The Star is counting down the top football players in Southern Arizona in the weeks leading up to the season.
Today: Jordan Lopez
The rundown: Lopez is a 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound senior wide receiver and free safety at Walden Grove.
Who he is: Lopez is the other half of the twin duo that had a breakout 2018. His fraternal twin, Alex, became the teamβs starting quarterback last season β and the connection between the pair instantly paid off.
This may be the last season the brothers get to play together.
βI always tell everyone, whatever is best for us, wherever we get the best offer to play college football, thatβs what we want to do,β Lopez said.
But before Alex and Jordan Lopez head off to college, theyβll finish their high school careers.
Jordan Lopez said he is going to set the bar high and believes the team has what it takes to go undefeated during the regular season. Walden Grove went 7-4 in 2017, and was 8-3 last season.
βWe have a really quality squad,β Lopez said. βWe have a lot of young guys coming out and producing good stuff.β
Proof heβs good: Lopez finished his junior season with 1,529 all-purpose yards β 1,230 receiving on 54 catches, 36 rushing yards on five carries and 263 yards from kick returns. He was named to the Class 4A all-conference second team. Lopez has offers from Western New Mexico and a Division III program, and has also been talking to Northern Arizona.
Coach Corey Noble said: βI look forward to his recruitment picking up even more than it has, and I think heβs going to be a kid thatβs going to make a lot of noise β (heβs) a kid thatβs going to be an impact player for a college program.β
He said it: βJordanβs a dude. Heβs that guy, if youβre picking someone to play pick-up basketball with, heβd be that guy. If youβre looking for just that guy to be an athlete and to be a monster, heβs that guy.
βHeβs an emotional leader for us. He is one of the top kids in our program and on our team. Heβs one of the top football players Iβve ever had the pleasure of ever coaching.β
β Noble
