Top Southern California High School Football Standouts in 2026 NFL Draft

Dreams will come true for hundreds of football players this week at the 2026 NFL Draft, but specifically for those that starred at the high school level in the CIF Southern Section, which is located in Southern California.

The most notable to hear their name called are David Bailey of Mater Dei, Makai Lemon of Los Alamitos and Kamari Ramsey of Sierra Canyon.

Each had their own journey to Sundays, here's a look at each player, how good they were in high school, what they did in college and where they're expected to go in this year's NFL Draft. The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday, April 23, on ESPN.

DAVID BAILEY, MATER DEI (TEXAS TECH)

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Tech defensive lineman David Bailey (DL31) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

DRAFT PROJECTION: Top 10 pick

Bailey was a 4-star prospect at Mater Dei at defensive end. His story is one of development after being just the No. 66 prospect nationally in the 2022 class, according to 247Sports composite rankings. He was the No. 7 edge rusher and No. 5 prospect in California.

Despite having offers from USC and Alabama, he was not a no-brainer, 5-star prospect you'd expect to be an eventual Top 10 NFL Draft pick. Yet, here he is.

At Mater Dei, he had 54 tackles and 15.5 sacks his senior season, which helped him be named the Orange County Register Defensive Player of the Year and be selected to the 2022 All-American Bowl.

He went on to Stanford where he had 46 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as a freshman with two forced fumbles in 10 games. His sophomore year, he tallied 34 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and five sacks; and his junior year racked up 31 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

He transferred to Texas Tech for his senior season where he blew up for 52 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 14.5 sacks, which led college football.

MAKAI LEMON, LOS ALAMITOS (USC)

DRAFT PROJECTION: 1st Round

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California wideout Makai Lemon (WO29) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Lemon was nearly unstoppable in high school at Los Alamitos. His quarterback was Malachi Nelson. Lemon was a standout at the prep level with 234 receptions, 3,646 yards and 41 touchdown receptions.

Lemon was a Top 50 recruit for his 2023 class and a Top 10 wide receiver.

Recruiting analyst Greg Biggins said Lemon would be a 'future high round NFL draft pick' back in 2020. He was right.

Lemon got even better at USC. This past season, he caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns. His efforts earned him the the Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football, regardless of position.

KAMARI RAMSEY, SIERRA CANYON (USC)

DRAFT PROJECTION: 4th Round

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California defensive back Kamari Ramsey (DB45) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Ramsey is going to make history for Sierra Canyon this weekend. Despite all the athletic success at the school, including football (which has won numerous CIF championships), Ramsey will be the first player to be drafted.

Ramsey was a standout from the moment he stepped onto the field. He was praised for his professional approach, cerebral play style, and leadership.

The 200-pound safety was a 4-star recruit in high school and ranked the No. 13 safety in the country in the class of 2022 before playing at UCLA for two seasons and transferring to USC to play the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Ramsey's 2024 season was better than his senior campaign where he made 60 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. This past fall, he tallied 27 tackles and had two pass deflections.

Add us as a preferred source on Google