Interview: 2020 California TE Ender Aguilar Preparing for Breakout Junior Season

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

When one spends enough time around high school football games, practices, camps, and 7v7 tournaments, you can see the potential in various players and the path their career may go. For the last two years, Ender Aguilar has been one of those players with great upside ready to connect as the overall package – that time has finally come.

Fans of Orange Lutheran High School football have seen it coming, the maturation of Aguilar. A year ago, Aguilar was a wiry 6-5, 225-pound, tight end in the making. Now, the Lancers have a budding Power Five Conference talent on their hands. Over the offseason, Aguilar has put the time in lifting weights and working on his agility emerging as a 6-6, 250-pound, monster in the making with a 100-inch vertical presence top to bottom. His growth in size and athleticism is such, OLU coaches are looking at him as a two-way player in 2018 doubling at defensive end.

In a Recruiting News Guru catch-up interview, I got a few minutes with Aguilar covering his offseason workouts with a quick update on his college camp circuit.

Interview

Ender, at the end of the 2017 season, which aspects of your game had improved the most?

“The experience on the field since my freshman season helped me understand the varsity level even better. All the experience has motivated me even more for my junior season. On the field, my catching and yards after catch improved a lot. My blocking improved going against the bigger guys. I honed-in on my mechanics on run and pass blocking last season.”

What are you working on this offseason?

“This offseason I am focused on getting stronger and getting my weight up. I increased my maxes a lot. I have been working with OC Premium to develop my routes even better.”

Is there a goal you have set for yourself during spring practices?

“I have accomplished a lot of my goals already. I wanted to be 250 pounds and I wanted to increase my strength; I’ve accomplished both and I’m still working hard to improve.”

Have you maxed out this offseason?

“Yes, sir. My power clean max is 245, my bench is 260, and I squatted 285 pounds six times.”

Nice. Did you play 7v7 this spring?

“I played with OC Premium.”

Do you have any college camps planned for this summer?

“I am planning on attending camps at Stanford, UCLA and/or USC, a Redlands satellite camp, and possibly camps at Arkansas and Arizona State.”

Which schools are showing recruiting interest in you ahead of the college camp season?

“Washington, Arkansas, and San Jose State are the main ones.”

When you take the field in 2018, what is your mindset, what do you want to accomplish?

“I want to get 50 catches this season. My coach has talked to me about being on the defensive side of the ball this year. I want at least five sacks this year.”

Defense end? I can definitely see that. Are you excited about playing defensive end this year?

“Yes, sir. I played defensive end coming up through junior high; that is kind of my spot. To be honest, I think I am a better defensive end than tight end.”

Ender, thanks for your time today and good luck with all your upcoming camps.

“Thank you.”

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Photo credit: recruitingnewsguru.com; 2020 California TE Ender Aguilar