Prospect watch for week zero: The Sac-Joaquin region

Photo courtesy of 24/7 sports

We wrap up our anticipated games for this coming Friday with the northern area of California, which goes from Stockton to Sacramento and highlight some games featuring a few PAC-12 and Mountain West commits and others worth looking at.

Here's the slate for this side of the state:

Sac-Joaquin Region

ELK GROVE AT LINCOLN-STOCKTON

The Thundering Herd will be looking to build off of their 12-1 campaign, while traditional Stockton-area powerhouse Lincoln will feature some quality prospects in this Aug. 24 showdown.

PROSPECT WATCH FOR ELK GROVE: Robert Frazier gets to shoulder the load this time around and build off of his 1,494 rushing yards with 15 touchdowns from last season. The 5-foot-8, 180 pound two-way star also drops back into coverage for Elk Grove, thanks to four interceptions with a defensive touchdown last season. Frazier has excellent burst and even power for a player his size. Another 5-foot-8 running back in junior Wadus Parker also should see lots of carries in this offense after 813 yards, 15 touchdowns and an average of over nine yards per carry as a sophomore last year. He's also one of the Thundering Herd's top pass rushers after a nine sack season in 2011, including three games with two or more. Fellow junior defensive end/linebacker B'won Canada brings versatility, instincts, and a nose for the football. He too had nine sacks last season to go along with four fumble recoveries.

PROSPECT WATCH FOR LINCOLN: All eyes will likely be on Trojan running back Justin Davis, who will happen to become a Trojan in 2013, after committing to USC this past off-season. The five-star running back according to scout.com already has nearly 60 career touchdowns and ran for 2,613 yards in his junior year. At quarterback will be Zack Greenlee (photo), who's armed with just a Fresno State offer but has generated plenty of interest from the PAC-12 and recently Wisconsin after a 24 touchdown, 2,415 yard passing season in 2011.

OAKS CHRISTIAN AT DEL ORO-LOOMIS

Powerhouses from the Southern California region and the Sacramento realm collide in this huge contest. Del Oro is looking to build on their Cal state bowl game appearance, while Oaks Christian is looking to bounce back from their Southern Section title game loss to Westlake Village last season.

PROSPECT WATCH FOR DEL ORO: Brandon Monroe combines power, speed, vision and size from his running back spot. The leading rusher for the Golden Eagles last season with 1,662 yards, Monroe already has three offers from Cal Poly, Fresno State and San Jose State and committed to the Spartans back on Aug. 13. If he has another breakout year where he gains more yards than his junior year, plus improve on his 4.64 40-yard dash time, Monroe could land even more offers. The 6-foot, 180 pound talent is also a hard-hitting linebacker who can knock footballs loose. Returning senior Dalton Hudec, (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) brings versatility, a motor and a pass rush for the Golden Eagles. Hudec lines up at tackle and end on defense, and also has a Dwight Freeney-like spin move to his pass rushing skills.

PROSPECT WATCH FOR OAKS CHRISTIAN: The best is probably yet to come for Brandon Dawkins. As a sophomore playing for the 805 powerhouse, Dawkins threw for over 3,000 yards and 33 touchdown passes compared to just 12 interceptions. He also had 344 yards rushing and seven scores on the ground, giving him a combined 40 touchdowns in the Lions' 11-3 season. Dawkins already has a Utah and Norte Dame offer and even broke a single-game passing record for touchdowns once held by Oaks Christian legend Jimmy Clausen. If he can polish his drop step, plus become better at securing the football (fumbled eight times, lost four of them), the 6-foot-4, 200 pound Dawkins could emerge as one of the most highly-sought quarterbacks in the nation.Teammate Francis Owusu is already highly-coveted from the wide receiver spot and committed to Stanford back in June. The 6-foot-3, 195 pound target is very effective in the red zone with his jump ball ability and can move the chains as a third-down option with his ability to go over the middle. UCLA commit Cameron Judge (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) will also be one to watch at linebacker with his range, huge hits, and improving coverage ability. Fellow linebacker Marcus Jones is yet to be offered, but the 6-foot-1, 245 pound defender comes back after a 12 sack season, and to a defense that produced 58 sacks in 2011. Jones has enough size to not only line up at defensive end, but also inside.