Northwest college football recruiter power rankings

There are college at every level of college football in the Northwest region, and every school has its own unique set of circumstances.   So, who are the best program at recruiting the region? What is the pecking order?   Unsurprisingly, Power 4 programs Oregon and Washington top the list, but there are some FBS school and lower-level programs who outperform their status.   Here's a look at the Northwest recruiting power rankings - by college program:   Oregon Ducks   While the Dan Lanning-led Ducks have finished with the nation's No. 1 recruiting class (yet?), they could finish with small classes that are No. 1 in terms of “rating per commit” in back-to-back years.   Oregon is a national power on the recruiting trail.   Still, Oregon largely gets who it wants in the Pacific Northwest, highlighted by Rainier Beach five-star offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. (2022), Yelm four-star linebacker Brayden Platt (2024), Evergreen (Washington) four-star offensive lineman Fox Crader and Willamette four-star defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='739439' first='Tony' last='Cumberland'].   Washington Huskies   The Washington Huskies have been steadily improving on the recruiting trail under Jedd Fisch.   Mater Dei (California) five-star offensive tackle Kodi Greene grew up in Washington and began his high school career there. Flipping him from the Oregon Ducks was a massive win for the staff.   Greene is a tone-setter up front who helps highlight the shift with in-state recruiting.   Washington also secured the commitments of Kennedy Catholic four-star defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='402789' first='Derek' last='Colman-Brusa'], Mount Tahoma three-star defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1165368' first='Elijah' last='Durr'], Lake Oswego (Oregon) three-star linebacker/tight end [player_tooltip player_id='457009' first='Sam' last='Vyhlidal'] and Lakeridge (Oregon) athlete [player_tooltip player_id='284119' first='Ansu' last='Sanoe'].    During last weekend's game against No. 1 Ohio State, Washington hosted more than a dozen commits, as well as the top seven prospects from the home state in the class of 2027.   That emphasis is sure to pay dividends and Washington should be a staple of the national top-25 recruiting rankings going forward.    Washington State Cougars   The college football world has been unkind to the Pac-2 over the past couple of years.   But Washington State hasn't spent much time complaining about it.   Despite losing potential back-to-back No. 1 picks Cam Ward and John Mateer, the Cougars have continued to battle.   Snagging Lake Oswego (Oregon) three-star quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='402409' first='Hudson' last='Kurland'] was a great move by the staff, while Rocky Mountain (Idaho) three-star tight end Drew Byrd and O'Dea (Washington) three-star offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='726157' first='Kingston' last='Fotualii'] show the staff is working the entire region.   Washington State also hasn't been shy about extending early offers and connecting with key programs and players.   Overall, the Cougars are doing everything in their power to compete and remain relevant in an increasingly unfair college landscape.   Boise State Broncos   Owyhee (Idaho) three-star tight end Ryan Brekke, former Baker-turned-Rocky Mountain star Rasean Jones and Rocky Mountain (Idaho) three-star defensive lineman Rowan Rupp are all quality “gets,”    The Broncos frequently compete - and beat - both Washington State and Oregon State for mutual recruits.    Nevada Wolfpack   Credit to Nevada.   The Wolfpack staff have not only snagged a few sleepers, but they have also been quick to offer fast-rising talent.   That will serve them well long term.   O'Dea (Washington) three-star defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1354431' first='Jeremiah' last='Nonu'] and Seattle Prep (Washington) three-star defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1704121' first='Sam' last='Davidson'] could become staples of Nevada's front in the coming years.   Jesuit (Oregon) three-star athlete [player_tooltip player_id='770006' first='Joe' last='Stimpson'] is one of the state's most explosive - and underrated - players.    Recent offers to Tualatin (Oregon) 6-foot-7, 285-pound two-way lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1110967' first='Connor' last='LaGrow'] and 2027 Lake Oswego (Oregon) edge-rusher [player_tooltip player_id='1246545' first='Josh' last='Christensen'] show they are paying close attention to the region.   Oregon State Beavers   Let's face it, if Oregon State weren't very recently a Power-5 school they'd be even lower on this list.   Pulling the offers of two committed in-state prospects because they wanted to visit other schools was short-sighted.   It upset some key people in the state.   Oregon State has been slow to offer local prospects that are “must-offer” players and has been non-committable about local events.   For the first time in the past few years, Oregon State declined to offer a guest speaker at The Northwest Showcase.   Who was there? Over the past few years Oregon's Dan Lanning, Boise State's Spencer Danielson, Washington State head coaches Jake Dickert and Jimmy Rogers, Oregon State's Jonathan Smith and Sacramento State's Brennan Marion.   In preparing this article, I asked a regional recruiting expert what he thought of Oregon State's recruiting effort.   “What people see on TV - the program being 0-5 - isn't the whole story,” he said. “They are that bad right now in every aspect of program building.”    Oregon State needs to move on from Trent Bray and this staff.   They are dropping the ball in too many areas.   There's a real opportunity for the next coach to jump in with some energy and propel Oregon State behind Oregon and Washington as the premier brands in the Northwest.    Idaho Vandals   If we're talking about the “health” of the regional recruiting effort Idaho would be higher than Oregon State.   But the Beavers have traditionally been much higher up the pecking order, so that move would be overly reactionary.   The Vandals are leaning in to a modern recruiting approach and nailing it.   Idaho isn't afraid to offer early and is okay with being the landing spot for talented kids for a year or two, letting them get good tape and moving up to the Power 4 level.   Under Jason Eck and now Thomas Ford Jr., Idaho has built strong in-roads to Oregon and Washington and has become a feeder program for programs above them.   Idaho is doing it the right way in a difficult climate and deserves massive credit.   It would be impossible to list all of the athletes Idaho has recruited in recent years from the area, but West Linn's Mark Hamper thrived early before moving on to Cal.   In this year's class, Curtis Senior (Washington) offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1349889' first='Kingston' last='Kerkhoff'], Roosevelt (Oregon) linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1112394' first='Geovoney' last='Burks'], Lakes (Washington) safety [player_tooltip player_id='726155' first='Tristan' last='Baker'] and Lakes linebacker Tau Mareko are all solid “gets.”    Eastern Washington Eagles   Montana Grizzlies   A pair of Big Sky powers that continually recruit the region well, Montana and Eastern Washington both do a great job with quality finds from the Northwest.   Sumner (Washington) athlete [player_tooltip player_id='726174' first='Israel' last='Nabors'] and O'Dea (Washington) wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1582212' first='Giulio' last='Banchero'] are nice snags for Eastern Washington this cycle, while Montana secured Moses Lake (Washington) quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1165423' first='Brady' last='Jay'] and Prosser (Washington) offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1679405' first='Josiah' last='West'].    Portland State Vikings   Portland State has had an uneven track record recruiting the region, often identifying the wrong guys and favoring California.   But things are getting better in recent years.   The Vikings offer early and have snagged several quality recruits with upside, including Lakeridge (Oregon) linebacker Kayce Tinner, North Medford (Oregon) defensive lineman Trey Kennedy-Coleman, Mountain View (Washington) offensive lineman Juan Pasillas-Stanton.    Western Oregon   Western Oregon deserves credit for its Northwest recruiting efforts.   They host “The Northwest Showcase” every year and almost always end up trying to keep their class together, as it becomes the target for Oregon and Oregon State's walk-on list.   When the Ducks and Beavers try to take your players, that's a really good sign you are doing something right.   I'm a massive fan of their recruiting efforts, particularly given the challenges they face.

There are college at every level of college football in the Northwest region, and every school has its own unique set of circumstances.