Washington: Class of 2027 rankings risers

It's been nearly six months since we've updated the Washington class of 2027 rankings, so unsurprisingly there's been quite a bit of movement on the board.   Those rankings are soon to be updated, and will reflect those changes.    One player, giving football a try, catapulted to a multi-offer national recruit, while others simply solidified themselves as legitimate Division I prospects after showing early flashes as juniors.   Here's a look a the Washington players who are on the rise in the class of 2027:    Offense   OL [player_tooltip player_id='2100480' first='Rashaan' last='Lavata'i'], Curtis — The 6-foot-7, 280-pound offensive lineman was already a top-20 player in the state of Washington, but made a big leap with his recent performance.   Lavata'i picked up offers from Arizona, Cal, Washington and others before ultimately choosing the Washington State Cougars.   That commitment marks one of the biggest in-state wins for the Cougs in recent history, as Lavata'i projects as a player who could play early in Pullman.   Wazzu got a great one, and a player who should see himself higher on the board than his previous mark (15).   [player_tooltip player_id='685276' first='Sirjewel' last='Glover'] — The 6-foot-1, 180-pound two-way athlete was originally just inside our top-30, but he was definitely earmarked as a player we wanted to keep close tabs on.   The size, athleticism and speed seemed to all be there for a breakout.   Glover has delivered.   He's run a 4.42 40 and picked up Big Sky and Pac-12 offers.   Like Lavata'i he elected to stay in-state and committed to the Cougs.   It was yet another big win on the recruiting trail for a Kirby Moore-led program that is doing some things really well behind the scenes.   It may take time for Wazzu to stabilize, but I love the pieces they are putting together within their own border.   OL [player_tooltip player_id='1599614' first='Ben' last='Rainwater'], Inglemoor — The 6-foot-6, 295-pound offensive lineman had the frame.   The question, at least at first, was the production.   After completing a stellar first-team all-league season at offensive tackle, Rainwater picked up offers from Arizona, Kansas State, Utah and others.   It immediately marked him as a Power 4 conference prospect and showed what you could see on his junior season tape - Rainwater had turned the corner and arrived.   After a competitive battle for is services, Rainwater committed to the Boise State Broncos, where he has a chance to play early and develop into a multi-year starter.    OL [player_tooltip player_id='2065191' first='JayLinn' last='Haywood'], Kennedy Catholic — A top-50 prospect as an interior lineman, Haywood attended The Northwest Showcase as one of my personal “let's see what he's got against good completion” players.   The 6-foot-3, 306-pound lineman was just only excellent, he earned an overall session MVP award, immediately pushing him up my personal board.   Of note, he also earned the top mark at the Max Xposure Camp with a score of 85.2, nearly a full point higher than the next man on the list (who is also a breakout player for us).     Haywood was exceptional in camp settings and will almost certainly be a steal for whichever program is able to bring him in.   Junior Leapai, Auburn — The 6-foot-3, 320-pound interior lineman sat outside our top-50 in the initial rankings, but we just wanted to see more from the talented mauler.   He picked up an offer from Colorado State in January and has since had a quiet recruitment.    The first few games of senior tape will tell us all a lot about his progression, but he's been tabbed as a Division I prospect thanks to the Rams.   That alone is worthy of a small step up in the rankings.    [player_tooltip player_id='1916941' first='Aidan' last='Muilenburg'], Puyallup — The former Peninsula star saw his junior season come to an end early (injury), which left us wondering where he'd fit in the pecking order.   But after seeing him in person, he's all of 6-foot-6, 220 pounds and earned an MVP award at the tight end spot at The Northwest Showcase.   I'm really high on Muilenburg and think that he might reach a whole new level in his new home.   He's one of my big players to watch for an early jump during his senior campaign, having already proven he deserves a move up.   Could he do it again in the coming weeks?    Defense   DL [player_tooltip player_id='2101393' first='Achilles' last='Reyna'], Rainier Beach — When we last updated the rankings, Reyna was a basketball player who had only just begun playing the game of football.   It was clearly worthwhile to mention him as a prospect to watch, but he sat outside the top-100 because he was a complete and utter unknown.   At the time, we discussed that a big rise - or fall - would come based on what we saw the rest of the way.   Well, it turns out the 6-foot-8, 250-pound two-sport star has a higher ceiling in football.   Reyna quickly went from raw unknown to physical force at the high school level and college football programs took note.   He picked up offers from Arizona, Boise State, Fresno State, LSU, Oregon, Washington and many others before choosing the Ducks.   He is now part of a top-3 recruiting class nationally.   The ceiling, as we stated when he first put on a helmet, is sky high.   But the new reality is that now that we've seen him, the floor is a whole lot higher than anyone initially anticipated.   He's been the biggest riser anywhere on the West Coast, and perhaps even nationally.    DE [player_tooltip player_id='1555731' first='Jason' last='Armbruster'], Mount Si — The 6-foot-3 1/2, 240-pound edge-rusher was a menace during his junior campaign, earning KingCo 4A first-team honors.   After a strong spring - with solid numbers on the track and big gains in the weight room - he committed to the Montana Grizzlies.   There are some intriguing “gets” for Montana in its 2027 class, and Armbruster has a chance to be a steal for them.    DE/TE [player_tooltip player_id='1691682' first='Jack' last='Fournier'], Camas — Now at Camas, Fournier was one of “must-see” guys at The Northwest Showcase, as we had heard he had made major strides.   The 6-foot-4, 240-pound edge was a standout at the camp and drew heavy praise for coaches and evaluators alike.   That alone is enough to earn a spot on this list, but the transfer should spell big things.   Fournier was a 9-sack guy for an 0-9 Mountain View club.   He now heads to Camas to be part of a program that should compete every Friday night.   Fournier should flourish with the boost of talent around him, and we expect a double-digit sack season from him.    [player_tooltip player_id='1792192' first='Raymond' last='Preston Lagat'], Graham-Kapowsin — This is as good a spot as any to highlight the fact that Portland State has done a remarkable job re-connecting to the region and getting quality football players.   Both Lagat and Lake Oswego (Ore.) WR/TE Jasiah Agnimel represent steals for them that they wouldn't traditionally get.   Lagat has been a breakout star over the past nine months and will almost certainly jump several dozen spots in the updated rankings.   The 6-foot-2, 185-pound athlete has proven to be a versatile defender with Division I upside.    Nate Obasanjo, Mt. Rainier — A versatile 6-foot-1, 210-pound defensive weapon, Obansanjo had to prove he wasn't caught between being too small to play linebacker and too low to play defensive back.   Alter running a 11.1 100 and simply looking the part every time he stepped on the field - regardless of position - he put those concerns to bed.   Obasanjo is one of our favorite “Swiss Army knife”-type defensive players in the Northwest, as he has proven he can be a plus-asset at multiple things for a defense.   That versatility makes him extra valuable at the next level.   Obasanjo is committed to Washington State, where he'll have a chance to flourish under Trent Bray, a creative/aggressive defensive coordinator.    [player_tooltip player_id='1743631' first='Jack' last='Christiansen'], Ferris — Mostly an unknown when Jordan Johnson banged the table for him last recruiting rankings, Christiansen has again proven JJ was ahead f the curve.   The 6-foot-4, 230-pound three-sport star has picked up a handful of small college offers and could still add yet another layer to his recruitment with a strong early senior showing.   Christiansen is clearly going to move up from outside the top-150 in the incoming update.

It's been nearly six months since we've updated the Washington class of 2027 rankings, so unsurprisingly there's been quite a bit of movement on the board.