Avocados, craft beer, and Taylor guitars are some of San Diego’s most notable exports, but the city has a less-touted gift: Our backyard is known for fostering some of the most elite athletic talent in the country.
Every year, local athletes from the North County down to the South Bay fill the college ranks and are selected in professional drafts. Few areas in the US send as many athletes to the highest levels of sport, and it seems like San Diegans are only getting better and more prominent. Want proof? Akili Smith, a Lincoln High School alum who was third overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft, might not be the best athlete in his family—not if his son, featured below, has anything to say about it.
As we approach 2025, we took a look at the talent coming out of our city to keep an eye on. Here are 10 young athletes that San Diego (and the country) will likely be talking a lot about in the coming years—if they aren’t already.
Akili Smith Jr.
Football | Senior, Lincoln High School
It’s cliché to say a son stands in the shadow of his father, and anyway, in this case, it wouldn’t be true. The six-foot-five Akili Smith Jr. is taller than his famous dad—taller than almost everyone he lines up with or against—which is the kind of physical attribute that catches the attention of top college football programs. After throwing for nearly 7,000 yards and over 70 touchdowns in three years as Lincoln High’s starting quarterback, Smith Jr. will head to the University of Oregon next year, which is currently ranked as the best college team in the country.
Zadie Posternack
Golf | Sophomore, Patrick Henry High School
As a freshman, Zadie Posternack qualified for the prestigious national Drive, Chip, & Putt competition played at Augusta National Golf Club. This year, as a sophomore, she became the first girls golfer at Patrick Henry High to qualify for the SoCal Regionals. It probably won’t be long before she’s on the WPGA. Posternack picked up golf just four years ago during the pandemic, and her raw talent has propelled her into an elite class of junior golfers.
Sir Autry
Football | Senior, Hoover High School
The San Diego region has produced famed running backs in Marcus Allen, Ricky Williams, Reggie Bush, and Rashaan Salaam. It’s premature to put Hoover High’s Sir Autry in that class, but he already has a claim to fame: At over 5,400 yards, Autry has more high school career rushing yards than any of his legendary predecessors. A San Jose State commit, Autry will represent San Diego in the Bay Area next year.
Ava Schramm
Field Hockey | Senior, Scripps Ranch High School
The Scripps Ranch High field hockey program is a powerhouse—its students have won 12 CIF San Diego section titles, and this year, they emerged victorious from the prestigious Laurie Berger Invitational and reached the CIF Open Division semifinals. Driving that success in recent years has been Ava Schramm, who was named the Invitational’s Most Valuable Player and who has captained her team through her final campaign as a Falcon.
Cody Cappelletti
Baseball & Football | Senior, Patrick Henry High School
In the spring, he threw a no-hitter. In the fall, he starred on the football team. Patrick Henry High’s Cody Cappelletti can seemingly do it all, but at the next level, he’ll be focusing on baseball. A St. Mary’s College commit, Cappelletti follows in the footsteps of former Gaels and current MLB pitchers Corbin Burnes, Tony Gonsolin, and Ky Bush. It won’t be any surprise if, in the coming years, Cappelletti is added to the long list of San Diegans selected in the MLB draft.
Caity Simmers
Surfing | Oceanside
An Oceanside teenager is the world’s best woman surfer. That is not an opinion. In September, Caity Simmers became the youngest-ever world champion by winning the Lexus World Surf League Finals. Her victory at San Clemente’s Lower Trestles followed an appearance at this summer’s Paris Olympics for Team USA. Just 19 years old, Simmers has the potential to become one of the most legendary San Diego athletes of all time—not that she’s letting it get to her head. “I wake up everyday in disbelief of my position in life,” she wrote on Instagram after the WSL Finals. “I am thankful for everyone and everything and still don’t know how wave dancing has [taken] me here.”
Brandon Arrington
Track and Field & Football | Junior, Mt. Miguel High School
Brandon Arrington is probably the top high school athlete in San Diego right now. As a sophomore, he won a state championship in the 100 meters and 200 meters. Clocking times of 10.33 and 20.55, respectively, he is one of the fastest humans in the country. The six-foot-two, 180-pound junior is also one the most coveted football players in the nation. Name a top college program—Oklahoma, Alabama, USC, Texas A&M—and they’re recruiting him as a wideout or cornerback or a return specialist. They just want him on the team, and they’ll figure the rest out later. It’s not a matter of if he’ll be playing on national TV on Saturdays, but where.
Melanie Barcenas
Soccer | San Diego Wave FC
Clairemont native Melanie Barcenas is arguably the most accomplished 17-year-old in San Diego. In 2022, she was the youngest player named to the United States Under-17 women’s national soccer team. In 2023, she became the youngest signee in NWSL history when she joined the hometown Wave at age 15. This year, she started every game at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, logging two goals and an assist. Growing up, Barcenas idolized former Wave teammate Alex Morgan. It won’t be long until Barcenas herself is an idol to many.
Kreet Makihele
Football | Junior, San Marcos High School
If Brandon Arrington is the best high school athlete in San Diego, then Kreet Makihele might be the county’s best high school quarterback. In three years as San Marcos High’s starter, Makihele has thrown for 7,299 yards and 91 touchdowns, with a completion rate of 68.1 percent. These stats are almost without precedent. He’s on pace to exceed 9,000 high school career passing yards, something only two San Diegans have ever done, and it’s not impossible for him to break the region’s career passing touchdown record of 127.
Mae Kordas
Volleyball | Senior, Cathedral Catholic
San Diego is helping fuel indoor volleyball’s explosive growth, and one of the region’s brightest stars is Cathedral Catholic’s Mae Kordas. A six-foot-three outside hitter, Kordas has contributed to a team that has won four consecutive CIF Open Division championships and helped turn Cathedral Catholic’s into one of the best prep programs in the country. Her hard work and success earned her a seat at Yale, which I’ve heard produced a successful alum or two.
