Top 10 USC players coached by Mater Dei legend Bruce Rollinson
It is the end of an era and the changing of the guard at one of the most storied and successful high school football programs in the country, a central locus of elite talent and a source of the foremost football recruits in the United States.
After 34 years as the head coach at Mater Dei, Bruce Rollinson is stepping away from the top high school football program in America.
No one was sure when Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.) head coach Bruce Rollinson was going to step away from coaching. Most knew it would be soon, and the high school football world got its answer a few weeks ago when the program’s football account tweeted a message from Rollinson.
“I have recently decided that this year will be my last year as head coach of Mater Dei football. After playing at Mater Dei more than 50 years ago, 47 years coaching at Mater Dei and 34 years as the head coach, making this decision at this time with the entire starting lineup returning next year, should make it easier for the next coach and Mater Dei to continue our winning tradition.”
Rock & Roll, Baby ❤️🤍
— Mater Dei Football (@MDFootball) November 11, 2022
Rollinson finished his 34th year as head coach, going 341-87-2, leading Mater Dei to three CIF Open Division state titles (2017, 2018, 2021). The school has finished ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25 every year since 2016, excluding 2020 when football was moved to the spring and not included in the national rankings.
Mater Dei has earned six high school national championships under Rollinson’s leadership, and fell one win short of a seventh this season. The Monarchs were ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Top 25 as they headed into the CIF Southern Section final. They lost to St. John Bosco, 24-222. The program won 28 games in a row under Rollinson, a streak snapped by Bosco in the championship game.
During his long and successful tenure at Mater Dei, Rollinson has coached multiple Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks: former USC QB Matt Leinart and current Alabama QB Bryce Young.
The program has produced hundreds of Division I college football players during his time as head coach, including current Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie, and former USC QB Matt Barkley.
We wanted to take a look at the production of former USC Trojans over his 34 years as head coach at Mater Dei. Here’s a look at the top 10 players coached by Bruce Rollinson who played at USC.
10. Khaled Holmes
As a senior offensive lineman at Mater Dei HS in Santa Ana, he was named a Prep Star All American. Trojan teammates Matt Barkley, Victor Blackwell and Max Wittek also prepped at Mater Dei in 2007.
Holmes started his three season as a Trojan at offensive line and in 2012 he was an Academic All-American candidate. After the regular season was named one of six finalists for the Remington Trophy, given annually to college football’s top center.
In the 2013 NFL Draft Holmes was taken in the fourth round, with the 121st overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts.
9. Matt Grootegoed
He attended Mater Dei HS with former Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart. The Mater Dei Monarchs team won three (CIF) championships while he was a member of the defense in the late 90’s under Bruce Rollinson.
During his 1999 senior season, he made 138 tackles, six interceptions (including two touchdown returns), seven tackles for losses and two forced fumbles as a free safety, and ran for 945 yards on 116 carries with fourteen touchdowns as a running back.
“Groots” was selected for the USA Today All-USA first-team, Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, ESPN All-American, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first-team, All-CIF Southern Section first-team.
While Grootegoed played for the Trojans, the team won three straight Pac-10 championships (2002, 2003, 2004) and two consecutive Associated Press (AP) national championships in 2003 and 2004. He was a second-team All-Pac-10 selection in 2003. Following his senior season in 2004, he was a finalist for the Butkus Award, and was recognized as a first-team All-Pac-10 selection and a consensus first-team All-American.
Grootegoed was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2005 NFL Draft eventually released to their practice squad, and was later picked up by the Detroit Lions. Grootegoed played for the Lions in the final three games of their 2005 season.
8. Lenny Vandermade
Vandermade made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore, Junior and Senior first-team and Mater Dei went 14-0, won the CIF Division I title and was named national champion by USA Today his senior season.
He earned at least a 90% blocking grade in all of his games as a junior and senior. He also posted 78 career tackles (7 were sacks). A 3-year starter, Mater Dei went 40-2 during that time. Fellow Trojans Matt Grootegoed, Matt Leinart and Will Collins also prepped at Mater Dei during that time.
He was a 4-year (2000-03) starter on the offensive line (guard, center) at USC, including on the Trojans’ 2003 national championship team. In 2000, he was a Freshman All-American first teamer.
He spent 2004 on the practice squad with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was on the Steeler’s injured reserve in 2005. He played for the Steelers’ NFL Europe affiliate, Hamburg Sea Devils, in 2005.
7. Raleek Brown
Raleek Brown had 143 carries for 1,123 yards (7.9 avg) with 15 TDs and caught 12 passes for 107 yards (8.9 avg) as a senior running back at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana (Calif.). Mater Dei went 12-0 and won the 2021 national, state Open Division and CIF Southern Section Division I titles.
So far as a true freshman at USC, Brown has 4 touchdowns on 48 touches and 318 all purpose yards in back duty behind Travis Dye and Austin Jones.
6. Domani Jackson
Despite missing most of his senior season as a cornerback at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana (Calif.) due to a knee injury suffered in the season opener Domani Jackson was one of the most dominate members of Mater Dei’s run from 2018-2021.
Jackson was a five star cornerback at Mater Dei and recorded 75 career tackles, 4 tackles, and 9 deflections.
Most times quarterback just didn’t throw his way, the 6’1 192 defensive back was a lock down corner who shut down most top WR every week.
Jackson also ran track at Mater Dei and tied the state record in the 100 meters (first set in 1985) with a 10.25 clocking while winning the unofficial 2021 California state meet (it was the second fastest time in the nation in 2021); he also anchored the 400-meter relay team to a second place finish. He won the 2021 CIF Division 2 100 meters title in 10.48 and anchored the runner-up 400-meter relay squad.
Jackson, who enrolled at USC in the spring of 2022 after graduating a semester early from high school, will compete for playing time at defensive back as a true freshman in 2022.
5. Amon Ra-St. Brown
St. Brown attended Servite in Anaheim, California as a freshman before transferring to Mater Dei to play for coach Rollinson. In his breakout senior season in 2017, he had 72 receptions for 1,320 yards and 20 touchdowns. A five-star recruit, St. Brown committed to USC to play college football. He played with future USC teammates JT. Daniels and Bru McCoy at Mater Dei.
In three years as a starter at USC St. Brown had 178 receptions for 2,270 yards and 16 touchdowns.
St. Brown was drafted in the fourth round, 112th overall, by the Detroit Lions in the 2021 NFL Draft.
4. Bru McCoy
Bru McCoy logged in 152 receptions, 2,605 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns on offense. McCoy was the top wide out in the nation and the No.12 player in his class according to 247Sports Composite for the Class of 2019.
McCoy also started at outside linebacker and was one of the best defensive players in the state of California. Listed as an athlete (ATH) Bru recorded 47 tackles and 9 sacks in his three year career as well at Mater Dei.
In his career McCoy was named 2018 Maxwell Football Club Offensive National High School Player of the Year, Max Preps National Player of the Year, USA Today All-USA first team, PrepStar Dream Team, Max Preps All-American first team in 2017 and 2018.
Bru McCoy caught 21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns before transferring to Tennessee in 2022.
3. J.T Daniels
Coached by Bruce Rollinson, J.T Daniels graduated a full year early in order to enroll at USC with head coach Clay Helton
In three seasons at Mater Dei, he completed 751 of 1,101 passes (68.2%) for 12,014 yards with 152 TD’s winning the 2017 Gatorade National Player of the Year, Max Preps National Player of the Year, National High School Coaches Association Player of the Year and USA Today Player of The Year.
Daniels started 12 games at USC but battled a torn acl and transffered out to UGA in the spring after two years in a Trojan uniform.
JT helped lead the Bulldogs to an 15-2 record, including a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati in his two years at Georgia. Daniels passed for 2,031 yards and 17 TDs before transferring again to West Virginia.
2. Matt Barkley
In 2005, Matt Barkley became the first freshman quarterback to start at Mater Dei since Todd Marinovich.
In four season as Mater Dei’s quarterback Barkley threw for 8,679 passing yards, 67 touchdowns completing 63 percent of his passes with nine interceptions.
Barkley was named 2007 football Gatorade National Player of The Year, California state player of the year and then the 2007 Gatorade national male athlete of the year, becoming the first non-senior to win three awards.
Barkley also won the 2007 Glenn Davis Award, given to the best high school football player in Southern California, and the inaugural Joe Montana Award as the nation’s top high school quarterback.
At USC as a four year starter Barkley battled sanctions from the previous year and injuries but still managed to have a top five QB career.
Barkley passed for 12,327 passing yards, 63.8 completion %, 116 touchdowns and 48 interceptions.
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Matt Barkley in the fourth round with the 98th overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Barkley is still currently in the NFL on his second stint with the Buffalo Bills.
1. Matt Leinart
The “Golden Boy” Matthew Stephen Leinart” is with out a doubt the best USC quarterback ever and the greatest player to ever play at Mater Dei til’ this day.
Leinart’s record at USC was 37-2, making him the winningest player in the history of the program.
Leinart led USC during one of the program’s greatest eras. He took the Trojans to an AP national title in 2003, a BCS championship in 2004 and an appearance in the national championship in 2005.
As a junior, he led his team to a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division I co-championship and was named the Serra League’s Offensive Most Valuable Player. Wearing number 7, he was chosen as the Gatorade California high school football player of the year.
The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner ranks second on the school’s all-time passing list with 10,963 yards and tops the all-time touchdown lists with 99.
In 2005, Leinart had the most productive offensive season of any USC player in school history when he threw for 3,851 yards and accounted for 38 total touchdowns.
His list of accomplishments, which include being named to the Pac-10 first team three times and winning the Walter Camp Award (best player), Johnny Unitas Award (top senior quarterback) and Heisman Trophy and was on the ballot three years in a row.
Selected 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2006 NFL Draft. Leinart primarily served as Kurt Warner’s backup for four seasons. He spent his final three seasons in a backup role for the Houston Texans and Oakland Radiers. Leinart was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
