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Former California high school football star Trent McDuffie returning home after blockbuster trade

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by: Keegan Pope03/04/26bykeeganpope

Trent McDuffie began making a name for himself as one of California’s top high school football prospects a decade ago at powerhouse St. John Bosco High.

He was seen by some recruiting services as a top-10 player at his position nationally, while others found him to be a borderline-blue chip prospect. Ultimately, he signed to play at Washington for then-head coach Chris Peterson in the same class as NFL All-Pro wideout Puka Nacua.

Over his final two seasons at Bosco, he tallied up 87 tackles, five interceptions and six fumble recoveries, proving to be one of the premier ballhawks on the west coast. In Seattle, he made an immediate impact as a true freshman and started 11 of the team’s 13 games.

He finished the season with 45 tackles, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and an interception — again cementing himself as one of the top playmakers in the Pac-12. Following three seasons at UW, he declared early for the NFL Draft, with the Kansas Chiefs selecting him in the first round at No. 22 overall. There, he again quickly made his presence known, starting 11 games at cornerback as the Chiefs went on to win Super Bowl LVII.

The next season, he earned All-Pro honors as Kansas City took home its second straight title.

McDuffie heading back home to California is meaningful

But in the back of his mind, he eyed the chance to get back to California and play in the state he grew up in.

“If I could play for another team, I’d probably want to play close to my family,” McDuffie told a crowd at an event for his foundation last August. “That’d probably be the LA Rams, so that my family could come see every single game.”

On Wednesday, McDuffie’s “wish” was granted with the Chiefs trading him to the Rams for a first-round pick in the next month’s draft, among other assets.

His addition immediately bolsters a Rams secondary that finished 22nd last season in passing yards allowed and gave up 346 yards and three touchdowns in their NFC title game with the Seahawks. He’ll also be reunited with Nacua, who led the NFL with 129 catches for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns.

For his part, Nacua is quite excited to team up McDuffie again as well. When news broke on Wednesday, he posted a smiling emoji on Twitter, quoting a post he made about McDuffie back in 2019.

The two former Huskies will now be looking to dethrone the NFL team in their college city, preventing the Seahawks from going back-to-back in 2026-27.