Marcos de Niza all-everything athlete Jamaal Young ready to break out big in 2022 football season

Jamaal Young II is the captain of the basketball and track and field teams, and was named captain of this year's football team at Tempe Marcos de Niza.

But he feels he has yet to show what he can do as a slot receiver and kick returner. Now is his time, heading into the 2022 Arizona high school football season, hoping to become the breakout player of the year.

"A guy like Jamaal is set to have a breakout season," coach Anthony Figueroa said.

Young's season was derailed after two games last year when he suffered a high-ankle sprain. Figueroa shut him down the rest of the season, knowing that Young also was the basketball team's best player and one of the state's fastest sprinters in track.

He was Marcos de Niza's lead guard in basketball, averaging 6.3 points and 3.4 assists. He then ran 10.80 seconds in the 100 meters to place at state in the track and field championships.

"Even after (the injury) I still picked up a couple of (college football) offers," Young said. "This year I'm going to have a super breakout season, especially after gaining more chemistry with the team and my quarterback."

Young, 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, will be the main target for junior Braesen Leon, who passed for 1,994 yards and 16 TDs, completing 162 of 271 passes last season when he made 4A All-Desert Sky honorable mention.

Figueroa has seen the motivation and commitment to football from Young, who also spent some of the summer playing basketball, including leading Marcos de Niza in Section 7 in June.

"He's so excited," Figueroa said. "He takes his pads home. He takes his helmet home. He runs routes in the park when we're not working.

"He knows that this is that year for him to put his name, to put his stamp, to make a move."

Young isn't taking anything for granted coming into his senior year.

"I know doing all the extra things and the little things is what separate you from the competition and I just want to win at all cost this year," he said. "I know that me taking my stuff home is. And getting extra work in will make my teammates want to do the same, which it already has.

"We stay after practice for an hour doing drills. And that is what is ultimately gonna separate us to win this year and gonna change our culture."

This is a big year for Marcos de Niza to show that it has arrived under Figueroa, an alum who played wide receiver for the Padres in the 2001 and '02 seasons.

In his first three seasons leading the Padres, they've gone 6-6, 4-4 and 4-6.

Marcos de Niza last reached the state championship game in 2015, when it lost to Scottsdale Saguaro 38-20 in Division II (which was the equivalent of 5A).

Now in 4A, Marcos de Niza is trying to regain those days of being a championship contender.

It starts with building the culture back up.

"It's setting a standard and having values," Figueroa said. "And having those guys understand that and live by those values. Not only work for success for this upcoming season but also for seasons to come."

Young, a top student in the classroom, is ready to be that leader on the offensive side, while linebacker Mason Stromstad (6-2, 195) leads the defense.

Stromstad broke out in 2021, when he had 74 tackles, 53 solo, five sacks and 20 QB hurries and made first-team all-region.

"We've been working on our culture change," Young said. "We're playing like a team now. Last year, we had all of the talent in the world. This year we still have all the talent in the world. But we have what it takes mentally.

"Our biggest enemy was ourselves. I feel we're at a place where we can win every game now."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Marcos de Niza athlete Jamaal Young ready to break out big in football