Greg Townsend Jr. Is Top College Prospect

Greg Townsend Jr. is considered one of the top defensive ends in California. And after an impressive showing at the Los Angeles Nike Football Camp last month, where he was selected the most valuable defensive lineman, the incoming senior at Beverly Hills High School is turning into one of the top college prospects in the country.

But Townsend is not concerning himself too much with playing college football at the moment. He said he is more interested in leading the Normans into the CIF playoffs and making a run at a championship. That might be a tall order for a team that finished 4-6 and in fourth place in the Ocean League in 2009, but he is sensing some positive changes in the work ethic and competitiveness within the team.

"I've seen more guys working out this year," said Townsend, the son of former NFL defensive lineman Greg Townsend. "I think we can go deep in the playoffs and win a ring. I want to lead by example and get that ring."

If Beverly makes any kind of playoff run, Townsend will be a big part of it.

In addition to playing defensive end, he took some snaps on the offensive side of the ball at tight end and expects his role on offense will expand in his senior season.

"I had to help out because we didn't have any receivers," the 6'4", 240-pound Townsend said. "It's kind of challenging. I try to stay in condition and try to stay ready."

Townsend's size, strength and athleticism have created some challenges for opposing coaches. When Beverly played Valencia West Ranch last year, Wildcats' coach Sean O'Brien said his team prepared a run-game strategy that was predicated on where Townsend lined up on the field.

"We didn't run away from him, but we also made sure we assigned one of our best blockers to him," O'Brien said. "We didn't develop new plays or throw out old ones, but I do distinctly remember throwing the alley screen to his side to try and blunt his pass rush—we think that worked to a degree."

West Ranch beat Beverly, 33-17 and racked up 185 yards rushing in that game. But O'Brien said he had one of his best offensive linemen on Townsend for the better part of the game in Alfonso Dominguez.

''We did watch that matchup carefully,'' he said. ''Whenever a single defensive player becomes part of the offensive plan, he has made a difference. It seems to me that Townsend has the potential to be that kind of a player."

Conditioning is a big part of Townsend's plan during the spring and summer. He knows he has to be in better condition than most players because of his roles on defense and offense. Still, Townsend prefers to be on the defensive side of the ball.

"I like to hit more than I would like to get hit," he said. 

Townsend has a short list of colleges he is considering. He has made unofficial visits to UCLA, USC and Oregon. He is also interested in Arizona State, Texas Christian, Miami, Washington and Alabama. His dad went to TCU and played 15 years in the NFL, mostly with the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders.

Townsend Jr. is on the Rivals.com top 250 watch list for the class of 2011. He recorded 73 tackles, 7 1/2 sacks and forced three fumbles in his junior season. He also blocked three PATs and recovered one fumble.