Washington/Oregon’s Best Combo Lineup for 2026 (Defense)
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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…
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Continue ReadingThe 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 FA Siale FA Siale 6'3" | 265 lbs | DL O'Dea | 2026 State WA and David Schwerzel David Schwerzel 6'4" | 255 lbs | DL O'Dea | 2026 State WA coming off the edge. Offers from multiple Pac 12s and the likes of Michigan speak to their projection.
Derek Colman-Brusa Derek Colman-Brusa 6'4" | 245 lbs | DL Kennedy Catholic | 2026 State WA 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 Kalani Ioapo Kalani Ioapo 6'3" | 290 lbs | DL West Linn | 2026 State OR 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. Zach VandenBrink Zach VandenBrink 6'1" | 200 lbs | LB West Linn | 2026 State OR and Hybrid Safety/WLB Dante Saladino Dante Saladino 6'3" | 190 lbs | DB Kennedy Catholic | 2026 State WA 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 Noah Tishendorf Noah Tishendorf 6'3" | 240 lbs | LB Lakeridge | 2026 State OR 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. Donnie Vercher III Donnie Vercher III 6'2" | 215 lbs | LB Central Catholic | 2026 State OR 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 Joey Thomas Joey Thomas 6'1" | 180 lbs | ATH Kennedy Catholic | 2026 State WA III and the NFL genes. Fellow CBs Zamarie Tellez Zamarie Tellez 5'8" | 165 lbs | DB Federal Way | 2026 State WA and Jasiah Denmark Jasiah Denmark 6'0" | 170 lbs | DB Puyallup | 2026 State WA 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 Wassie Lugolobi Wassie Lugolobi 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Eastside Catholic | 2026 State WA and Asa Thompson Asa Thompson 6'0" | 180 lbs | ATH Eastside Catholic | 2026 State WA . Both project as high profile D1 guys.
Standout safety Marcus Post Marcus Post 6'0" | 180 lbs | DB Lakeridge | 2026 State OR 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 FA Siale FA Siale 6'3" | 265 lbs | DL O'Dea | 2026 State WA 6-4 250 O’Dea WA OFFERS: Oregon, Washington, Utah, Miami, Louisville
DL Derek Colman-Brusa Derek Colman-Brusa 6'4" | 245 lbs | DL Kennedy Catholic | 2026 State WA 6-4 235 Kennedy Catholic WA OFFERS: Washington, Washington St
DL David Schwerzel David Schwerzel 6'4" | 255 lbs | DL O'Dea | 2026 State WA 6-4 240 O’Dea WA OFFERS: Michigan, Louisville
DL Kalani Ioapo Kalani Ioapo 6'3" | 290 lbs | DL West Linn | 2026 State OR 6-2 270 West Linn OR
DL Apela Sarte Apela Sarte 6'0" | 275 lbs | DL Lakes | 2026 State WA 6-0 275 Lakes WA
DL Phillip Riley Phillip Riley 6'2" | 280 lbs | DL Auburn Mountainview | 2026 State WA 6-3 280 Auburn Mountainview WA
LB Ta’u Mareko Ta’u Mareko 6'1" | 220 lbs | LB Lakes | 2026 State WA 6-1 200 Lakes WA OFFERS: Hawaii, Nevada
LB Zach VandenBrink Zach VandenBrink 6'1" | 200 lbs | LB West Linn | 2026 State OR 6-1 195 West Linn OR
LB Noah Tishendorf Noah Tishendorf 6'3" | 240 lbs | LB Lakeridge | 2026 State OR 6-3 210 Sherwood OR
LB Donnie Vercher III Donnie Vercher III 6'2" | 215 lbs | LB Central Catholic | 2026 State OR 6-2 215 Central Catholic OR
CB Joey Thomas Joey Thomas 6'1" | 180 lbs | ATH Kennedy Catholic | 2026 State WA III 6-0 160 Kennedy Catholic WA OFFERS: Colorado, Texas Tech
CB Zamarie Tellez Zamarie Tellez 5'8" | 165 lbs | DB Federal Way | 2026 State WA 5-9 160 Federal Way WA OFFERS: Nevada
CB Asa Thompson Asa Thompson 6'0" | 180 lbs | ATH Eastside Catholic | 2026 State WA 6-0 175 Eastside Catholic WA OFFERS: Nevada
CB Jasiah Denmark Jasiah Denmark 6'0" | 170 lbs | DB Puyallup | 2026 State WA 5-11 155 Spanaway Lake WA
S Wassie Lugolobi Wassie Lugolobi 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Eastside Catholic | 2026 State WA 6-2 185 Eastside Catholic WA OFFERS: Colorado, Louisville, Nevada
S Marcus Post Marcus Post 6'0" | 180 lbs | DB Lakeridge | 2026 State OR 6-0 180 Lakeridge OR
S Dante Saladino Dante Saladino 6'3" | 190 lbs | DB Kennedy Catholic | 2026 State WA 6-3 185 Kennedy Catholic WA