Bryce Young among top recruits in Mater Dei football history
If there is a program nationally that could stake a claim as high school football’s best over the last decade-plus, then the Mater Dei Monarchs certainly have a case to be made.
A program that has only lost a handful of games in recent years, Mater Dei plays one of the nation’s toughest schedules annually and constantly impresses on its way to winning titles seemingly every season.
That success only continued during the most recent 2024 high school football season. The Monarchs were likely the nation’s top football team this past year, going undefeated at 13-0 overall to win yet another CIF Open Division state title.
Looking ahead to 2025, that success is likely set to continue for Mater Dei, as the Monarchs have one of the most loaded rosters of any team nationally. In fact, a big reason behind Mater Dei’s success year to year is the pure level of talent on the roster. The Monarchs program has been home to many of the top players in California and in the nation.
Who are some of the top football players to ever wear the red and white at Mater Dei, and just what have they gone on to do since leaving one of the nation’s most storied high school football programs?
Here is a ranking of the 10 highest-rated recruits in Mater Dei High School football history, according to the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings.
10. Zabien Brown, Cornerback, C/O 2024
Zabien Brown, a current cornerback at Alabama, was the nation’s No. 30 overall player in the 2024 class and the No. 4 player at the position nationally while at Mater Dei.
The cornerback was a prominent player for the Monarchs for multiple seasons in the secondary, amassing more than 50 tackles during his junior and senior seasons.
9. Mark Bowman, Tight End, C/O 2026
Mark Bowman is a current player at Mater Dei who is entering his senior season with the Monarchs in 2025. A five-star prospect who ranks as the nation’s No. 20 overall player and as the No. 2 tight end in the class, Bowman hauled in 32 receptions for 435 yards and eight touchdowns a year ago.
8. Matt Grootegoed, Outside Linebacker, C/O 2000
Outside linebacker Matt Grootegoed was the nation’s No. 19 overall player in the 2000 class and the No. 2 prospect at the position while at Mater Dei.
As a two-way star for the Monarchs, Grootegoed rushed for more than 2,000 yards in his junior and senior seasons and racked up more than 250 tackles over those two years.
Grootegoed went on to play collegiately at USC.
7. JT Daniels, Quarterback, C/O 2018
JT Daniels was one of the top quarterbacks in the 2018 class out of Mater Dei, ranking as the No. 2 pro-style signal-caller and the No. 16 overall player nationally in the cycle.
Daniels skipped his senior season at Mater Dei so that he could play collegiately early, going on to play at USC, Georgia, West Virginia, and Rice. Prior to that, he ended his Monarchs career with more than 12,000 yards passing and more than 150 touchdowns across three seasons.
6. Bru McCoy, Athlete, C/O 2019
Currently a wide receiver at Tennessee, Bru McCoy was ranked as the nation’s No. 9 overall player and the No. 1 athlete in the 2019 class while at Mater Dei. He originally began his collegiate career at USC.
An accomplished two-way player in high school, McCoy racked up over 2,500 yards receiving, 34 touchdowns, and nearly 50 tackles total while at Mater Dei.
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Wide Receiver, C/O 2018
Current Detroit Lion and former USC star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was the nation’s No. 11 player and the No. 2 player at his position in the 2018 class as a five-star prospect out of Mater Dei.
During his high school career at Mater Dei, St. Brown was a productive wideout over multiple seasons in which he had nearly 3,000 yards receiving with 44 touchdowns.
4. Domani Jackson, Cornerback, C/O 2022
Currently a starting cornerback at Alabama, Domani Jackson came out of Mater Dei as a five-star prospect in the 2022 class, ranking as the nation’s No. 5 overall player and the No. 2 player at the position. He originally began his collegiate career at USC.
Despite not playing much his senior season at Mater Dei due to injury, Jackson finished his high school career with around 75 tackles dating back to his freshman season.
3. Chris Henry Jr., Wide Receiver, C/O 2026
Chris Henry Jr. is that second member of this list still playing for the Monarchs. A five-star wide receiver who ranks as the nation’s No. 6 overall player in the 2026 class, Henry is currently set to enter his senior season at Mater Dei this upcoming fall. An Ohio State commit, Henry is also ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2026 class. He did not play much for the Monarchs a year ago due to an injury.
2. Matt Barkley, Quarterback, C/O 2009
Matt Barkley, a former USC star quarterback and long-time NFL backup, came out of Mater Dei in the 2009 class as the nation’s No. 1 overall player, regardless of position.
The five-star prospect was an accomplished four-year starter at Mater Dei. He threw for more than 9,000 yards and 79 touchdowns combined with the Monarchs.
1. Bryce Young, Quarterback, C/O 2020
The highest-rated recruit in Mater Dei football history is Bryce Young, who won the Heisman Trophy while at Alabama and was picked No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, for whom he currently plays.
Young was the nation’s No. 2 overall player and the top quarterback in the 2020 class while at Mater Dei. As a multi-year starter for the Monarchs, he threw for more than 13,000 yards with 178 touchdowns total during his high school career.
