Oregon: Alpha Football early standouts

Photo: Courtesy of Alpha Football

Andrew Nemec January 23, 2026 @ 05:59 PM

It's early in the 7-on-7 season, but one of the best ways to look for upcoming breakouts is to see who is starring for their respective 7-on-7 teams.   In the late winter/early spring of his sophomore season, class of 2018 Clackamas wide receiver/ tight end Cole Turner flashed a ton of potential at a 7-on-7 tournament at Lakeridge High School.   At the time, it was viewed as perhaps the state's biggest breakout performance of the offseason.   Turner went on to lead Clackamas to a 6A state title his senior year and eventually made his way to the NFL.   Ever since, I've tried to pay close attention to spring brekaouts, because they are sometimes an indicator of great things to come.   Recently, I checked in with Alpha Football, led by Dylan Young and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, to get their thoughts on the guys who have stood out in their program in January, particularly at the Seattle Pylon event last weekend.   Here's what they had to say:   DE/TE [player_tooltip player_id='1242768' first='George' last='VanSandt'], 2027 (Central Catholic): "Physical, big-body tight end that excels at playing with his hand in the ground, but has the versatility and route running-ability to play from the wing and flexed-out position. Expecting him to showcase more of his abilities this coming fall season."   ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1609761' first='Tyler' last='Holmes'], 2028 (West Linn): "Very versatile athlete. Can cover, blitz, play inside and outside of the box. Does a great job making 1-of-1 plays in space. Offensively, he can move all around the field. Outside, Inside, possibly tight end depending how much more he grows. He comes from a family of college athletes. Wouldn't be surprised if he's around 6-3, 6-4 and 230 pounds-plus by senior year."   WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='1716612' first='Carlos' last='Brown Chavarria'], 2027 (Jefferson): "5-11, 6-foot wide receiver plays bigger than his size. Great ball skills and strong hands, making contested catches with ease whether it's coming back to the ball, high-pointing a ball on the defensive back, or over-the-shoulder catches. Good twitch in open space to make guys miss and gain YAC (yards after catch). He's looking to improve his route running this offseason to showcase a complete wide receiver package this coming fall."   WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='1760618' first='Carter' last='Nguyen'], 2028 (Sprague): "5-9, 5-10 wide receiver/defensive back... elite route-running ability for a sophomore. High IQ for zone and man coverages... Knows when to sit routes down in zones and knows how to set up defenders against 1-on-1 coverage. Strong hands and plucks the ball out of the air naturally with his 2XL-size hands. Carter has a relentless competitive drive that allows him to compete against anyone."   ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1121756' first='Ashden' last='Marquis'], 2027 (West Linn): "5-11 wide receiver with his explosiveness and top-end speed makes him a match-up problem for defenders. Has the versatility in his game to line up outside or inside with the ability to be a deep threat, pure route runner, and can make things happen after the catch. Should be a big special teams returner for West Linn this upcoming season."   ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1760617' first='Julian' last='Lutz'], 2028 (Sprague): "The 6-1 athlete was one of our standout defensive backs. Lutz shows great physicality and ability on defense. Plays with a tremendous motor and attacks plays downhill. Well-rounded in coverage with the ability to play in deep, middle or play man coverage in the box."

It's early in the 7-on-7 season, but one of the best ways to look for upcoming breakouts is to see who is starring for their respective 7-on-7 teams.