Offers pour in for young Northwest prospects

The early signing period for the class of 2026 has come and gone, and college football programs have quickly moved on.   While the transfer portal is humming along, FBS coaching staffs have shifted their attention to future high school recruiting classes, while the FCS works to add a few late steals.   In the Northwest, that transition has led to a flurry of offers for some of the top prospects of the future and some potential 2026 sleepers for Portland State.   Here's a look at some of the big offers that have come in so far in the month of January.   DB [player_tooltip player_id='1012408' first='Kaden' last='Johnson'], Bellevue (2028) — [player_tooltip player_id='1012408' first='Kaden' last='Johnson'] is perhaps the hottest prospect in the West region right now.   The 6-foot, 170-pound defensive back has added offers from Auburn, Kentucky and Texas A&M.   As a sophomore, Johnson racked up more than 40 tackles with 12 pass break-ups and an interception.   ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1397308' first='Dash' last='Jones'], undecided (2030) — The young superstar is already an Under Armour All-American and is drawing rave reviews for his athleticism and approach to the game.   In the NIL era, truly loving the game is a huge positive in any prospect's evaluation, and "Dash" has been a student of the game since he was very young.   This week, Jones picked up an offer from Penn State, his sixth.   He has a chance to be one of the most heavily-recruited prospects in Washington ever if his stock continues to climb.   He's already a bonafide national recruit.   OL [player_tooltip player_id='1907993' first='Tyson' last='Daniels'], undecided (2030) — The SEC wasn't done with the state of Washington, extending an offer to class of 2023 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1907993' first='Tyson' last='Daniels'].   The 6-foot-4, 275-pound offensive lineman has a very high ceiling and is already a hot commodity.   It's wild that schools are scouting his eighth grade highlight reel, but it also makes sense.   Daniels is going to be a name to know for years to come.   ATH Sincere Ford, undecided (2031) — The track star is making a big name for himself on the gridiron.   Sincere Ford, a two-time AAU All-American in the 60-meter, is a wide receiver/defensive back with speed that pops.   After quick early offers from Idaho and Sacramento State, Tracy Ford's son added an offer from Tulsa.   Already he's a prospect whose reputation is expanding well beyond the region.   LB Lawrence Phillips Jr. (2031) — An early gem and tone-setter in the class of 2031, Lawrence Phillips Jr. has the chance to be an elite bluechip recruit.   He's already generating major buzz for his physicality and approach to the game.   Phillips is a future bluechip prospect at a position that is becoming increasingly demanding in the modern game.   Early on, he profiles as the type of talent who can handle all of the responsibilities - tackler, pass-rusher and a player who can drop back and cover.   DL Ovaleni Siale, undecided (2031) — The name Siale should be familiar.   This one, Ovaleni, entered the new year with an offer from Idaho, but added Tulsa this week.   He's got a chance to develop into a bluechip defensive lineman as he grows and gets stronger.   College coaches are already taking note, and should be.   ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1335368' first='Josiah' last='Laurence'], Cascade Christian (2028) — Portland State   The 6-foot-3, 195-pound athlete, who also competes in the long jump and hurdles, earned his first offer from Portland State.   Cascade Christian has several high-end prospects on the roster, and Laurence is among them.   There should be plenty more offers on the way.   In the world of college football, attention among high school prospects has primarily shifted to future classes, but Portland State poured a lot of time, effort and resources into putting the finishing touches on its 2026 class, offering a collection of Northwest kids we really like at Prep Redzone.   Here's a look at some of the those offers:   ATH [player_tooltip player_id='402418' first='Marcus' last='Post'], Lakeridge (2026) — A four-year starter at Lakeridge who was the heart-and-soul of one of the best defenses in the state during his time.   Post is a big-time playmaker on both sides of the ball, so it will be fascinating to see how he is used in college.   ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1654724' first='Hunter' last='Vaughn'], Willamette (2026) — After a stunning small-school junior campaign, Vaughn transferred to Willamette and put up big numbers, earning PRZ all-state honors as an all-purpose athlete.   OL [player_tooltip player_id='2070911' first='Solomon' last='Kroeker'], Lake Oswego (2026) — Lake Oswego had arguably the best offensive line in the past decade in the state of Oregon.   The group wasn't loaded with elite prospects, but it was a collection of five smart, athletic, quality football players.   [player_tooltip player_id='2070911' first='Solomon' last='Kroeker'] was one of the best up front, and he has seen his stock climb late in the process.   He now holds offers from Portland State and New Mexico.   New Mexico coach Jason Eck, formerly at Idaho, has strong ties to the Northwest and has been proven to be an excellent evaluator of talent.   The offer from the Lobos is eye-opening.   ATH/RB [player_tooltip player_id='1569373' first='Jakai' last='Phillips'], North Salem (2026) — The dynamic playmaker flew under the radar for much of his senior season because he wasn't on an elite high school team.   But make no mistake, Phillips is a big-time back.   As a senior, he rushed for 1,430 yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 8.7 yards per game.   WR/TE Tyler Weaver, Mountain View (2026) — As a senior, Tyler Weaver racked up big numbers - 48 receptions, 600 yards and eight touchdowns.   DL Alex Esuk, Sunset (2026) — The Sunset star is one of the strongest kids in the state and showed that at the Metro OL Challenge this summer.   His competitiveness is apparent in everything he does.   Esuk is 6-foot, 270, but if he were bigger he'd be an FBS prospect.   As is, he was a first-team all-league and second-team all-state selection.   ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1165348' first='Luke' last='Morgan'], Skyline (2026) — The first-team wide receiver/safety picked up a summer offer from San Diego, then added a second this week from Portland State.   Morgan registered 12 total touchdowns and six interceptions as a wide receiver, defensive back and return man.   TE Micah Dickison, Anacortes (2026) — The three-sport athlete picked up a preferred walk-on offer from Portland State.   ATH/EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='1699759' first='Hudson' last='Coe'], Central Catholic (2026) — Coe was a tone-setter for Central Catholic's defense, which was the best in the state for much of the season.   The 6-foot-3, 230-pound edge racked up 15 sacks and 21 tackles-for-loss in his senior campaign.

The early signing period for the class of 2026 has come and gone, and college football programs have quickly moved on.