Arizona’s best high school football players: Part 4 of SBLive’s countdown

The 2020 Arizona high school football season kicks off this week, and leading up to Friday night, we’ll be counting down our list of the 25 best players in the state.

The 2020 Arizona high school football season kicks off this week, and leading up to Friday night, we’ll be counting down our list of the 25 best players in the state.

Note that this list is based on players’ expected performance this season at the high school level. It is not merely a list of top recruits, and college potential/longterm upside is not considered.

Read more of our 2020 high school football preview content here.

Kai Millner (Higley) photo by Paul Etnire

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Top 25 Players in Arizona HS Football — Part 4

10. Saia Mapakaitolo, OT, Red Mountain, 6-5, 280, Sr.

Mapakaitolo returns to his Arizona roots after playing for Alemany in Mission Hills, Calif., last season. The USC commit started his high school career at Mesa, transferred to Red Mountain, and then to Alemany, before coming home this year. His length, footwork and athleticism translate from his rugby background to his work at left tackle.

9. Denzel Burke, WR/CB, Saguaro, 6-1, 185, Sr.

The state’s No. 3 recruit who committed to Ohio State over the summer, Burke only scratched the surface of his talent last season, when he made 12 catches (albeit for a team-high 26.1-yard average and four touchdowns) and two interceptions. 

8. Steven Ortiz Jr., CB, Desert Edge, 5-11, 175, Sr.

The four-star recruit committed to Minnesota after a junior season in which he earned first-team all-4A honors while splitting time between corner and safety, finishing with 83 tackles, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

7. Trey Reynolds, LB, Queen Creek, 6-2, 225, Sr.

As soon as transfer quarterback Devin Brown became eligible last year, the Bulldogs could release Reynolds to focus solely on playing linebacker, where the Utah commit earned first-team all-conference honors, terrorizing opponents with 159 tackles and four forced fumbles.

6. Kai Millner, QB, Higley, 6-2, 180, Sr.

The pro-style quarterback committed to Cal-Berkeley in the spring and received an invitation to play in the Under Armour All-America Game after a junior season in which he completed 64.2 percent of his passes (172 of 268) for 2,390 yards and 31 touchdowns (six interceptions) and earned first-team all-region recognition. 

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