Every week this high school football season, in collaboration with ESPN Tucson’s weekday morning show “Spears & Ali,” we’re spotlighting notable performances from the previous week. Up next: Desert View running back Jaylee Abraham.
Jaylee Abraham is just a sophomore at Desert View, but he’s undoubtedly the Jaguars’ most impactful player this season.
Desert View has 2,069 all-purpose yards this season; Abraham has 41% of those yards with 893.
The running back and free safety is also fifth on the team in tackles (13) and leads the Jaguars with 563 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. His 14 total touchdowns rank third in the state and 86th nationally, according to MaxPreps.com.
Abraham posted a career-high 222 rushing yards and four touchdowns in Desert View’s 54-26 win over Mountain View last week, leading the Jaguars to a 4-0 record to start the season. Desert View is tied with Cienega and Flowing Wells for first place in the Class 5A Southern Region.
It takes a pile of Sahuaro players to finally bring down Desert View’s Jaylee Abraham (5) during the fourth quarter, Sept. 5, 2025.
Desert View hosts Maricopa on Friday at 7 p.m., before a highly anticipated home battle with south-side rival Sunnyside on Thursday, Oct. 2.
In the days leading up to Desert View’s matchup with Maricopa, Abraham joined “Spears & Ali” on ESPN Tucson to reflect on his four-touchdown performance, his football inspirations, favorite food and what it means to lead the Jaguars to an unbeaten start.
What led to a breakout game for you last week?
A: “Just trusting my teammates and trusting everybody to do their job. I really don’t pay attention to the stats, but I do my best every time I get a chance to show my skills. ... My offensive line, without them, I couldn’t do anything. I love them and they’re everything to me right now.”
What has been key to Desert View’s 4-0 start to the season?
A: “They key has been our goal, which is December 5th; that’s the state championship game. We just gotta go 1-0 every week. ... There’s no I in team. We play together.”
When did you first start playing football?
A: “I’ve been playing football since I could remember. My dad played football and my mom made me play football. My dad went to college and then he had me. He would play with his friends at parks, so he would take me there. I used to run routes with him when I was younger. I fell in love with the sport pretty much as soon as I was born.”
How did you become a running back?
A: “I started playing the position because my Uncle Eric is a trainer and he played running back in high school. I played receiver and (defensive back), but I play running back because I’m physical, disciplined and I have vision. I like having the ball in my hand and know when to take off. ... I’m stronger than a lot of people, because that’s just how I work and how I train. My vision (on the field), I work on that a lot, too.”
Who is a running back you emulate your skillset after?
LEFT: Desert View’s Jaylee Abraham (5) runs through the arm tackle attempt from Sahuaro’s Lamar Howell (78) on his way to a 60-plus yard touchdown run in the second quarter on Sept. 5. The Jaguars, behind Abraham, won the battle of the cats, dropping the Cougars 45-7.
A: “The main one is Bijan (Robinson) because when I was in youth (football), I saw Bijan play before. Bijan is from Tucson, too. I’m not trying to be the next Bijan, I’m trying to be the next Jaylee, and I’m trying to make it big like he did. I just gotta follow the steps and be disciplined.”
What made Robinson inspirational?
A: “How he ran the ball. He didn’t care about the team he played against, he just played his game. He just played his game and is disciplined.”
Besides football, what are your hobbies?
A: “My hobbies are playing video games and spending time with my sisters.”
What video games do you play nowadays?
A: “(College Football 26), (NBA) 2K and Call of Duty.”
What’s your favorite food?
A: “My favorite food is Wingstop. Wingstop be hitting. But if I gotta sit down somewhere, probably Olive Garden’s chicken alfredo.”
What’s your order at Wingstop?
A: “20-piece lemon-pepper wings — all flats. All flats.”
You’re only a sophomore, but have you thought about your career outside of football?
A: “Outside of football, I want to start my business and do something that has to do with sports, like a training business. My dad and uncle already started a training business, I just want to continue it and make it more popular in Tucson. It helps me a lot and I know kids look up to me, so I want to train them and let them be great. I want everyone to be in great in Tucson.”
How much pride do you guys take in having success at Desert View?
A: “It means a lot because a lot of people don’t really pay attention to Desert View. Ever since we started winning, we’ve had more people come out. It means a lot to Desert View and it means a lot to the south side. Everyone looks at us like a regular south-side place. We’re trying to make this place great one day and make a statement to everybody.”
Desert View’s head coach Robert Bonillas signals to an assistant as the Jaguars get ready to defend a play from Sahuaro, Sept. 5, 2025, in Tucson.
How do you maintain the momentum and not get caught up in the hype of next week’s game against rival Sunnyside?
A: “We’re just trying to go 1-0 every week. We’re just trying to be disciplined and not look too far ahead. Just be disciplined and go 1-0 every week. Take every week like it’s your last, because you just never know.”
