Oregon class of 2029: Nemec’s standouts

Prep Redzone recently released its Oregon class of 2029 rankings, and we currently have a poll asking fans who will be the most impactful sophomore in the state this fall.   Having seen many of the 2029 guys in person during the camp season, Andrew Nemec wanted to provide his detailed thoughts on some of the top young prospects in the state.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/08/updated-oregon-2029-rankings-top-100-1-25/" data-type="link" data-id="https://prepredzone.com/2026/08/updated-oregon-2029-rankings-top-100-1-25/">Updated Oregon 2029 rankings: 1-25</a></li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/08/updated-oregon-2029-rankings-top-100-26-50/" data-type="link" data-id="https://prepredzone.com/2026/08/updated-oregon-2029-rankings-top-100-26-50/">Updated Oregon 2029 rankings: 26-50</a></li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="Which Oregon 2029 prospect will make the biggest impact?">Vote: Which Oregon 2029 prospect will make the biggest impact?</a></li> </ul>   Here's some notes on these top prospects:   DL [player_tooltip player_id='1705963' first='Ronan' last='Crawford'], West Linn —Having a dad who played in the NFL is certainly noteworthy, and being labeled as an athlete with the potential for a similar ceiling is eye-opening.   But what seemed like a potential future at offensive line is beginning to give way to the idea that Crawford could develop into a dominant defensive lineman.   After working with him directly, a coach messaged me to say that Crawford could be very special on the defensive side of the ball.   OL Cade Eillis, Silverton — I saw Ellis in person at The Northwest Showcase.   He's huge.    The 6-foot-7, 315-pound lineman still has some work to do in terms of growing into his body and becoming more coordinated and stronger, but the ceiling is obvious.   That frame is hard to find.    RB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='2079648' first='Easton' last='Grubb'], Tualatin — Grubb attended a Prep Redzone Exposure event and I picked him out almost immediately in drills.   It was the first time I'd seen him and I was immediately impressed.   When I pulled him aside and he mentioned he had more than 3,000 all-purpose yards and 40-plus touchdowns at Tualatin as a freshman he became a must-see guy.   Grubb would be the lead back for most 6A teams in the state this fall, but at Tualatin he'll have to share the workload with [player_tooltip player_id='1609595' first='Iden' last='Rule'] and [player_tooltip player_id='937241' first='Cole' last='Hachmeister'], two of the state's most dynamic playmakers.   As is, Grubb is one of the top 10 backs in the state - three of which play for the same high school team.   S [player_tooltip player_id='2090232' first='Amir' last='Harris'], Willamette — In our poll of “who will be the most impactful 2029 Oregon prospect?” I assumed Harris would be a top contender.   He was a standout as a freshman last year at Willamette, and may have reached another level this offseason.   Harris has all-state potential this fall and is a sure-fire FBS-caliber prospect.   He will be one of the best defensive backs in the state this fall - and he has two more seasons after this.   That's scary.    RB/ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1558034' first='Zane' last='Zellick'], West Linn — West Linn always has a talented class coming up, so when I was told the freshman team leaned on Zellick as a go-to playmaker it immediately generated interest.    The Lions re absolutely loaded, so it's tough to say exactly how Zellick will contribute this fall.   But he's going to be a star in the West Linn program sooner rather than later.   WR [player_tooltip player_id='1509111' first='Jagger' last='Salazar'], Lakeridge — A top-10 prospect in Oregon in the class of 2029, Salazar is coming back from injury.   But he still showed up at multiple events this summer and took in camp coaching and chatted with me and other evaluators, including national recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman.   Kudos to him for putting in the extra work.   I can't wait to see a healthy Salazar doing his thing in pads this fall.    RB [player_tooltip player_id='2127746' first='Jonny' last='Jenkins'], Willamette — Maybe there will be size concerns, maybe he'll continue to grow and there won't be.   What I know: Jenkins is going to be one of the best young running backs on the West Coast this fall.   The 5-foot-9, 185-pound playmaker is going to have a monster sophomore campaign.   I'm buying stock now, because I think he will be a player on the rise - and on a mission - this fall for a very talented Willamette squad.    QB [player_tooltip player_id='2079650' first='Cayde' last='Campbell'], Lakeridge — Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1752112' first='Carson' last='Pickens'] is likely to win the starting job at Lakeridge - and he's a good one - but Campbell has potential to be a big-time quarterback in his own right.   Expect the talented passer to make a splash whenever he steps on the field.   QB [player_tooltip player_id='1564852' first='Landon' last='Benner'], Nelson — Nelson is loaded today and in the future, but there's a lot of buzz surrounding Benner.   The 5-foot-10, 165-pound signal-caller has drawn a ton of positive buzz from folks who have seen him, including his older teammates, but it may take another year or so before he takes the reins.   There's some serious hype growing.    QB Kyler Leverts, Lake Oswego — Lake Oswego has been a quarterback factory in recent years, and it should be noted that Leverts is a 2029 signal-caller with some upside.   It will be interesting to see how the Lakers' quarterback position plays out in the coming years with the graduation of Hudson Kurland (Iowa State).    RB/SS [player_tooltip player_id='1563740' first='Mason' last='Girt'], Lakeridge — The 5-foot-8, 160-pound athlete needs to continue to grow and develop, but he was impressive this offseason and looks like he could be a varsity impact player this season.   ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1855541' first='Malakai' last='Belz'], Lakeridge — The 6-foot, 195-pound athlete racked up 12 sacks last season and looks like a future star.   The tight end/edge-rusher is one of the most intriguing young players in the state, and I can't wait to see how his production translates to the college level.   It's safe to say he's doing everything he can to hit the ground running this fall.   TE/LB [player_tooltip player_id='1720607' first='Colton' last='Potter'], Tualatin — Tualatin has a talented 2029 class, and despite a loaded varsity team some of them are pushing for early playing time.   Potter is working behind [player_tooltip player_id='1609596' first='Brady' last='Knips'] at TE2 and is also likely to factor in to the linebacker rotation.   Potter moved well at linebacker at The Northwest Showcase and drew a few match-ups against some of the region's best players.   Outside of the rare FBS senior vs. freshman mismatch, he more than held his own.   Potter is going to be a good player very soon.   OL/DL [player_tooltip player_id='2131782' first='Cooper' last='Chan'], Jesuit — Jesuit churns out “The Franchise” every year, and Chan looked solid at a Prep Redzone Exposure camp.   How quickly can he crack that group and contribute?    I'm excited to see this fall.    ATH [player_tooltip player_id='2131667' first='Rocco' last='Folino'], Thurston — Folino was an absolute monster at a Prep Redzone Exposure Series event.   He ran crisp routes to get easy separation and displayed strong hands with multiple catches in traffic during drills.   “Who is that kid? He's good!”   That was the reaction from one coach watching the receivers this summer.   I couldn't agree more.   Rocco is a baller!    QB [player_tooltip player_id='1705970' first='Quinn' last='Baker'], West Linn — [player_tooltip player_id='937233' first='Sloan' last='Baker'] is an Oregon 6A Offensive Player of the Year favorite, and Quinn, his younger brother, is already bigger.   Sloan has the more accurate arm and better mechanics right now, but Quinn is developing quickly.   In a loaded PRZ camp, Quinn was one of the top performers there and will be a problem in the Three Rivers League when Sloan graduates.   WR/ATH Marion Waker, McDaniel — McDaniel has an intriguing young core of athletes, and the 6-foot-5 Walker may be the best of the bunch.   It will be interesting to see if he can put up some numbers in the PIL this fall.    QB [player_tooltip player_id='2056041' first='Jude' last='Buck'], Cleveland — An honorable mention all-league performer as a freshman, Buck has been working with former Washington State star/QB trainer Alex Brink and his mechanics are coming together.   Buck still has three more years to continue to develop, but should push for first-team all-league honors this fall.    QB [player_tooltip player_id='2107842' first='Nick' last='Dillon'], Lincoln — Lincoln has a ton of quality athletes, and a three-way quarterback battle for the starting gig.   Dillon is a player to watch, and should get some opportunity whether he wins the job outright or not.   I like what I've seen and heard about the young passer, and it will be fascinating to see how his sophomore campaign shakes out.   Varsity reps may be there already.    WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='2131778' first='Hudson' last='Brooks'], Lakeridge — Lakeridge's sophomore class is loaded with prospects, but Brooks shouldn't be overlooked.   The talented two-way standout should provide variety production soon - and the ceiling is a college ballplayer.    DL Dawson Matos, Central Catholic — The interior defensive lineman played varsity at Central Catholic as a freshman.   It doesn't get much more impressive than that.   He's got a chance to develop into a big-time four-year contributor.

Prep Redzone recently released its Oregon class of 2029 rankings, and we currently have a poll asking fans who will be the most impactful sophomore in the state this fall.

Access all of Prep Redzone

Continue reading this article and more.

Oregon class of 2029: Nemec’s standouts

In this article:

Access all of Prep Redzone

Oregon State Beavers hosting massive Northwest recruiting weekend

Oregon 6A/5A Point Spreads + Predictions Week 3

5A Conference Players of the Week: Week 2

6A Conference Players of the Week: Week 2

Oregon 6A/5A Point Spreads + Predictions – Week 2