DEL MAR – Class of 2020 quarterback DJ Ralph has already racked up a long list of accomplishments since transferring as a junior before the 2018-19 school year. The lefty three-star recruit has impressed scouts with his continued development of accuracy, arm strength and mobility.
Ralph said football has always been a part of his life.
“I grew up a coach’s son, so I’ve always been involved in the game since I could walk,” he said. “There is nothing like the atmosphere of football.”
Ralph is off to a strong start in the 2019 season. On Sept. 7, the Dons beat the No. 3 ranked team in California, Corona Centennial. His performance skyrocketed his name onto the national radar. He was named the USA Today Super 25 Top Star of the week for week three. This list includes players from all around the country. He received nearly 29% of the votes.
In that game he scored five total touchdowns including a game winner with less than a minute remaining in the game.
In 2018, he was named Holy Bowl MVP against St. Augustine, which helped put his name on the map. He threw for 247 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead his team to a 34-14 win over its longtime rival.
Ralph then lead the Dons to an Open Division Title in the San Diego Section and to the brink of a state title. They lost to Folsom in overtime 21-14 in the Division 1-AA state championship. The Dons finished 12-2 in 2018.
In 2019, it’s been more of the same for Ralph. On Aug. 31 he was named the Honor Bowl MVP against Saguaro, who at the time was the No. 1 ranked team in Arizona.
He was also named PrepForce National Player of the Week for his week three performance.
This season, Ralph and the Dons look to get back to and win a state title game. They are currently 3-1 on the season after losing to Helix Charter on Sept. 13. “There’s a lot more work that has to be done to get to our overall goal,” he said, “We just have to take it day by day and take care of the little things.”
Head coach of Cathedral Catholic Sean Doyle is impressed by the leadership skills of Ralph.
Ralph was in line to be the next starting quarterback at El Camino high school going into his junior season, but he ended up transferring to Cathedral Catholic where his father, Jerry Ralph, is the wide receiver coach.
Ralph said, “My family and I decided that transferring into a great community like Cathedral would only benefit my faith and future positively.”
Cathedral has been the perfect fit for him both on and off the field. They run a wing-t “run-first” style of offense that allows Ralph to beat the defense on play action passes when they bite on the run. He spent the early part of the 2018 season adjusting to this style of offense.
On 247Sports.com, Ralph is listed as 6 feet 2 inches and 200 pounds. He is labeled as a pro-style quarterback who is drawing interest from at least five NCAA Division-I schools.
Ralph’s favorite NFL team is the Los Angeles Chargers, his favorite athlete is Odell Beckham Jr. and his favorite TV shows are “Breaking Bad” and “Friday Night Lights.”
