Northwest programs college coaches can’t miss (Part 1)

The high school football season is about to begin in the states of Oregon and Washington.   So, it's time to take a look at high school football programs that college football coaches should check out during the season.   This list is based, primarily, on class of 2026, 2027,2028 and 2029 prospects, but also takes into account the history of each program.   There is no particular order to the list.   Here's a list of high school college coaches should stop by in the coming months (Part 1 of 3):   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/northwest-programs-college-coaches-cant-miss-part-2/">Part 2</a> - West Linn, Bellevue, Eastside Catholic, Glacier Peak, Tualatin, O'Dea, Gonzaga Prep, Lincoln   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/northwest-programs-college-coaches-cant-miss-part-3/">Part 3</a> - Graham-Kapowsin, Puyallup, Lake Oswego, Lakeridge, Kennedy Catholic, Sumner, Rainier Beach   Archbishop Murphy Wildcats (Washington)   Class of 2026 tight end [player_tooltip player_id='987158' first='Jack' last='Sievers'] has seen his stock skyrocket in recent months, culminating in his commitment to Wisconsin over Oklahoma and others.   Athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1165392' first='Henry' last='Gabalis'] committed to Arizona over Cal and others.   Offensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id='987162' first='Hakeim' last='Smalls'] held double-digit offers before choosing Boise state.    Archbishop Murphy consistently puts out college football talent, and obviously this year is no exception.    Bethel Bison (Washington)   Class of 2021 athlete Will Latu was one of the best to ever come out of a program that consistently churns out college talent.   UCLA commit [player_tooltip player_id='1655930' first='Ramzak' last='Fruean'] is a talented linebacker and represents one of two big pulls for the school from the state, alongside [player_tooltip player_id='402788' first='David' last='Schwerzel'].   Class of 2026 tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1165354' first='Elijah' last='Muliufi'] is committed to San Diego State.   Expect more young prospects to emerge.    Willamette Wolverines (Oregon)   Willamette has quickly become a must-see stop for college coaches.   The Wolverines have a ton of transfers and appear to have established themselves as a go-to spot for Oregon Duck commits who transfer close to campus.    This year, that trend has netted them [player_tooltip player_id='739439' first='Tony' last='Cumberland'].   The 6-foot-5, 285-pound defensive lineman is a top-100 prospect nationally, and chose the Ducks over offers from Arizona State, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and others.    Class of 2027 linebacker Kawai Chaberlin looks like arguably the best defensive prospect in the state of Oregon next cycle.   The 6-foot-3, 217-pound ‘backer holds offers from Boise State, Nevada, Sacramento State and Washington State.    In the class of 2028, quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='904208' first='Zeke' last='Thomas'] has quickly established himself as one of the state's best.   He will be highly recruited.    Willamette is an up-and-coming program that seems to be the go-to spot for recruits looking to relocate close to Eugene.   So, the pipeline shouldn't stop flowing.    Camas Papermakers, Skyview Storn, Evergreen Plainsmen, Union Titans (Washington)   Generally speaking, it feels like Southwest Washington is criminally underrated.   Maybe it's because the big city nearest Vancouver is in another state, or maybe its because the Seattle-area schools get (and deserve) a lot of love.   But it seems like great athletes are constantly pouring out of the area.   Camas, for example, might provide the best game-day environment of any high school program in the entire Northwest.   Evergreen wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1248706' first='Terrance' last='Saryon'], a BYU commit, has drawn college coaches to campus of ate.   He chose the Cougars, but also held offers from Cal, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, Washington State and others.   Evergreen teammate and three-star athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1645194' first='Darren' last='Schmitt'] is committed to the Arizona Wildcats.    Class of 2028 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='984867' first='Jayden' last='Baum'] is a young player to watch, as he is rising quickly and already holds an offer.    Under legendary coach Steve Pyne, Union may quickly rise up the rankings, It's probably best to step into those hallways and meet with Pyne now.   It's a safe bet his program will be very good very soon.    Jesuit Crusaders (Oregon)   One of the true historic powerhouse programs in the state of Oregon, Jesuit has both high-end talent and depth seemingly every year.   The school has produced a handful of NFL players and countless college stars.   Class of 2026 athlete [player_tooltip player_id='770006' first='Joe' last='Stimpson'] is currently committed to Nevada, while 2026 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='770046' first='Quinn' last='Wicklow'] is gaining steam.   Athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1585693' first='Jack' last='Tuenge'] is committed to Harvard and had several options before choosing the Ivy League school, and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='777410' first='Roman' last='Mallard'] (2026) could be a lake breakout star.   It's simply a spot college coaches shouldn't miss.   Central Catholic Rams (Oregon)    For the past 15 years or so, no Oregon program has churned out more Division I football players - or All-American Bowl selections - than the Rams.   Central Catholic has won five state titles since 2013 - 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021 and 2023.   That rise came under now-departed coach Steve Pyne, who is at Union (Washington).    Still, the Rams are a perennial state title contender that are unlikely to slow down soon.   Running back Killian “K.K.” Sombe belongs firmly in the discussion with Lake Oswego's LaMarcus bell and Lakeridge's [player_tooltip player_id='284119' first='Ansu' last='Sanoe'] as the top back in the state.   Class of 2027 tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1187089' first='Seager' last='Milholen'] could develop into a bluechip prospect, and he already holds offers from Arizona, California, Idaho, Sacramento State, San Diego State and others.   Defensive lineman P.J. Tautu is young (2028), but holds offers from Oregon State and Portland State and looks like he could ascend into one of the best players in the state.    Class of 2026 linebacker Donnie Vercher could see his recruitment take a step forward this fall.    Don't sleep on the depth.   There are always talented small school athlete up and down the roster.

The high school football season is about to begin in the states of Oregon and Washington.