Northwest Showcase: A look at the top Oregon, Washington RBs

The Northwest Showcase at Western Oregon University is one of the best showcase events in the entire West region, and is set to kick off June 6.   Hundreds of the areas top athletes are set to compete, and Prep Redzone will be on hand to cover all of the MVPs, top performances, breakouts scholarship offers and underrated developments.   To prepare for the event, I've gone over all of the running backs currently signed up from Oregon and Washington.   Here's a look at the top ball-carriers who will be attendance.   We hope to have breakdowns of many of these stars following the camp.   AJ McNully (Annie Wright, WA); 2028 — McNully showed flashes during his sophomore campaign, rushing for 140 yards on just 24 carries (5.8 yards per carry), reaching paydirt once during a 100-yard game.   As he continues to take on more of the role, he's going to be a player to watch.    AJ Perez (Crater, OR); 2028 — A talented wrestler and football player, Perez should have a breakout season this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='2213877' first='Andrew' last='Lucas'] (Archbishop Murphy, WA); 2027 —The versatile running back/defensive back missed significant time last year due to injury, but looked like an explosive weapon on offense whenever he was on the field.   This camp could be the springboard of a big next 8 months for the emerging two-way playmaker.    [player_tooltip player_id='2109808' first='Brock' last='Taylor'] (Wilsonville, OR); 2028 — Taylor didn't have the biggest sample size last fall, but he made it count.   The 5-foot-11, 190-pound (4.0 GPA) athlete averaged 17.1 yards per carry on 13 totes (222 yards) and also contributed 32 total tackles and 3.5 sacks on defense.   Look for Taylor to make a big leap this fall, as he's already put together impressive splash plays.   As his role expands, he could emerge as a major piece of the puzzle.    [player_tooltip player_id='2101289' first='Cody' last='Hall'] (Sheldon, OR); 2028 — In nine games last fall, Hall contributed all over the field.   He had 400 yards and 1 touchdown rushing with 310 yards and two scores receiving, plus 37 tackles on defense.   That offensive output earned him honorable mention all-conference honors as a sophomore.   Big things are expected of him in his junior campaign.    [player_tooltip player_id='937241' first='Cole' last='Hachmeister'] (Tualatin, OR); 2027 — One of the fastest players in the entire region, Hachmeister is a threat to score every time he touches the football.   The 5-foot-9, 175-pound athlete played in just five games but had 881 total yards on 87 touches with 9 touchdowns.   He should be one of the most dynamic players in the state this fall during a healthy season and compete for all-state honors.    His recruitment is beginning to take off as well, as he recently picked up a scholarship from Western Kentucky.    Crew Donner (South Umpqua, OR). 2028 — A two-sport athlete, Donner will compete against the region's best with a chance to make a big first impression on a massive stage.    Daniel Cooney-Jetty (South Eugene, OR); 2027 — A two-way standout and workout warrior, Cooney-Jetty is a 5-foot-9, 190-pound playmaker who plays much bigger and tougher than his listed size.    In five games, he rushed for 153 yards on 22 carries, but should have a breakout season after rushing for 122 yards and leading the team in tackles in a key game late in the season.    [player_tooltip player_id='936972' first='Elijah' last='Greenan Biggs'] (Scappoose, OR), 2027 — The first-team all-state selection will get a chance to show what he's made of against elite competition.   Last fall, he rushed for 1,121 yards and 22 touchdowns with an additional 155 yards and two scores receiving.   Gage Puckett (Chelan, WA); 2028 — A 5-foo-10, 180-pound athlete who plays stronger and bigger than his size, Puckett is a two-way standout who can do a little of everything.   He runs well between the tackles and, defensively, can both stop the run and cover a bit in space.    [player_tooltip player_id='2209869' first='Isaiah' last='Smith'] (Archbishop Murphy, WA); 2027 — One of the most productive backs in the state of Washington, Smith rushed for 1,318 yards and 21 touchdowns - with 14 coming in the postseason.    He also plucked four interceptions out of the air defensively.   Smith looks like a prospect who could be on the edge of some marquee offers, so this is a really big camp showing for him.   He needs to - and very well could - ball out!    [player_tooltip player_id='1476158' first='Jesse' last='Jones'] (McDaniel, OR); 2028 — The 5-foot-9, 175-pound emerging athlete had some bright spots during his sophomore campaign and has been working hard in some 7-on-7 action.   He'll have a chance to prove himself at Western Oregon.    [player_tooltip player_id='1615867' first='Kainoa' last='Brown'] (Mercer Island, WA); 2028 — Brown is emerging as a star at Mercer Island, and could end up as one of the best backs in program history.   A big breakout is coming this fall.    [player_tooltip player_id='2213886' first='Kalama' last='Roberson'] (Walla Walla, WA); 2028 —Roberson began to make his mark on the varsity roster last fall, rushing for 368 yards and three scores.   As he takes on more of the workload, he could emerge as a big-time back.    Karter Triana (Glencoe, OR); 2029 —A football/wrestler athlete, Triana has a chance to develop into another great Glencoe back.   The program has churned out 2,000-yard rushers in recent years, so any ball-carrier that takes the starting job over the next few years is worth monitoring.    Kenroy Brown (Skyview, WA); 2027 — The 5-foot-7, 185-pound back isn't the biggest, but he had a stellar junior campaign.   Brown was a first-team all-league selection and displayed solid vision and excellent contact balance for his size/frame.    [player_tooltip player_id='1219715' first='Kian' last='Krueger'] (Prairie, WA); 2028 — Krueger just picked up his first offer from Pacific Lutheran and will look to build on that in a camp setting.   The 5-foot-11, 185-pound running back is a workout warrior who is due for a breakout season this fall.   Last year he rushed for 481 yards, but averaged 9.3 yards per carry on his way to honorable mention all-league honors.   A much bigger year could be on the horizon.   Lennox Parkinson (West Seattle, WA); 2029 —The still-growing 5-foot-9, 150-pound back is hitting the camp circuit hard early in his career, hoping to get better and generate some early attention.   No place better to do that than the Northwest Showcase.    Logan Webber (Sherwood, OR); 2029 — A 5-foot-8, 155-pound ‘back out of Sherwood, Webber is still developing but hails from a program that has churned out great running backs in the past.   He's a player to watch.    [player_tooltip player_id='1591586' first='Luke' last='Ortner'] (Jesuit, OR); 2027 — A 2,000-yard rusher last fall, Ortner returns to Jesuit without his celebrated O-line.   What will he do for an encore?   His early senior season tape will be essential in his recruitment, as will be his best 40 time.   Ortner is a returning all-state running back with legit 6A Offensive Player of the Year potential, so he should have a big day.    [player_tooltip player_id='1750008' first='Mariano' last='Caminotti'] (Grant, OR); 2028 — The 5-foot-9, 195-pound running back/linebacker earned all-league honors last fall, and should build upon that with an even more impressive junior campaign.   Grant has produced some talented athletes in recent years, so Caminotti's development will be interesting to watch.    [player_tooltip player_id='1563740' first='Mason' last='Girt'] (Lakeridge, OR); 2029 — Lakeridge's 2029 class is a quality group, and Girt is a key part of that.   The dynamic playmaker is undersized, but could crack 11 seconds in the 100 by the end of his high school career.   He's one of the best young backs in the state of Oregon.    [player_tooltip player_id='2166834' first='Nathan' last='Schlack'] (Edmonds Woodway, WA); 2027 — Schlack just advanced to state in the 300 hurdles with a fourth-place showing at districts and is growing closer to breaking 11 seconds in the 100.   He's also a wrestler and football player, showing off his versatility.    [player_tooltip player_id='2166826' first='Randy' last='Reyes Jr.'] (Graham-Kapowsin, WA); 2027 — The 5-foot-9, 180-pound running back/outside linebacker also competes in track and field and plays with Ford Sports Performance in the offseason.   Reyes is coming off a RB MVP award at the Max Xposure Showcase, and should be due for a breakout.    [player_tooltip player_id='1125493' first='Reece' last='Ballew'] (Mountainside, OR); 2027 — Ballew showed flashes as a sophomore, but then missed his entire junior campaign with an injury.   That put his recruitment behind the 8-ball a little bit.   But what he's done since then has been sensational.   Ballew was the RB MVP at two different Prep Redzone Showcase events and ran a 10.76 100-meter time.    The speedster is ready to break out and show have a stellar camp circuit and senior season.   He's one of the more intriguing “little known” players at the event.    Reid de la Cruz (Westview, OR); 2028 —In limited snaps, Cruz rushed for 114 yards and three scores last year, but could take a big step forward this fall.   He's yet another young Oregon running back who could produce very soon.    Santiago Elizarraraz (David Douglas, OR); 2028 — A 5-foot-7, 170-pound multi-sport athlete, Elizarraraz is looking to put himself on the map with his first big camp setting.    [player_tooltip player_id='635258' first='Thor' last='Brody'] (Camas, WA); 2027 — The 5-foot-9, 182-pound back had a very solid showing at last year's Northwest Showcase, earning a bracelet as a standout and nearly winning the RB MVP of his session.   What did he do with the pads on?   Brody was an all-state and first-team all-league selection, rushing or 1,075 yards with an additional 277 yards receiving.    Brody is one of the better backs in the state of Washington and should have yet another quality NWS event.    Xeen Vue (Uniion, WA); 2029 — Vue had a solid showing at the Prep Redzone Exposure Series, impressing both with his athleticism and his play as a receiver in route-running situations.   It'll be interesting to see what he can do to build on that performance.   [player_tooltip player_id='1924374' first='Zuzi' last='Alwineyan'] (Willamette, OR): 2027 — Taksed with being the lead back last fall after an injury to their all-state-caliber starter, Zuzi proved he was more than up to the task.   He and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2127746' first='Jonny' last='Jenkins'] will make up one of the best 1-2 punches in the entire state.   While Alwineyan won't be a below back in high school, he has proven he can be a dynamic threat with the ball in his hands.   He just happens to play a program that has a ton of quality running back depth.

The Northwest Showcase at Western Oregon University is one of the best showcase events in the entire West region, and is set to kick off June 6.