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Demetrius Wright

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Demetrius Wright

Corona (Calif.) High School seniors Jordon James and Demetrius Wright are working together toward their shared goal of winning a state title. But next year the teammates could be on opposite sidelines.

Tom Hauck for ESPN.comDemetrius Wright is looking at a number of Pac-10 schools, as well as Tennessee.

"His top school is UCLA," said Wright, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback ranked No. 62 overall on the ESPNU 150. "And my top school is [USC], so it's going to maybe come down to crosstown rivals."

There's also a chance they could stay teammates.

James, the No. 4-ranked running back and the No. 18 player overall, and Wright are considering three of the same schools: Arizona, California and Washington. The touted recruits are even taking two official visits together: They visited Washington on Sept. 5, and they will travel to Arizona the first weekend in November.

"We've got the same schools, so we might as well take them at the same time," Wright said. "You don't want to be roomed up with someone you don't know."

James' other top-five school is Notre Dame and Wright's is Tennessee.

Both agree that there's an upside to having a friend who is also being recruited.

"You can see what the coaches are telling him," said Wright, who clocks a 4.49 40 and will play both sides of the ball again this season for Corona. "You can just cheat off what he's saying."

"It's been great," James said about going through the process with Wright. "[It's] just somebody you can talk to and ask what they're thinking about."

States of Recruiting: California

Demetrius Wright and Jordon James are just two of the heralded recruits in California. Scouts Inc.'s Craig Haubert looks at the Golden State's top D prospects and how the FBS schools are faring in the recruiting battle. Story

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When they're not thinking about where they are going to play college ball, they're focused on helping Corona make it to the postseason.

"I want to make it to the playoffs. I just want it to be a successful year for our team," said James, who brings power and breakaway speed to the Panthers' offense.

It's personal for James, who had to watch his team from the sideline the second half of last season when he broke his wrist. James put up 1,135 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in the five games he played, and says he's been waiting to get back on the field.

"He's done a great job of preparing himself for this year," Corona coach John Brandom said of James. "He's one of the hardest workers, if not the hardest worker, on our football team."

James' work ethic is one of the reasons he's become a top recruit, and it's what bonded him with Wright.

"We both like to work hard, and we've been together since freshman year, so that clicked real good," Wright said.

Although James and Wright played on Corona's freshman team together, they didn't get to know each other until late fall when they both tried out for the basketball team. They recognized each other at the tryouts and struck up a friendship.

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Tom Hauck for ESPN.com Jordon James impressed scouts with his athletic ability at combines this summer.

James said that he and Wright have grown closer by just playing together, but the running back and corner spend a lot of time working together in the weight room, too. Their determination to be the best has brought them closer, and it motivates their teammates.

"A lot of people look at me as a leader. I'm not really the guy that talks a lot, but I lead by example," James said.

Wright is a more vocal leader, always ready to offer encouragement and pick people up when they're tired or practice seems endless. Wright wants Corona to have some hardware at the end of the season, and he wants a ring.

James and Wright both say that this fall, their main focus is on their team more than on recruiting.

"They feel more of a sense of responsibility to make sure that we all achieve at the highest level," Brandom said.

Corona lost its first game of the 2009 season to Arlington High School (Riverside, Calif.) 28-23. In the loss, James led the Panthers in rushing with 45 yards on 13 carries and scored on a 39-yard reception. He caught three balls for 46 yards and returned two kickoffs for a total of 47 yards. Wright contributed 14 yards on two catches and 2 yards rushing.

As James and Wright look to bounce back from the Panthers' 0-1 start, scouts are looking at them to have big seasons. James plans to announce where he will go to school at the Under Armour All-American Game on Jan. 2, and Wright is set to commit at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 9.

Julie Turner is a recruiting editor for ESPN.com.