Windsor’s Hayden Anderson prepares to cap stellar prep football career before big-time college move to UNLV

Hayden Anderson had just graduated eighth grade when he first made himself known at Windsor.

On the practice field, the incoming freshman was lined up at wide receiver one-on-one with then-incoming senior Makhi Johnson. He ran a simple vertical route, blew past Johnson and then went up and snatched the ball in midair against the Cal Poly commit.

“Myself and (then-Windsor coach) Paul Cronin looked at each other and said, ‘Wow, he’s going to be a D1 player,” Windsor head coach Dean “DJ” Sexton said. “We said it right away. He’s one of those guys who don’t come around often, and when they do come around you don’t fully realize what you have until they’re gone. But once he stepped foot on our field, we noticed he was better than any kid we’ve ever seen.”

Fast-forward to now, and as the wide receiver/defensive back enters his senior season, he has cemented himself as not only one of the best players to come out of Windsor, but one of the best to ever come out of the Redwood Empire region.

Heading into the fall campaign that begins Friday night, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas commit has totaled 64 rushes for 726 yards with 13 touchdowns on the ground and 168 receptions for 2,795 yards and 31 touchdown catches — and heck, he’s even 5-for -8 passing with 171 yards and two scores.

And that’s just his offensive production. Anderson’s defense in the secondary has been just as stellar, with 89 total tackles (74 solo), 11 interceptions for 229 yards, 11 pass deflections, two blocked punts and two blocked field goals.

His play has led to numerous awards, including being named The Press Democrat’s Defensive Player of the Year and the North Bay League-Oak’s Co-Offensive Player of the Year last season, as well as The Press Democrat Offensive Player of the Year and the NBL -Oak’s MVP the year before.

Not bad for a kid from small-town Texas.

Growing up about two hours northeast of Dallas in Mt. Pleasant, Anderson, 18, first donned the pads when he was 4 years old, playing on the youth team his dad coached. And while he played other sports growing up, the gridiron was always his favorite place to be.

“I always played football, basketball and baseball, but football was always my favorite,” Anderson said. “It was also the one that I was best at, so that’s probably why it was my favorite. “I’ve always loved it, always loved playing and have had a passion for it.”

Anderson moved to the North Bay area when he was 9, and when he came to football, things were just a tad different from what he was used to in Texas. Not only did he play with the older kids, but the coaching took a bit of getting used to.

“Especially with the coaches, they treat things a little differently,” Anderson recalled of Texas football. “They would use different vocabulary sometimes and were a little tougher there. Even when I was a 5-year-old, they were yelling at you and eating your head off. It’s definitely different, but there’s great football here just as there’s great football there.”

For the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Anderson, he was just playing football — until his sophomore year, when he realized that he could take his skills to the next level.

Anderson broke out during that 2022 campaign, rushing 45 times for 522 yards and 10 touchdowns, while hauling in 46 passes for 957 yards receiving and another 10 scores. On defense, he had four interceptions and two blocked field goals.

And that’s when the college offers started pouring in.

First came Cal, which was quickly followed by Washington, Utah and UNLV. Washington State, Arizona, Oregon and Oregon State also came calling, but in the end the Rebels earned Anderson’s nod.

“I went to visit a few other schools, but it’s kind of just a feeling you get,” he said about his commitment. “I just felt the best there. I feel like there’s a better chance of me playing earlier in my career. So mainly just playing time was a factor, and the coaches I really liked.”

Before he heads to Las Vegas, however, he has one more season in the Jaguars’ black and gold. And he finds himself in an unfamiliar position — after playing with older kids all his life — including his brother, Judson, who has now graduated — he’s now the oldest kid on the block for the Jaguars.

“My coaches have always talked to me about stepping up,” Anderson, who Sexton describes as the lead by example type, said. “And I have the last couple of years, but especially now. I’m the oldest on the team now, and especially since we have younger guys, we have to help teach them the ropes and get them comfortable for varsity football.

“This is going to be a good season, and I have all the confidence in my team.”

You can reach Staff Writer Kienan O’Doherty at 415-887-8650 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @kodoherty22.