Oregon Player of the Year Award predictions: Defense

High school football officially kicks off in the state of Oregon this week, which means it's time to make our annual predictions for the top players in the state.   I have decided to predict a “player of the year” at each position, as well as “breakout players of the year" (below).   If you missed the predictions for offense, <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/oregon-player-of-the-year-award-predictions-offense/">they can be found here</a>.   Here's a look at my defensive player predictions for the upcoming season:   Defensive Player of the Year    [player_tooltip player_id='632957' first='Josiah' last='Molden'], West Linn   West Linn junior [player_tooltip player_id='632957' first='Josiah' last='Molden'] is a returning all-state performer who was named a Sporting News first-team All-American.   The 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback is a complete shutdown corner and is arguably the best cornerback prospect in Oregon in the past 20-plus years.   Molden holds offers from nearly 20 programs already, highlighted by Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, USC, Washington and others.   Honorable mention: [player_tooltip player_id='769915' first='Noah' last='Tishendorf'], Lakeridge; Sam Vyhidal, Lake Oswego; [player_tooltip player_id='402418' first='Marcus' last='Post'], Lakeridge; [player_tooltip player_id='739439' first='Tony' last='Cumberland'], Willamette; [player_tooltip player_id='791149' first='Kawai' last='Chamberlin'], Willamette; [player_tooltip player_id='759688' first='Lukas' last='Babbitt'], Churchill   Defensive Lineman of the Year   [player_tooltip player_id='769915' first='Noah' last='Tishendorf'], Lakeridge   Let's be honest, this was the easiest award to give out on the entire list.   There are some quality defensive linemen in the state of Oregon, including Oregon Ducks commit [player_tooltip player_id='739439' first='Tony' last='Cumberland'] at Willamette.   But when it comes to production on Friday nights, no clue is really all that close to [player_tooltip player_id='769915' first='Noah' last='Tishendorf'] right now.   He led 6A football in sacks as a sophomore and junior, and could actually eclipse 20 sacks this year despite double teams.   The. 6-foot-3, 240-pound edge, who is committed to West Virginia, has been a dominant force the past two years.   And there's no reason he can't make it three.    Honorable mention: [player_tooltip player_id='739439' first='Tony' last='Cumberland'], Willamette; [player_tooltip player_id='1341253' first='Cody' last='Calvert'], Mountain View   Linebacker of the Year   [player_tooltip player_id='457009' first='Sam' last='Vyhlidal'], Lake Oswego    [player_tooltip player_id='457009' first='Sam' last='Vyhlidal'] will challenge for Gatorade Player of the Year this fall, as he is a reigning all-state tight end and linebacker.   That kind of contribution is elite, but that kind of contribution on a state title contender is the stuff of future awards.   The 6-foot-4, 225-pound athlete, committed to Washington, may be the state's best two-way player and will push Molden, Tishendorf  and teammates [player_tooltip player_id='1059015' first='Justin' last='Craigwell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1112405' first='Kilian' last='Eddleman'] for Three Rivers League Defensive Player of the Year, which is going to be a major race.   It should be noted that the linebacker group is pretty special this year, and the battle for all-state spots will be razor-thin.   Honorable mention: [player_tooltip player_id='1112405' first='Kilian' last='Eddleman'], Lake Oswego; [player_tooltip player_id='1059015' first='Justin' last='Craigwell'], Lake Oswego;    [player_tooltip player_id='791149' first='Kawai' last='Chamberlin'], Willamette; [player_tooltip player_id='1112394' first='Geovoney' last='Burks'], Roosevelt; [player_tooltip player_id='1234610' first='Cole' last='Dickson'], West Linn; [player_tooltip player_id='402414' first='Kalani' last='Messenger'], Lakeridge   Defensive back of the year   [player_tooltip player_id='402418' first='Marcus' last='Post'], Lakeridge    West Linn's [player_tooltip player_id='632957' first='Josiah' last='Molden'] is, admittedly, the runaway favorite for this award, but because I've given him “defensive player of the year,” this has to go elsewhere.   And the “next man up” is a big-time defender in his own right.   [player_tooltip player_id='402418' first='Marcus' last='Post'] will be a four-year starter for the Pacers this fall and brings high-end character and intelligence to the back-half of the Lakeridge defense.   The 6-foot-1, 190-pound defense back should be a first-team all-state selection this year.   If Lakeridge is going to break its streak of losing a little earlier than they'd like in the state playoffs, they'll need Post (and others) to deliver with a loaded roster.   This year could be special for Lakeridge.   If it is, Post will be a massive part of it.    Honorable mention: [player_tooltip player_id='769995' first='Evan' last='Wusstig'], West Salem; [player_tooltip player_id='1234612' first='Jalen' last='Bauman'], Lake Oswego; [player_tooltip player_id='1110921' first='Chaz' last='Katoanga'], Nelson    Breakout performer(s)   Offense - [player_tooltip player_id='936920' first='Jasiah' last='Agnimel'], Lake Oswego   Defense - [player_tooltip player_id='1095838' first='Jack' last='Brauckmiller'], Canby   After transferring from Mountainside, wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='936920' first='Jasiah' last='Agnimel']  has burst onto the scene at Lake Oswego.   The. 6-foot-3, 205-pound junior has drawn rave reviews and looks the part of a potential Power 4 Conference prospect.   The stage is set for a massive breakout for Agnimel, who is already a three-star prospect with a few early offers.   Canby's [player_tooltip player_id='1095838' first='Jack' last='Brauckmiller'] suffered a season-ending injury halfway through the second game of the season last year.   But by then he'd already made an impact - with four sacks on defense and 16 catches for nearly 250 yards and two touchdowns on offense.    Project those numbers out onto a fully healthy year and Brauckmiller was on pace for Gatorade Player of the Year numbers.   Early in the his high school career, he carried the hype to match.   If he can stay healthy and deliver, it may look silly not to have Brauckmiller at the top of the “tight end” and “defensive lineman” awards list.   He's got special potential.

High school football officially kicks off in the state of Oregon this week, which means it's time to make our annual predictions for the top players in the state.