TJ Lateef was one of the top quarterback recruits in the country while starring at Orange Lutheran High School in California. Lateef threw for more than 6,500 yards in his final three seasons, accounting for 66 total touchdowns while helping the Lancers to back-to-back trips to the CIF Southern Section playoffs, including a semifinal appearance as a senior.
Lateef threw for 2,080 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior according to MaxPreps, completing 71 percent of his passes (196-of-276). He also added 279 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Lateef’s play helped Orange Lutheran to a playoff semifinal appearance and a No. 13 national ranking.
In his junior season, Lateef completed 63 percent of his passes (152-of-241) while throwing for 1,965 yards and 13 touchdowns. An all-league pick, Lateef also rushed for 230 yards and five scores. He was also an all-league selection as a sophomore after completing 202-of-320 passes (63.1 percent) for 2,446 yards and 18 touchdowns with 150 rushing yards and three scores.
Lateef is rated as a four-star recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking. Rivals lists Lateef among the top 140 recruits in the country and regarded him as the nation’s No. 11 pro style quarterback. Lateef was one of 20 quarterbacks nationally invited to compete at the 2024 Elite 11 Finals.