2024 Mashup – Saguaro, Hamilton and Casteel

Jaylen Jones – DB/ATH, 2024 Hamilton

Huskies defensive back Jaylen Jones holds offers from UNLV, NAU, Indiana, Columbia, UPenn and most recently earned an offer from Western Kentucky. The Ivy League offer from the University of Pennsylvania stands out in his family, as the focus for them has always been the opportunity for success after football.

“It’s student before athlete, ‘scholar-baller’ as my family always says. I want what happens after to be successful because the NFL means ‘Not For Long’ so I want to get there and play as much as possible. But I will have a plan for afterward so I have a way to support my family.”

Jaylen hopes to study engineering in college and believes that UPenn would be a great program for him to pursue his football career and career later as an engineer. 

UNLV has seen Jaylen on campus a number of times. Jones says he has visited 3-4 times for 7-on-7 tournaments and visiting his family in the area. He has always been impressed by the facilities and coaches.

On a personal level, his offer from Indiana has a special meaning in the Jones household. Jaylen earned the offer from his father’s alma mater on April 12. 

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After a great conversation with @BShelbyIU I am extremely honored and excited to receive my 5th D1 offer from my dad @jones_daze alma-mater @IndianaFootball @CoachTroop3 @CoachAllenIU @S_Ruzic @P_MAGLOIRE @CoachPerrone @Coach_TomJ @michaelzdebski @CoachPTBarrett @JUSTCHILLY… pic.twitter.com/EHL5Ztl05H

— Jaylen Jones (@Jaylen_A_Jones) April 13, 2023

“Their motto is to love each other and so you can really feel the culture and feel the love. My father is still welcomed there like a player. I get to see all of his old coaches, Tom Allen is an amazing head coach and he really loves his dudes and wants the best for them.”

Jaylen says he’s learned a lot from his dad since the day he started football. 

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Hamilton DB @Jaylen_A_Jones lights up as he speaks about the way his parents have influenced his football & academic career.

Jones holds offers from WKU, UPenn, UNLV, NAU and his father’s Alma mater Indiana, among others. @Husky_Football7 @Sports360AZ pic.twitter.com/TecuUk4ZZ7

— Claudia Collins (@ClaudiafCollins) May 25, 2023

 

Legend Bernard – WR/ATH, 2024 Hamilton

Three-star Hamilton athlete Legend Bernard is working with offers from programs including NAU, UofA, Massachusettes, Colorado State and Air Force. The multi-sport athlete says his participation in basketball and track has helped him tremendously on the football field. 

“Basketball and getting rebounds is just like catching a jump ball and track helps me work on my speed. My straight-line speed and it translates to the field.”

Legend isn’t set on staying in-state to continue his football career at the next level. However, he says Arizona’s growth and NAU’s family atmosphere have piqued his interest. 

“Arizona, you know they have a winning culture and they’re building a winning culture. They’re building new facilities and I like that, bringing players up and just trying to get better. NAU, it feels like a family over there. They really care about us, the players they recruit it feels like family over there.”

 

Gerayas Grimes – Safety, Casteel 2024

Grimes’ first offer came from NAU last summer and he has seen two new offers roll in this spring. Most recently, Gerayas earned offers from military schools – Air Force and Army West Point. Although nobody in his family has served in the military, he’s interested in the opportunities that military schools offer. 

“I really like both schools. They both look great and I’m going down to Army in a bit to check out their campus. I like that even after football or after the NFL I’ll be in a good position for the rest of my life.”

Grimes has also made three unofficial visits to NAU to check out the campus and facilities. He says that Casteel head coach Bobby Newcombe does a great job of helping him and other players navigate their recruitment and weigh the pros and cons of each program.

“The process has been great. I’ve talked to a lot of coaches and coach [Bobby] Newcombe does a really good job of getting guys recruited too.”

Gerayas describes himself as a fast player, hard-hitter and can be trusted in coverage. 

 

Jaedon Matthews – RB, Saguaro 2024

2024 three-star Saguaro running back Jaedon Matthews is gearing up for an official visit to Georgia Tech next week. The Yellow Jackets left an impression on Matthews during his unofficial visit in April. He raved about his relationships with the coaching staff and the style of football. 

“The scheme is just ten times better, I mean, coming from a standpoint of a running back everything is just coming and formulating really good because they did kind of good last year.”

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Saguaro 3⭐️ RB is getting ready for an official visit to Georgia Tech. We caught up about why he thinks the Yellow Jackets make a great fit for a running back👇🏽@Jaedon_Matthews @Sports360AZ @saguarofootball @SaguaroFan pic.twitter.com/4jB4V2pD5e

— Claudia Collins (@ClaudiafCollins) May 25, 2023

Matthews made his rounds in the spring, visiting Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Colorado and Wisconsin. All four programs are keeping in touch with Jaedon on a regular basis. 

“I think my recruiting is really good going into my senior year. I think all the coaches are finally seeing my ability on the field and me catching and being able to run I think they’re paying attention now.”

Matthews described Vanderbilt as a “students school” but appreciates the ability to earn a top-level education while playing football. 

This season Matthew’s goals include breaking the rushing record and he hopes to leave a lasting impact on Saguaro football. 

 

Jaci Dickerson – DB/WR, 2024 Saguaro

Dickerson is a weapon for Saguaro football on both sides of the ball. The rising senior racked up his first offer from Arizona State during his freshman season. Dickerson’s primary goal through the off-season is to stay healthy after having back-to-back seasons cut short due to injury. 

Jaci also holds offers from Arizona, Oregon and NAU.