Andrew Nemec, Jordan Johnson discuss Washington’s top prospects

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On this week's "Recruiting with Andrew Nemec" on ESPN-affiliate 105.1 The FAN, host Andrew Nemec and guest Jordan Johnson discussed the top prospects in the state of Washington.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In general, things have been a bit down in the state - with Washington's top teams losing to Oregon's top teams for the first time in decades.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But that soon be changing, as the state of Washington's 2028 (and beyond) classes are loaded with top prospects.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson broke down the state's top 150 in the class of 2028, which already features more than a dozen prospects with a scholarship offer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/updated-washington-2028-rankings-top-150-1-25/">Washington class of 2028 top 150: Nos. 1-25</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/updated-washington-2028-rankings-top-150-26-50/">Washington class of 2028 top 150: Nos. 26-50</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Washington class of 2028 top 150: Nos. 51-100 offense</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/updated-washington-2028-rankings-51-100-defense/">Washington class of 2028 top 150: Nos. 51-100 defense</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Read Johnson's extensive breakdown, and listen to the interview here:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://open.spotify.com/episode/1SGN2SZUqVPslDPQ1VwkIZ","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"spotify","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://open.spotify.com/episode/1SGN2SZUqVPslDPQ1VwkIZ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the biggest takeaways is that there will be an extensive debate in the class of 2028 regarding the Northwest's top overall prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And it actually delves into a topic that plagues evaluators year-round: Do you take the player with a high floor or one with high upside?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Linn (Oregon) cornerback Josiah Molden is the son of Alex Molden, a former NFL first-round draft pick, and younger brother of Elijah Molden, an NFL third-round pick who was a breakout performer last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Molden (6-foot, 180 pounds) is further along in his development (at his age) than his dad or his brother, and the likelihood that he develops into an NFL player is fairly high.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eastside Catholic (Washington) athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1003593' first='Tytan' last='McNeal'], on the other hand, is an elite football/basketball prospect who is already a five-star prospect and the nation's No. 1 tight end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Given his immense potential and off-the-charts athleticism, McNeal could develop into a two-sport superstar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But there's always some level of risk in a two-sport athlete whose highest grades come from his raw, explosive athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Undoubtedly, college coaches would love to have either player, and both appear to have extremely bright futures.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But if you had to take one, which would you take: the polished defensive back with NFL pedigree or the two-sport athlete who seems to have limitless potential, but may not (yet?) be as technically sound at his position as a player like Molden? </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's a fascinating debate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At No. 3 on Johnson's list is of top 150 Washington prospects is Puyallup (Washington) athlete [player_tooltip player_id='984781' first='Markel' last='Newell'], who has shown flashes of athleticism that remind some of former Washington mega-star Budda Baker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That's a lofty comparison, and Newell is still showing only flashes of that kind of upside, but it appears to be within the upper limits of his realm of outcomes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->