The News Tribune’s 2020 Western 100: The top high school football recruits in the West
The top 100 high school football recruits in the 2020 class from Alaska (0), Arizona (16), British Columbia (0), California (50), Colorado (5), Hawaii (7), Idaho (1), Montana (0), Nevada (4), New Mexico (2), Oregon (1), Utah (4), Washington (10) and Wyoming (0) as selected by The News Tribune after polling various media outlets.
QUARTERBACK (12)
Micah Bowens, 6-0/195, Las Vegas, Nev. (Bishop Gorman)
Signed to: Penn State
Jay Butterfield, 6-6/200, Brentwood, Calif. (Liberty)
Enrolled at: Oregon
Jayden de Laura, 6-1/190, Honolulu, Hawaii (St. Louis)
Signed to: Washington State
Jaden Casey, 6-1/185, Calabasas, Calif. (Calabasas)
Signed to: California
Luca Diamont, 6-3/185, Los Angeles, Calif. (Venice)
Enrolled at: Duke
Ethan Garbers, 6-3/195, Newport Beach, Calif. (Corona Del Mar)
Signed to: Washington
Shane Illingworth, 6-6/235, Norco, Calif. (Norco)
Signed to: Oklahoma State
Jack Miller, 6-4/210, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Chaparral)
Enrolled at: Ohio State
Chubba Purdy, 6-2/210, Gilbert, Ariz. (Perry)
Signed to: Florida State
C.J. Stroud, 6-2/195, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (Rancho Cucamonga)
Enrolled at: Ohio State
D.J. Uiagalelei, 6-4/245, Bellflower, Calif. (St. John Bosco)
Signed to: Clemson
Bryce Young, 5-11/185, Santa Ana, Calif. (Mater Dei)
Enrolled at: Alabama
Scouting report: It’s rare that the top two quarterback recruits in the country attend high school football just 25 miles apart, but that’s what this class has in Young and Uiagalelei. The two first-team USA Today All-Americans, and consensus top-five overall recruits, split in head-to-head meetings as seniors, and both passed for more than 400 yards in the CIF Southern Section championship. Uiagalelei won that battle, leading St. John Bosco to the title. Young, the top recruit in the country by 247Sports, later became the All-American Bowl MVP. Each had their pick of contending college programs, and their share of honors — Young was California’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior, and Uiagalelei won the award as a junior. How long has it been since California turned out a duo of this caliber? Think all the way back to Todd Marinovich (Mater Dei, Capistrano Valley) and Bret Johnson (El Toro) in 1987, the year Marinovich set what was then the national passing record (9,914 yards). … Ohio State continues to have a big surge in the West, this year landing a pair of passers in Stroud, the reigning Elite 11 MVP, and Miller. The Buckeyes were on Miller early, but couldn’t ignore Stroud’s quick ascent to a consensus top-three pocket passer in the nation. Both enrolled early. … In other years, Garbers would be the top recruit in the West, making him a steal for new coach Jimmy Lake’s Huskies. Garbers has an immediate chance to compete in a suddenly thin quarterbacks room, and a year to try to separate himself before in-state standout Sam Huard — who is on pace to break every career passing record in Washington high school football history — shows up. Pool Garbers in with Young, Uiagalelei and Stroud, and you’re looking at the deepest crop of quarterbacks in California since Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen made their way to rival Pac-12 schools in 2015.
RUNNING BACK (6)
Casey Filkins, 5-11/190, Lake Oswego, Ore. (Lake Oswego)
Signed to: Stanford
Darvon Hubbard, 6-0/195, Surprise, Ariz. (Willow Canyon)
Considering: Texas A&M, LSU, Purdue, San Diego State, TCU
Nathaniel Jones, 5-11/205, Bellflower, Calif. (St. John Bosco)
Considering: Arizona State, Colorado, Florida, Utah
Kendall Milton, 6-1/215, Clovis, Calif. (Buchanan)
Enrolled at: Georgia
Daniyel Ngata, 5-9/180, Folsom, Calif. (Folsom)
Enrolled at: Arizona State
Bijan Robinson, 6-0/200, Tucson, Ariz. (Salpointe Catholic)
Signed to: Texas
Scouting report: Much like in years past, a small group with one clear national headliner — Robinson. He might be the best running back to ever come out of Arizona after ending his high school career as the state’s all-time leader in career rushing yards (7,036) and total touchdowns (114). He rushed for more than 2,000 yards in each of his final three seasons, and impressed analysts with his pass-catching ability out of the backfield. An All-American Bowl participant and Arizona’s Gatorade Player of the Year, Robinson was easily the Longhorns’ biggest out-of-state recruiting win. … Milton and Ngata, the highest-rated backs out of California, are the only other two consensus top-50 rushers coming out of the West. Milton has NFL ties as the nephew of former All-Pro linebacker Kevin Hardy, and Ngata joins his cousin Brandon Aiyuk, an all-Pac-12 receiver last season, at Arizona State. … Filkins was the top player in Oregon in this class, the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, and wrapped up his high school career with state rushing records for yards (4,596) and touchdowns (81).
WIDE RECEIVER (16)
Gary Bryant Jr., 5-10/165, Corona, Calif. (Centennial)
Enrolled at: USC
Lavon “LV” Bunkley-Shelton, 6-0/180, Gardena, Calif. (Junipero Serra)
Signed to: Arizona State
Jermaine Burton, 6-0/190, Calabasas, Calif. (Calabasas)
Signed to: Georgia
Traeshon Holden, 6-3/195, Harbor City, Calif. (Narbonne)
Enrolled at: Alabama
John Humphreys, 6-5/205, Newport Beach, Calif. (Corona Del Mar)
Signed to: Stanford
Kris Hutson, 5-10/175, Bellflower, Calif. (St. John Bosco)
Signed to: Oregon
Josh Jackson, 6-0/180, Harbor City, Calif. (Narbonne)
Enrolled at: USC
Chad Johnson Jr., 6-2/190, Los Angeles, Calif. (Cathedral)
Signed to: Arizona State
Logan Loya, 5-11/185, Bellflower, Calif. (St. John Bosco)
Enrolled at: UCLA
Jalen McMillan, 6-2/180, Fresno, Calif. (San Joaquin Memorial)
Signed to: Washington
Rome Odunze, 6-3/205, Las Vegas, Nev. (Bishop Gorman)
Signed to: Washington
Gee Scott Jr., 6-2/205, Sammamish, Wash. (Eastside Catholic)
Signed to: Ohio State
Keyshawn Smith, 6-0/170, San Diego, Calif. (Lincoln)
Committed to: Miami
Matt Sykes, 6-3/205, Honolulu, Hawaii (St. Louis)
Signed to: UCLA
Johnny Wilson, 6-6/225, Calabasas, Calif. (Calabasas)
Signed to: Arizona State
Roman Wilson, 6-0/175, Honolulu, Hawaii (St. Louis)
Signed to: Michigan
Scouting report: The West had plenty to choose from in this class of pass catchers — big, physical bodies, speedy outside targets and shifty inside zig-zaggers. But, none of the major recruiting services seem to agree who the top dog is in this deep group of four-star recruits. 247 has Scott as the best receiver the West has to offer this year. Recently dubbed Washington’s top player by the site, the All-American Bowl participant stayed steady with the Buckeyes even after the hometown Huskies swooped in with a late offer. Rivals likes Bryant, another All-American Bowl participant who is smooth and speedy in the slot and outside. And ESPN favors the lengthy, physical Wilson, an Under Armour All-American, who flipped from Oregon to the Sun Devils in the early signing period. … Four high schools — Calabasas, Narbonne, St. John Bosco and St. Louis — have pass catching tandems on this list, and three of them will suddenly have significant distance between them. Johnny Wilson is just jumping the state border to head to Tempe, but Burton is SEC-bound. So is Holden, one of three four-star receivers joining Nick Saban’s squad, while Jackson is staying closer to home at USC. Hawaii product Sykes won’t travel too far to join UCLA, but Roman Wilson has a longer trek to Michigan and the Big Ten. Hutson and Loya are the only duo staying on the same coast, joining the Ducks and Bruins, respectively. … The Huskies are addressing one of their biggest positions of need here, and signing All-American Bowl participant McMillan and Odunze, Nevada’s Gatorade Player of the Year, are key recruiting wins. They’ll join last year’s big get — Puka Nacua — and build toward the future.
TIGHT END (6)
Connor O’Toole, 6-3/205, Albuquerque, N.M. (La Cueva)
Signed to: Utah
Mark Redman, 6-6/240, Newport Beach, Calif. (Corona Del Mar)
Signed to: Washington
D.J. Rogers, 6-3/230, Sammamish, Wash. (Eastside Catholic)
Signed to: Cal
Kole Taylor, 6-7/230, Grand Junction, Colo. (Central)
Signed to: LSU
Jack Yary, 6-6/250, Murrieta, Calif. (Murrieta Valley)
Committed to: USC
Ben Yurosek, 6-5/220, Bakersfield, Calif. (Bakersfield Christian)
Signed to: Stanford
Scouting report: Like last year, another small, but top-heavy class of athletic recruits. Flip a coin on who is the top tight end in the West between Redman, Rogers and Yary. Redman has proven pass-catching ability, hauling in 72 receptions for 979 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior from high school teammate Garbers, who Redman will join at Washington. Rogers was a premier pass-catcher for a loaded Eastside Catholic program, which won back-to-back Class 3A state titles his final two seasons, and might be the fast of this trio, but is working back from season-ending knee surgery. Yary has the pedigree — his father Ron is a Pro Football Hall of Famer following his years as an offensive tackle for the Vikings and Rams. The younger Yary committed to his father’s alma mater, USC, last spring, reopened his recruitment in November, and visited three other Pac-12 schools before renewing his pledge to the Trojans two days ahead of National Signing Day. … New Mexico sighting. Not often does the state have a recruit — in this year’s case two recruits — named to this list, but O’Toole, who had offers from schools in every Power Five conference, including one from reigning national champion LSU, is one to watch.
OFFENSIVE LINE (15)
Reece Atteberry, 6-5/280, Aurora, Colo. (Eaglecrest)
Signed to: Michigan
Tosh Baker, 6-7/270, Phoenix, Ariz. (Pinnacle)
Signed to: Notre Dame
Cade Bennett, 6-5/295, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Notre Dame Prep)
Signed to: Oklahoma State
Andrew Gentry, 6-8/310, Littleton, Colo. (Columbine)
Signed to: Virginia
Geirean Hatchett, 6-4/280, Ferndale, Wash. (Ferndale)
Signed to: Washington
Jaylan Jeffers, 6-6/260, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro)
Signed to: Oregon
Gaard Memmelaar, 6-4/300, Middleton, Idaho (Middleton)
Signed to: Washington
Drake Metcalf, 6-2/275, Bellflower, Calif. (St. John Bosco)
Signed to: Stanford
Solatoa Moea’i, 6-4/290, Honolulu, Hawaii (Punahou)
Signed to: Utah
Jonah Monheim, 6-5/280, Moorpark, Calif. (Moorpark)
Signed to: USC
Myles Murao, 6-2/310, Santa Ana, Calif. (Mater Dei)
Enrolled at: Washington
Noah Nelson, 6-8/295, Gilbert, Ariz. (Williams Field)
Signed to: Oklahoma
Jeffrey Persi, 6-7/265, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (JSerra Catholic)
Signed to: Michigan
Levi Rogers, 6-5/270, Woodinville, Wash. (Woodinville)
Signed to: Stanford
Roger Rosengarten, 6-5/260, Littleton, Colo. (Valor Christian)
Signed to: Washington
Scouting report: Consistent with most years, this is one of the deeper position groups in the West, but it’s an average class from a talent perspective, with tackles outperforming interior lineman. Baker, an All-American Bowl selection, is the headliner of the group, and was dubbed the top offensive lineman in Arizona following his senior season. The tall, long tackle is light on his feet — he also starts at center for a Pinnacle basketball team that has won back-to-back 6A championships. … The Huskies cleaned up in this group, signing four recruits in Hatchett, Memmelaar, Murao and Rosengarten — more than any other college program. Watch out for Rosengarten, Colorado’s premier tackle who was also an all-state pick on the defensive line. Murao, the country’s top recruit at center by 247, and Hatchett, the top interior lineman in the West by ESPN, along with Idaho’s top recruit in Memmelaar, give the Huskies needed depth after graduating Nick Harris and Trey Adams. … Stanford nabbed Levi Rogers, the top lineman in Washington, just three years after signing the state’s prized five-star lineman recruit Foster Sarrell out of Graham-Kapowsin. The Cardinal also scooped up Metcalf out of Southern California this year. Both he and Rogers played in the Polynesian Bowl.
DEFENSIVE LINE (12)
Maceal Afaese, 6-5/260, Kapolei, Hawaii (Kapolei)
Signed to: Oregon
Philip Blidi, 6-4/255, Portales, N.M. (Portales)
Committed to: Texas Tech
Xavier Carlton, 6-7/260, Draper, Utah (Juan Diego Catholic)
Signed to: Utah
Van Fillinger, 6-3/250, Draper, Utah (Corner Canyon)
Signed to: Utah
Jason Harris, 6-7/220, Gilbert, Ariz. (Higley)
Signed to: Colorado
Aidan Keanaaina, 6-3/290, Denver, Colo. (J.K. Mullen)
Signed to: Notre Dame
Lance Keneley, 6-5/250, Mission Viejo, Calif. (Mission Viejo)
Committed to: Stanford
Omarr Norman-Lott, 6-2/295, North Highlands, Calif. (Grant Union)
Signed to: Arizona State
Kobe Pepe, 6-1/295, Bellflower, Calif. (St. John Bosco)
Enrolled at: USC
Tobin Phillips, 6-3/295, Fresno, Calif. (San Joaquin Memorial)
Signed to: Stanford
Jamar Sekona, 6-2/305, Greenbrae, Calif. (Marin Catholic)
Signed to: USC
Tuli Tuipulotu, 6-3/265, Lawndale, Calif. (Lawndale)
Signed to: USC
Scouting report: Overall one of the weakest position groups in the West this year — particularly at defensive tackle. The defensive ends are stronger, and Utah grabbed the top two in the class in Carlton and Fillinger, who are both consensus top-50 defensive ends nationally. They’ll add to what many already consider the top defense in the Pac-12. … USC was the biggest winner in this group, keeping three at home in California by signing tackles Pepe and Sekona and Tuipulotu, who should factor in at strong side defensive end. Pepe pledged to the Trojans last summer, as did Northern California nose tackle Sekona, who starting playing football his freshman year of high school. Tuipulotu, whose stock shot up after a strong Polynesian Bowl showing, is the younger brother of current USC defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu, the top recruit out of Oregon in 2017.
LINEBACKER (11)
Jordan Banks, 6-1/230, Harbor City, Calif. (Narbonne)
Enrolled at: Arizona State
Jordan Botelho, 6-3/230, Honolulu, Hawaii (St. Louis)
Signed to: Notre Dame
Justin Flowe, 6-2/225, Upland, Calif. (Upland)
Signed to: Oregon
Nick Herbig, 6-2/215, Honolulu, Hawaii (St. Louis)
Enrolled at: Wisconsin
Jackson LaDuke, 6-3/220, Sparks, Nev. (Spanish Springs)
Signed to: Oregon
Caleb McCullough, 6-2/205, Oxnard, Calif. (Pacifica)
Enrolled at: Arizona State
Damian Sellers, 6-2/225, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro)
Signed to: UCLA
Noah Sewell, 6-2/265, Orem, Utah (Orem)
Enrolled at: Oregon
Sav’ell Smalls, 6-4/245, Burien, Wash. (Kennedy Catholic)
Signed to: Washington
Jonathan Vaughns, 6-2/215, Bellflower, Calif. (St. John Bosco)
Committed to: UCLA
Kourt Williams, 6-2/215, Bellflower, Calif. (St. John Bosco)
Signed to: Ohio State
Scouting report: This is one of the best showings the West has ever had at this position, both in terms of talent and depth. The Ducks won big here, signing two of the top inside linebackers in the country in All-American Bowl participants Flowe and Sewell during the early period. This one-two punch is considered the best in years. Flowe is a consensus top-10 inside linebacker, USA Today’s national defensive player of the year, and the Butkus Award winner for the nation’s top linebacker. Perhaps the best inside linebacker California has produced since Vontaze Burfict in 2009, Flowe had 123 tackles as a senior with 18 for losses and 10 sacks. Sewell is the top overall recruit in Utah, and a consensus top-15 inside linebacker nationally. He’s the younger brother of Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell, a unanimous first-team All-American in 2019. … Smalls was considered the top recruit out of Washington for most of his career, and despite a dip in his recruiting status as a senior, is still expected to be a dominant, physical contributor for the hometown Huskies. Smalls projects as a linebacker in college after tearing up opponents as a defensive end in high school. He circled back and chose UW over several heavy-hitting SEC offers months after publicly eliminating it from contention. … Botelho (Notre Dame) and Herbig (Wisconsin) were the top two recruits in a talented overall class from Hawaii this year, and both join respected college programs in the Midwest.
DEFENSIVE BACK (12)
Jacobe Covington, 6-1/195, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro)
Signed to: Washington
Darion Green-Warren, 6-0/185, Harbor City, Calif. (Narbonne)
Signed to: Michigan
Jared Greenfield, 6-0/180, Harbor City, Calif. (Narbonne)
Enrolled at: Oregon
Ayden Hector, 6-0/200, Sammamish, Wash. (Eastside Catholic)
Signed to: Stanford
John Humphrey, 6-2/175, Pasadena, Calif. (John Muir)
Enrolled at: UCLA
Brandon Jones, 5-10/165, Harbor City, Calif. (Narbonne)
Signed to: Stanford
Alphonse Oywak, 6-1/175, Kent, Wash. (Kentwood)
Committed to: Washington State
Clark Phillips III, 5-10/180, La Habra, Calif. (La Habra)
Enrolled at: Utah
Lathan Ransom, 6-0/195, Tucson, Ariz. (Salpointe Catholic)
Signed to: Ohio State
Kelee Ringo, 6-2/205, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro)
Signed to: Georgia
Nate Ritchie, 6-3/200, American Fork, Utah (Lone Peak)
Signed to: Utah
Semaj Verner, 6-2/185, Lakewood, Calif. (Mayfair)
Signed to: Boise State
Scouting report: An exciting, talented group buoyed by a deep class of cornerbacks, and none are more intriguing than Ringo, the top player in Arizona and consensus top non-quarterback prospect in the West. An All-American Bowl participant and five-star talent, Ringo started his high school football career at Tacoma’s Bellarmine Prep as a freshman. He was a speedy track athlete then — reaching the podium in both the 100-meter dash and 200 at the 4A meet as a ninth-grader — and evolved into one of the most coveted cornerbacks in the country. He had his pick of more than 30 top-tier schools before landing with the Bulldogs. … Phillips is the best corner out of California this year, and a consensus top-75 recruit nationally. He committed to Ohio State last summer before flipping to Utah on early signing day — which was also his 18th birthday. He becomes the highest-rated recruit in Utes history. … Narbonne sends three defensive backs to Power Five schools in Green-Warren (corner, Michigan), Greenfield (safety, Oregon) and Jones (corner, Stanford). Green-Warren was an All-American Bowl participant. … Hector was another product of Eastside Catholic’s loaded class of recruits, an All-American Bowl participant, and the Cardinal’s top defensive get. … Ohio State nabbed the top safety in the West in Ransom, another All-American Bowl pick.
ATHLETES (6)
Sam Adams II, 6-1/195, Sammamish, Wash. (Eastside Catholic)
Signed to: Washington
Elijhah Badger, 6-2/195, Sacramento, Calif. (Folsom)
Signed to: Arizona State
Ramon Henderson, 6-2/185, Bakersfield, Calif. (Liberty)
Signed to: Notre Dame
Jaden Navarrette, 6-3/235, Norco, Calif. (Norco)
Signed to: Oregon
Sawyer Racanelli, 6-2/210, Brush Prairie, Wash. (Hockinson)
Signed to: Washington
Darnell Washington, 6-7/260, Las Vegas, Nev. (Desert Pines)
Signed to: Georgia
Scouting report: Each of these players has a projected position from their chosen college programs — Adams a running back, Badger a wide receiver, Henderson a corner, Navarrette a linebacker, Racanelli a wide receiver, Washington a tight end — but all of them have flexibility. Washington is the leader of the group, a consensus top-30 recruit nationally, and the top recruit out of Nevada this year. He committed to the Bulldogs in front of a national audience at the Under Armour All-America Game, and could wind up at tight end or defensive end. … Badger is the No. 2 athlete in the West, and pledged to the Sun Devils at the same game Washington committed to Georgia. Badger logged 3,398 receiving yards and 52 receiving touchdowns in his career at Folsom. … The Huskies signed two interesting pieces in Adams and Racanelli, who both offer plenty of versatility. Adams, whose father played defensive tackle for Texas A&M and six NFL teams, could be the latest addition to UW’s running backs room. He could also be a valuable addition at safety, should Lake choose to swap Adams to defense. Racanelli looked like the best all-around football player in Washington from this class before an ACL tear derailed what would have been a record-breaking senior season last summer. Where he ends up for the Huskies could depend on how he comes back from the injury. He’s a sure-handed, bruising receiver, but has just as much potential as a hard-nosed linebacker.
SPECIALISTS (4)
Kicker Parker Lewis, 6-3/200, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro)
Enrolled at: USC
Punter Bryce Leighton, 6-3/180, Camas, Wash. (Camas)
Signed to: Montana State
Long snapper Jaden Green, 5-10/200, Mesa, Ariz. (Mesa)
Signed to: Washington
Long snapper Koby Hathcock, 5-10/190, Mesa, Ariz. (Desert Ridge)
Signed to: Iowa State
Scouting report: Lewis already has the leg to significantly impact Pac-12 games. His senior season at Saguaro, he had 82 touchbacks — yes, really — on 94 kickoffs. The accuracy is there, too — he connected on 76-of-77 PAT attempts, and was a perfect 5-of-5 on field goal tries, with a long of 48. Lewis is the top-rated place kicker in the West by 247 and Kohl’s Professional Camps. … Leighton is the top-ranked punter in the West by 247 and Kohl’s, which says he has the leg speed for 5.0 hang times, and had interest from Power Five schools like Washington State, but committed to the Bobcats last summer, and plans to study engineering in Bozeman. He was the first-ever Under Armour All-American for Washington’s reigning 4A state champs.
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 5:01 AM.
