Logan Loya goes from one powerful offense to another with move to St. John Bosco

Logan Loya is living a wide receiver’s dream life. He’s traded in one dynamic offense for another that’s even more potent.

Loya played in an offense last season that threw the ball 35 times a game and featured a quarterback who was an Elite 11 finalist and multiple three- and four-star receiving options. Loya caught 73 passes for 1,057 yards and 11 touchdowns.

But four-star quarterback Ryan Hilinski graduated from Orange Lutheran and enrolled at South Carolina. His top targets — wide receivers Kyle Ford and Jojo Hawkins, tight ends Ethan Rae and Elijah Mojarro, and running back Reggie Strong Jr. — will all move on to the college ranks this fall.

Instead of being the Lancers’ only returning offensive weapon, Loya chose to transfer to Bellflower St. John Bosco to play for a team that won the Trinity League but lost to rival Mater Dei in the playoffs. He joins a roster led by the top quarterback prospect in the nation, Clemson commit DJ Uiagalelei.

Loya will be part of a receiving corps that returns Oregon commit Kris Hutson and top 2021 receiver prospect Beaux Collins.

“It’s been really smooth, really great, and I’m just really excited to play with them this year,” Loya said of the transition. “The pace is different and the terminology is just a little different, but other than that, it’s the same kind of style of offense.”

Loya said he’s looking forward to playing with Uiagalelei and seeing how well they can work together. There hasn’t been much difference from Hilinski for Loya.

“I mean, they’re both elite quarterbacks. They’re putting the ball right where it needs to be every single time, and I’m just looking forward to playing with DJ this year,” Loya said. “So far we’ve been really on the same page, so it’s going to be deadly this year.”

Loya has been deadly in every competitive setting he’s been in the last two years, consistently putting defensive backs on their heels and spinning them around with his shiftiness and ability to change speeds. He doesn’t have prototypical size for a wide receiver at 5 feet 11½ inches and 185 pounds, but Loya constantly gets open and has great hands.

Hometown offer

Loya has attracted the attention of several colleges, most recently getting a scholarship offer from UCLA.

“I had talked to them for a while now, and they just went through the recruiting process a little slowly,” Loya said. “I understood it, but it was awesome getting that cause it was a hometown offer, so it’s cool.”

Loya wants to go over some more UCLA film to see how he could potentially fit in Chip Kelly’s spread offense. Loya wants to be a complete receiver. He is looking for an offense that will allow him to play inside and outside.

Keeping an eye out

In the fall, Loya will study USC’s new offense. The Trojans offered him a scholarship in March and have been trying to sell him on how the receivers will be used in offensive coordinator Graham Harrell’s version of the Air Raid offense.

“I talk to [USC receivers] coach Keary Colbert every once in a while. He’ll coach me up here and there and just little stuff, pushing USC,” Loya said.

A 40-year plan

Loya has visited USC and UCLA this spring and said Vanderbilt, Oregon and Arizona State have been the non-local schools recruiting him the hardest. He’s using this spring to see who is investing their time and energy into recruiting the 247Sports composite four-star receiver.

“Just seeing who really wants me to come,” Loya said. “I’m looking for a 40-year plan, not a four-year plan. Something that’s going to help me after college educationally and then also help my level on the field get better, so I can go to the NFL. That’s the dream.”