flipped his commitment from Arizona to USC, and Jody Lewis committed to USC with Johnson after Donte Williams flew the coup.

Currently, Arizona has an offer out to Serra HS football five-star cornerback Merlin Robertson who Zona Zealots interviewed during the season last year. Robertson and his uncle were at the Serra football camp a couple of weeks ago to support coach Scott Altenberg mentor young players.

It means so much to high school coaches trying to mentor young men when the successful men they coached come back to help their program. And that’s just what Arizona Football quarterback Khalil Tate and his two former teammates C.J. Pollard (Saftey at USC) and Jordan Lasley (WR at UCLA) did at the end of a Monday night football camp put on by their former head coach.

Coach Altenberg was beaming with pride as he called up his first former player Jordan Lasley, wide receiver for the UCLA Bruins. Lasley drove home the notion of pride and perseverance. Tate enlightened the young minds with telling them to study study study. Oh and he also told them to  study before practice and learn time management as well as his thoughts on leadership.

Last up was C.J. Pollard whose father is the DB coach a USC. Pollard talked about trusting the process.

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All three were impressive, and the kids were all ears. Props to the Pac-12 for grooming such upstanding young collegiate athletes. And props also to Serra HS and Coach Altenberg and his staff for helping them be the men they are today. Bear Down!