Interview: 2021 QB Brayden Zermeno Talks Season and Transfer to Mission Viejo

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

On an Orange Lutheran roster loaded with talent led by four-star senior quarterback Ryan Hilinski, rising Class of 2021 gunslinger Brayden Zermeno (6-3.5, 215) got an opportunity to compete among the best in the nation. The Lancers skill positions were filled with five-star 2019 receiver Kyle Ford, four-star tight ends Ethan Rae and Elijah Mojarro, and four-star 2020 receiver Logan Loya and three-star 2019 receiver/athlete Jojo Hawkins. By Week 7 of the 2018 season, Zermeno was in process of transferring to another southern California juggernaut, Mission Viejo. The Diablos are ranked No. 20 in the nation (MaxPreps) and are in need of a quarterback for the 2019 season with four-star senior quarterback Joey Yellen prepped to matriculate to Arizona State.

In an RNG exclusive interview, I sat down with Zermeno going over his sophomore season, transfer to the Diablos, and received an update on his early recruiting visits.

Interview

Bryaden, how did the 2018 season go for you?

“It went really well. I played some JV ball this year in addition to some varsity reps. Playing JV ball allowed me to get some extra game reps. That went well. I would only play in one half of each of the games and was a backup at varsity level until I transferred in Week 7.”

How did the varsity reps go?

“In the Santa Margarita game, I went in right after we scored our second to last touchdown. I went in for a two-point conversion – I got it. I threw it to the right for the conversion. It was great getting some varsity experience this season. I look at the 2018 season as a growing year. I learned a lot. I learned a lot of stuff on the field that you cannot study and learn on the board. I made a lot of new friends. It was a good season.”

Which areas of your game improved this season?

“Experience helped me improve. I learned a lot more overall as a quarterback. My QB knowledge expanded getting a better understanding about reads and timing with players. My accuracy improved. I had to get balls into smaller windows. My speed improved, as a dual-threat that paid off at the JV level. I was able to get away from pressure and get yards. That definitely helped.”

You got to work with four-star 2019 Ryan Hilinski (South Carolina) this season. Hilinski is obviously a very good quarterback with a lot of experience. What did you learn from being around him the entire season?

“Ryan is a great guy. He is really smart. When he is put under pressure, he is one of the toughest guys I know. I learned a lot about leading from him. He is a great teammate and someone you can depend on. A couple of times this season he was hurt, but he stuck it out and kept playing.”

What will be the focus of your offseason workouts?

“This offseason it is all about learning the playbook. Mission Viejo’s playbook is pretty similar to Orange Lutheran’s. Coach Crawford and Coach Johnson both came from Bosco, they just have different terminology. But, it is pretty close. That will be the biggest part, learning the playbook. Another focus for me is creating a bond with the guys, getting my timing down with them, and getting ready for next season.”

Getting a grasp of the new playbook was the focus of my next question. How will you go about learning the playbook?

“Learning a playbook, that is something I have always been good at. My coaches have helped me from being at Mater Dei in 8^th grade to this past season at OLU. I use note cards and I will watch film for about an hour or so every day until I get it down. Hopefully, in about a month or so I should have it all down. Then, I just need to implement it on the field and do it until we have it down completely with our timing.”

Since you have already transferred to Mission Viejo, are you on the practice field as the team goes through the playoffs?

“Yes. I can practice with the team now. I started on Thursday of last week. I can’t play until next season, but I can practice and start learning everything. I am watching the games on the sidelines and trying to learn the offense.”

Going into recruiting. Are any schools showing early recruiting interest in you?

“I have been talking with UCLA. I like it over there. They have a really cool program. I have been talking to Cal-Berkeley a little bit as well as Oregon and Washington. We had a college day at OLU, about 40 to 45 schools came. I got to talk to a lot of college coaches then.”

Have you taken any unofficial visits yet?

“Yes. I have gone to two UCLA games and I went to a Cal game with one of my buddies from Mater Dei – Nick Lopez.”

How did the UCLA visit go?

“It went really well. I talked to Coach Ethan Young, he is one of their recruiting guys who came from the NFL. He is a great guy. I also got to speak with Coach Dana Bible (quarterbacks). I saw him at a camp this summer. It is really cool over there and they have a really good energy. I love the Rose Bowl.”

What about Cal, how did that visit go?

“That was cool as well. We went with Nick’s dad. That was a cool game. I loved Cal and the area. I can see myself in that area. Cal is a cool school with cool people. I learned a lot about the school during our visit.”

Do you have any planned visits upcoming?

“This summer it will be a big one in terms of visits and camps. I will visit some SEC schools, maybe Georgia, and go to a camp at Notre Dame along with a bunch of west coast schools; Stanford, Cal, UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington camps. I want to visit Washington sometime this summer and go to a camp there.”

Brayden, I hope the transition to Mission Viejo continues to be a great one for you. Thanks for your time today and good luck getting the playbook down quickly.

“Thank you.”

Photo credit: Zermeno family; Brayden (left) with Nick Lopez