Perhaps Ventura County’s top returning football player has found his college home.
Pacifica High junior Isaiah Phelps, The Star’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025 season, announced in an Instagram post on May 18 that he had committed to San Diego State University.
“It is going to be fun,” Phelps told The Star. “I can’t wait to see what I can do, show my ability and hit the field early. That’s one of my biggest plans right now.”
The three-star linebacker got looks from top programs all over the country, amassing 25 scholarship offers in his three seasons at Pacifica, including Arizona State, Auburn, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Stanford, Texas, USC, Washington, and Notre Dame.
San Diego State finished the 2025 season with a 9-4 overall record.
Linebackers coach Scott White, formerly at UCLA, recruited Phelps, according to Pacifica head coach Mike Moon.
“You get to play Division 1 football in the prettiest city in the county. You can’t go wrong with that,” Moon told The Star. “Their staff is excited. We’re excited. It’s a good opportunity for him to get on the field early.”
White offered the Phelps when he was coaching for the Bruins.
“Getting an offer is really hard, it is really a blessing,” Phelps said. “Getting offered by the same person twice, that really means something. It shows our relationship and how well we feel we will work together.”
Last season, Phelps led the state in tackles with 232, which was good for third in the nation and included 89 solo tackles and 23 tackles for a loss. Phelps helped lead Pacifica to an undefeated Marmonte League title, a CIF-Southern Section Division 3 championship and a CIF-State Division 1A regional title.
He finished with 10 tackles and a sack and rushed for 127 yards and two TDs on 23 carries in the Tritons’ 42-28 loss to Fresno-Central East in the CIF-State Division 1-A state championship bowl.
Dominic Massimino is a staff writer for The Star. He can be reached at dominic.massimino@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcsdominic on Twitter and Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Pacifica football star Isaiah Phelps commits to San Diego State
Reporting by Dominic Massimino, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
