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As an eighth grader in the winter of 2022, Trent Mosley was mentioned as an intriguing sidenote in a major transfer story in Orange County high school football.
It was reported that Mosley’s brother Emmett had transferred to Santa Margarita from Servite. The story noted that Emmett had a younger brother, Trent, who was also a football player.
As a touted wide receiver with the O.C. Buckeyes youth program, Trent already had scholarship offers from Texas and Boston College among others. Like his older brother, Trent enrolled at Santa Margarita in a move that now appears seismic.
Trent Mosley is a major reason why the Eagles (10-3) shed two consecutive losing seasons and advanced to the CIF State Open Division championship game against De La Salle (12-0) on Saturday at Saddleback College at 8 p.m.
“He’s been huge,” Greg Biggins, a recruiting expert with Rivals/On3, said of the recent USC signee. “Coming into high school, everyone said he would be an even better prospect than Emmett (now at Texas) and I really didn’t believe it at first, but he’s proven to be really special.”
The past two seasons, Santa Margarita finished 5-7 and 5-6, respectively. But this fall, the Eagles claimed a share of their first Trinity League title since 2001 and captured their first CIF-SS championship since 2011.
And while the program’s rise coincides with the arrival of Carson Palmer as coach and the continued development of a stout defense, Mosley stands as a four-year building block for the Eagles.
After a jaw-dropping performance in a 42-7 victory against Centennial in the Division 1 final on Nov. 28, it was Mosley who hoisted the championship plaque for a photograph with his teammates at the Rose Bowl.
“He’s incredible,” Palmer said of the speedy, 5-foot-10, 170-pound senior. “He’s tough. He’s physical. He’s selfless. He’s a great teammate. He’s a great leader. There’s no chink in his armor.”
“I think he’s the best player in the country,” the Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback added.
Mosley enters the state final coming off not only his best game but one of the best playoff performances in Southern California history.
He hauled in 10 catches for 293 yards and scored four touchdowns against Centennial, which was ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time.
Mosley’s receiving yards are believed to be the second-most in a Southern Section playoff game behind the 339 yards racked up by Kody Epps for Mater Dei in 2019 against Mission Viejo.
“He has a lot of Makai Lemon in his game,” Biggins said, comparing Mosley to the USC star wide receiver from Los Alamitos. “I think he makes an early impact at USC next season. He does so many things well.”
Mosley’s showing against Centennial highlighted a campaign in which he missed five games due to injury.
He missed four games because of injury as a junior but has still amassed a school-record 217 career receptions.
As Mosley stood on the Rose Bowl grass in the afterglow of the championship, he held a single red rose as he recalled his journey with Santa Margarita.
There was no missing his passion for a team that includes his younger brother Grant, a sophomore.
“This (title) means a lot because the last three years we haven’t been very good,” Mosley said. “The flip-around of the program is pretty cool to see. We want to leave a legacy.”
“Going into my freshman year, I chose here because I didn’t want to join a powerhouse school,” he added. “I wanted to build something, be part of something, to beat them, and I think we did a good job of that.”
On Saturday, the Eagles and Mosley will aim to add one more title to their legacy.
CIF State football finals: Santa Margarita vs. De La Salle, Open Division