Furian Inferrera on Mater Dei transfer, breaking barriers
SANTA ANA, Calif. (BVM) 鈥� QB Furian Inferrera will play his freshman season in the fall of 2023 at Mater Dei High School 鈥� the powerhouse football program that is in MaxPreps鈥� preseason top 25.聽
The 195-pound football prodigy himself has been projected to be the No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2027 by QB Hit List. The Las Vegas native chose Mater Dei over other nationally-ranked programs, which included St. John Bosco (California) and Bishop Gorman (Nevada).聽聽
鈥淚 feel like Coach Frank McManus and Mater Dei could develop me really well as a quarterback, especially when you look at the previous quarterbacks who鈥檝e graduated from the school,鈥� Inferrera said.聽
Three former Mater Dei quarterbacks have won the coveted 鈥� including the NFL鈥檚 2023 No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young. have had extended careers in the league.聽
But Inferrera, who is part Hawaiian and half-Korean, is also aiming to make history as a Polynesian and Asian quarterback at the high school, college and NFL levels.聽聽
鈥淚鈥檓 happy to hear that I’m the first Polynesian/Hawaiian QB at Mater Dei,鈥� Inferrera said. 鈥�The impact that I’m trying to create for the Hawaiian and Asian communities is to break down the stereotypical barriers for each.聽聽
鈥淔irst, the Hawaiian people are more than just big, strong people. We are versatile in other aspects of football, such as at the quarterback position. I hope I can make the impact that will help bring in more Polynesian QBs to these big-time programs.聽
鈥淪econd, for the Korean/Asian community, I want to help break down the stereotype of us being ‘just smart and non-athletic.’ We are way under-represented in a lot of sports. I am trying to show that we can do whatever we put our minds to.鈥�
Last season, as an eighth grader with the OG Ducks (who only play the top-ranked teams in the country), Inferrera passed for 1,871 yards and 17 touchdowns. He received D-I offers from and , and more recently landed an offer from . Notably, he can already throw the ball about 60 yards.聽
Thank you to for the opportunity to compete all weekend in the National StraightBaller camp!
— Furian Inferrera (@FurianInferrera)
鈥淥G Ducks really got me prepared for the journey I am on now,鈥� Inferrera said. 鈥淭hey are all about competing against the best on your own team and competing against the best in the county. This is the mindset of Mater Dei as well.鈥�
Inferrera鈥檚 talents go beyond what the coaches see on the football field. He鈥檚 never received a 鈥楤鈥� or less on a transcript ever since the second grade. Those strengths in the classroom translate well on the football field.聽
鈥淚 feel like my ability to retain and process knowledge quickly in the classroom definitely translates to the field and makes a big impact on the mental side of the game,鈥� Inferrera said.聽
In terms of the future, Mater Dei already has its No. 1 quarterback for this fall in senior 鈥� who is set to become a fourth-year starter. Brown is 29-1 as a starter and led the team 12-1 for the 2022 season. There鈥檚 plenty of talent lined up, including with sophomore QB Cole Leinart (son of former Heisman winner Matt Leinart), but Inferrera hopes he鈥檒l play a significant role in the years to come.聽
鈥淚 firmly believe that the only way to grow as an individual in any situation is through being challenged and pushed, and that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 looking for in a program — which Mater Dei has,鈥� Inferrera said. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping to add on to the huge legacy that Mater Dei has built. I hope to make a positive impact, not only just on the field, but also off the field.鈥澛�
Overall, the future looks bright for Inferrera. His QB coach Drew Aumavae previously compared Inferrera to a former No. 1 overall pick in the NFL, Trevor Lawrence. He also noted that Inferrera plays like a fourth-year starter on a varsity team.聽
鈥淚n that Class of 2027, there won鈥檛 be anyone close to [Inferrera] as a quarterback as long as he maintains the current path he鈥檚 on,鈥�
