Washington/Oregon's Best Combo Lineup for 2026 (Defense)

The 2026 rankings will be updated shortly, and here we look at the best Offensive and Defensive lineups we could put on the field as of right now, within the Northwest. There is so much yet to be determined when it comes to current freshman, that this list and the rankings will change greatly in the months and years ahead as things play out.          Defensive Analysis:       As it relates to D1 prospects the defense has significantly more guys than the O, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything as a majority of these athletes can play on either side of the ball.    The D line and secondary in the state of Washington is elite with a handful of division 1 recruits already emerging. O'Dea is going to be a problem in the coming seasons for opponents with [player_tooltip player_id='284217' first='FA' last='Siale'] and [player_tooltip player_id='402788' first='David' last='Schwerzel'] coming off the edge. Offers from multiple Pac 12s and the likes of Michigan speak to their projection.    [player_tooltip player_id='402789' first='Derek' last='Colman-Brusa'] leads three D1 offered Kennedy Catholic kids on the defense, with multiple D lineman on the interior who could be some of the best within the region. Look for [player_tooltip player_id='769924' first='Kalani' last='Iaopo'] to be dominant as a sophomore for West Linn.    Expect NW LB's to blow up in the coming year as well, with another Lakes kid leading the group in Tau Mareko. [player_tooltip player_id='769922' first='Zach' last='VandenBrink'] and Hybrid Safety/WLB [player_tooltip player_id='726151' first='Dante' last='Saladino'] are two of the top ranked baseball players in the region and will hold multiple offers in each sport.   6-3 210-pound LB/RB [player_tooltip player_id='769915' first='Noah' last='Tishendorf'] will be listed as one of the top recruits in all of Oregon, and could be a 1st team all-conference athlete on both sides of the ball as a sophomore. [player_tooltip player_id='402406' first='Donnie' last='Vercher III'] is one of the few youngsters who could play a primarily role for a loaded Rams team this coming season.   As noted, the DB group could be one of the best to ever come through Washington. It's rare that you will have 4 D1 offered DBs as freshman but that is the case here. Everyone is aware of [player_tooltip player_id='726164' first='Joey' last='Thomas'] III and the NFL genes. Fellow CBs [player_tooltip player_id='726148' first='Zamarie' last='Tellez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='726165' first='Jasiah' last='Denmark'] will both be D1 athletes.    Not surprisingly Eastside Catholic will have one of the top secondary combos in the West or maybe the country in [player_tooltip player_id='402799' first='Wassie' last='Lugolobi'] and [player_tooltip player_id='402787' first='Asa' last='Thompson']. Both project as high profile D1 guys.    Standout safety [player_tooltip player_id='402418' first='Marcus' last='Post'] will be ranked one of the top five players in Oregon, as he is a freak athlete who started and did well in the state's toughest conference as a freshman.          DL [player_tooltip player_id='284217' first='FA' last='Siale'] 6-4 250 O'Dea WA OFFERS: Oregon, Washington, Utah, Miami, Louisville   DL [player_tooltip player_id='402789' first='Derek' last='Colman-Brusa'] 6-4 235 Kennedy Catholic WA OFFERS: Washington, Washington St   DL [player_tooltip player_id='402788' first='David' last='Schwerzel'] 6-4 240 O'Dea WA OFFERS: Michigan, Louisville   DL [player_tooltip player_id='769924' first='Kalani' last='Iaopo'] 6-2 270 West Linn OR   DL [player_tooltip player_id='726158' first='Apela' last='Sarte'] 6-0 275 Lakes WA    DL [player_tooltip player_id='726167' first='Phillip' last='Riley'] 6-3 280 Auburn Mountainview WA   LB [player_tooltip player_id='726154' first='Ta'u' last='Mareko'] 6-1 200 Lakes WA OFFERS: Hawaii, Nevada   LB [player_tooltip player_id='769922' first='Zach' last='VandenBrink'] 6-1 195 West Linn OR    LB [player_tooltip player_id='769915' first='Noah' last='Tishendorf'] 6-3 210 Sherwood OR    LB [player_tooltip player_id='402406' first='Donnie' last='Vercher III'] 6-2 215 Central Catholic OR   CB [player_tooltip player_id='726164' first='Joey' last='Thomas'] III 6-0 160 Kennedy Catholic WA OFFERS: Colorado, Texas Tech   CB [player_tooltip player_id='726148' first='Zamarie' last='Tellez'] 5-9 160 Federal Way WA OFFERS: Nevada   CB [player_tooltip player_id='402787' first='Asa' last='Thompson'] 6-0 175 Eastside Catholic WA OFFERS: Nevada   CB [player_tooltip player_id='726165' first='Jasiah' last='Denmark'] 5-11 155 Spanaway Lake WA   S [player_tooltip player_id='402799' first='Wassie' last='Lugolobi'] 6-2 185 Eastside Catholic WA OFFERS: Colorado, Louisville, Nevada   S [player_tooltip player_id='402418' first='Marcus' last='Post'] 6-0 180 Lakeridge OR    S [player_tooltip player_id='726151' first='Dante' last='Saladino'] 6-3 185 Kennedy Catholic WA