Oregon 2028 updated rankings: Discussing 1-10

Jordan Johnson and I recently released our updated class of 2028 rankings - with some significant changes.   The list features a hard-fought battle at No. 1, a quarterback with significant upside and several players who have added their first major offer since last season came to an end.   Without further ado, here are my thoughts on the top 10 players in Oregon in the class of 2028:   1. DE [player_tooltip player_id='1654734' first='PJ' last='Tautu'], Central Catholic — It seems strange that at the end of last season, Tautu had only an Oregon State and Portland State offer to his name.   After a stellar offseason training and improving his advanced numbers, the 6-foot-4, 265-pound has picked up scholarships from Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, BYU, Northwestern, Utah and Washington, establishing himself as a national recruit.    Tautu is flirting with four-star status on most recruiting sites, and we think he has the potential to get there if the numbers this fall reflect the progress we are seeing from him,   Tautu is a major Power 4 conference prospect who is still just scratching the surface of what he can be in high school and beyond.    2. TE [player_tooltip player_id='1613644' first='Presley' last='DeLance'], Lake Oswego — The fight for No. 1 was a serious battle for us.   In truth, I had DeLance at No. 1, but only by a hair.   Why?   Tautu is the more proven player at this point, but DeLance has incredible upside.   When you are updating rankings every few months, there's no issue waiting another few months to make sure the production matches the hype, and that's where we ultimately landed with the Lake Oswego star.   The 6-foot-4, 235-pound athlete had just nine catches for 235 yards and one touchdown last year, understandably quiet numbers given the senior-laden roster he was on.   But now, DeLance will be tasked with significantly upping those stats as a more featured part of the offense.   If, in fact, he makes the sizable production jump expected of him, DeLance could emerge as the No. 1 player for us by midseason.   If not, we still love the upside that comes from his blend of size and athleticism.   Either way you slice it, Tautu and DeLance are stellar Power 4 conference recruits with major upside at the collegiate level.    3. QB [player_tooltip player_id='904208' first='Zeke' last='Thomas'], Willamette (Boise State commit) — Thomas is not only the top quarterback in his class in Oregon, he's the top prospect at his position in the state regardless of class.   The 6-foot, 195-pound athletic signal-caller has been a dominant force for the Wolverines since his freshman year.   Last season, he accumulated 2,652 passing yards with 32 touchdowns and just eight interceptions (65.9 percent completion percentage) wit an additional 370 yards and three scores rushing.    At The Northwest Showcase, I got to see him in person for the first time in awhile.   The ball jumped out of his hand and he looks like he can make just about any throw you could ask of him in a college offense.    Equally informative, Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard spent some time with Thomas, who was donning a Boise State shirt, and the two threw passes back and forth.   Thomas loves the fit at Boise State, and that makes sense, but don't be surprised in Power 4 conference programs come after him.   Thomas should have a monster year, and will be among the favorites for Oregon 6A Offensive Player of the Year.    4. DE [player_tooltip player_id='2106040' first='Leofatu' last='Filipe'], Thurston — A big riser on our list - not in terms of number, but it terms of status - Filipe has firmly jumped up a full tier in his recruitment with big offers from Arizona, Boise State, Utah, Washington State and others.   The 6-foot-5, 230-pound athlete pops on film and carried that momentum into the offseason.   Few prospects in the Northwest have as much momentum right now as Filipe, who could be on the cusp of several more offers.   The football/basketball star is coordinator and athletic with a big frame and enough strength to be a disruptive force.   As he continues to add weight, he will be a dominant player at Thursday.   Filipe is poised for a monster junior campaign.   5. OT [player_tooltip player_id='1609771' first='Peter' last='Stanley'], Summit — An early offer from Cal set off alarm bells for everyone.   The 6-foot-4, 295-pound offensive lineman was very quickly marked as a Power 4 conference prospect.   But how would he hold up against top-tier competition?   At this year's Northwest Showcase, Stanley walked away with an OL MVP award, solidifying his stock as a must-see guy in the state of Oregon.   Since then, Stanley has added another offer from Washington State.   I fully expect him to pick up more offers along the way.   Stanley has impressed at every stop - camps, showcases, high school tape - so there's no reason to expect his progression to slow any time soon.   6. TE [player_tooltip player_id='1609596' first='Brady' last='Knips'], Tualatin — Every year there's at least one guy in the state of Oregon that has me feeling like I'm taking crazy pills.   Why is Player X not getting more love?   In the class of 2028 it's [player_tooltip player_id='1609596' first='Brady' last='Knips'], who has a ceiling that puts him in line to fight for the No. 1 spot if he can reach it.   The 6-foot-5, 215-pound football/basketball star has been on PRZ's radar for some time, and we already fully expected a top-10 ranking early in his career.   But at The Northwest Showcase, Knips nearly came away with the overall MVP award.   National recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman agreed Knips was deserving to be firmly in the mix and said he couldn't remember the last time he went to a camp where a tight end played well enough to earn an MVP award.   Knips was a match-up nightmare.   Defensive backs were too small to cover him and Knips showed the ability both high point the ball and use his strong hands to come up with difficult catches, including an acrobatic snag on the sideline in which he battled to get a foot inbounds before falling out of bounds.   Linebackers, on the other hand, couldn't deal with Knips' speed and twitch.   I'm a believer.   To me, Knips is a Power 4 conference-caliber prospect - even though he doesn't have an offer yet.   He's one of the best young tight ends I've seen come out of the state in the past few years.    7. RB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='1609595' first='Iden' last='Rule'], Tualatin — The 5-foot-11, 230-pound two-way standout is simply a monster on Friday nights.   Rule was the offensive MVP for Tualatin last year and makes up the best three-headed monster at running back that I can remember in recent Oregon history - Rule, senior [player_tooltip player_id='937241' first='Cole' last='Hachmeister'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2079648' first='Easton' last='Grubb'], who had over 3,000 all-purpose yards last year at the freshman level.    If Rule were a workhorse back, he could be an Oregon 6A Offensive Player of the Year favorite.   As is, he'll share the load and be fresh for most of his carries.   That's scary for the Three Rivers League - and beyond.   Last year, Rule carried the ball 103 times for 720 yards and eight touchdowns with 12 receptions for 220 yards and two scores receiving.   Expect the physical runner to average 7 yards per carry-plus again this season and for Tualatin to have one of the most dangerous rushing attacks we've seen in recent years, especially if the offensive line can come together.    8. TE [player_tooltip player_id='1609788' first='Knox' last='Smith'], Willamette — It's stunning to think Willamette was a 5A program before last year.   Not only are they fully locked and loaded for the 6A level, but they boast some of the best talent in the entire region.   Smith is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound prospect who plays a hybrid wide receiver/tight end role.   Very much like DeLance, there's a lot of hype coming off a stellar offseason, but we need to see it on Friday nights.   That's not a criticism - both are top-10 prospects - it's just a reality.   Last year, Smith hauled in 16 receptions for 173 yards and two touchdowns.   I expect him to more than double those numbers this fall.   Smith holds offers from Boise State and UNLV, but the bigger schools could come calling of the tape matches the offseason.   He's a really good player and the breakout is coming.   9. OL/DL [player_tooltip player_id='2233329' first='Kaison' last='Peau'], Central Catholic — Peau had a big offseason by earning a scholarship offer from Oregon State.   That offer alone marks him as a surefire FBS prospect and makes him a player to watch.   The versatile 6-foot-5, 260-pound two-way lineman is one of the best young linemen in the entire state of Oregon, and could be in for a monster year.   Both Peau brothers are really talented prospects, and should help anchor Central Catholic up front this all.    10. ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1425922' first='Tahkai' last='Smith'], Westview — Talk about a big offseason.   Smith earned an offer from Oregon State and earned an MVP award from the Portland State came.   Last fall, he was clearly a talented two-way player in the Metro League, earning second-team all-league honors as a receiver and contributing on defense.   But that resume didn't scream FBS prospect.   That clearly changed this offseason and he'll enter his junior year with sky-high expectations.   Smith is a high riser on this list, and like some of the other pass-catchers above him, will solidify his stock with a breakout fall.   Expect him to put up big numbers in the Metro League.

Jordan Johnson and I recently released our updated class of 2028 rankings - with some significant changes.