“In a perfect world, he would never come off the field.”
Tulare Union High School football head coach Darren Bennett praised sophomore receiver Demaje Riley with that glowing review in the preseason.
And now, college scouts have taken notice of Riley’s talents, too.
In September, UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster reached out to Riley via phone and extended a scholarship offer to the rising sophomore.
“It was great,” Riley said. “They believe in me and I was just so happy. I was running. I definitely dropped everything I had in my hand and started running.”
Riley is the first Tulare County high school football player to receive an offer from UCLA since former Tulare Union star Kazmeir Allen — who donned a Bruins uniform from 2018 to 2022. Allen is currently in the NFL as a practice squad member with the Washington Commanders.
This season, Riley is one of the Central Section’s most explosive players. He is second on Tulare Union in receiving with 37 receptions for 655 yards and nine touchdowns.
Riley has a scholarship offer from the University of Nevada, too. He has also received interest from Cal and Oregon.
“That kind of shows you what kind of kid he is,” Bennett said. “Not only is he a natural athlete but as a kid who works super hard in the classroom, in the weight room and on the practice field. I think it naturally shows up on the field. He’s continued to impress me, week after week, with some of the things that he does.”
Riley attracted the attention of UCLA in the summer.
While competing in a 7-on-7 passing tournament with members of his Tulare Union teammates in Southern California, Riley flashed, making plays all over the field.
That piqued the interest of a UCLA coach in attendance and the rest is history.
“I was just balling,” Riley said. “A couple weeks after that, they called me, and I was blessed to hear from them.”
Was Riley expecting that call?
“I was,” Riley said. “After the game, all my teammates were hyping me up and stuff. I already knew it was going to happen.”
Riley is no stranger to the national spotlight.
In 2019, Riley led the Tulare Patriots, a junior peewee football team, to the World Youth Football Championship in the 9- to 10-year-old division.
Riley, playing quarterback at that time, rushed for two touchdowns to anchor the Patriots to a 27-12 win, capping off a perfect 15-0 record.
That success has continued at Tulare Union.
Riley is averaging nearly 18 yards per reception this season. He also carried the football, rushing for 224 yards, the fourth-most on the team, and three touchdowns in addition to scoring a 60-yard punt return touchdown in a 42-0 rout of Mission Oak.
Riley is the first sophomore under Bennett to receive an offer from a Big Ten program. Bennett has coached five players who have gone on to play in the NFL — Allen, Zach Diles (Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns), Virgil Green (Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers), Bryce Harris (New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons) and Marquess Wilson (Chicago Bears).
Green won a Super Bowl ring with the Broncos in 2016.
Riley has helped Tulare Union to a 9-1 record and a spot in the section’s top playoff bracket — Division I-AA.
The Tribe will play at undefeated and No. 1 overall seed Clovis East (10-0) on Nov. 8 in a quarterfinal final game at Lamonica Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
In three playoff games last season, he finished with 17 catches for 138 yards and three touchdowns to propel Tulare Union to the Central Section Division II semifinals.
“He does a lot of things well,” Bennett said. “He’s unselfish. He has a great attitude. He cheers for his teammates. As far as an athlete, he’s a phenomenal athlete. He has great hands. He has great ball awareness. He has a great burst. He can make people miss. He does a lot of things well. I would say you have to, to be able to get the notoriety he’s gotten as a kid who’s still only 5-foot-9.”

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