The News Tribune’s 2024 class of Northwest Nuggets — the region’s top football recruits
The News Tribune’s annual presentation of the Northwest Nuggets features the top high school football recruits from the region, who are projected to make big impacts in college and perhaps eventually the NFL.
The 37th class includes seven seniors from Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Six signed their National Letters of Intent during the early signing period in December, while Burley (Idaho) wide receiver Gatlin Bair, the top recruit in this year’s class, committed to Oregon on Saturday.
The TNT has been producing Northwest Nuggets — the longest-running recruiting package on the West Coast — since 1988. Including the 2024 class, 397 players have been honored, including 257 from Washington, 105 from Oregon, 29 from Idaho, five from Alaska and one from British Columbia.
THE NEWS TRIBUNE’S 2024 CLASS OF NORTHWEST NUGGETS
ISENDRE AHFUA
O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)
Offensive lineman, 6-4, 285
Signed to: Texas A&M
A consensus four-star recruit and a key blocker on O’Dea’s offensive line throughout his four high school seasons, Ahfua was a leader for an O’Dea program that consistently produces one of the top rushing attacks in the state. O’Dea reached the 3A state playoffs each of the past three seasons, including reaching the semifinals each of Ahfua’s final two high school seasons. As a senior last fall, the 3A Metro League Mountain co-offensive lineman of the year, who was also a TNT all-state selection, played tackle for an offense that averaged more than 40 points per game, and kept opposing defenses out of the backfield. “His biggest thing is his athleticism,” O’Dea coach Monte Kohler said. “He’s a good football player. At 6-5, 300 pounds, he runs like he’s 6-foot, 180. He just has great feet, great athleticism.” Ahfua lined up at both guard and tackle on offense — he also played defensive tackle — during his career at O’Dea, and appears set to join Texas A&M as an interior lineman. “He’s our inside guy, a big road-grading guard that can really get underneath people and move people,” Aggies coach Mike Elko said of Ahfua during his signing day press conference in December. Ahfua is considered Washington’s top recruit in the 2024 class by both Rivals and ESPN, and the No. 2 recruit by 247Sports. He is nationally ranked on the Top247 (No. 179), Rivals250 (No. 160) and ESPN300 (No. 150) recruiting lists in this class, and was both an All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl selection this winter. He collected 22 offers from FBS programs before signing with Texas A&M in December.
What 247Sports National Recruiting Editor Brandon Huffman says: “He was a guy when he started high school, he was 330 (pounds). He played at 270 this year. He redefined his body, looked more agile, athletic. I think he needs to get stronger. He probably will need a redshirt year. Seeing him dramatically alter his body was an encouraging sign that he’s taking it seriously.”
GATLIN BAIR
Burley (Burley, Idaho)
Wide receiver, 6-1, 195
Committed to: Oregon
There’s fast and there’s freaky fast. Bair falls into the latter category. Just how fast is the Idaho wide receiver? He set a state record in the 100-meters in track last spring, clocking in at 10.15 seconds. “He’s the fastest football player in the country,” said Burley coach Cameron Anderson. “But for me, it’s really just his creativity in space and true abilities as a wide receiver. It’s what made him highly recruitable.” Bair has good genes in the speed department. His parents were both track athletes at Utah State. His two older brothers run track at Mississippi State and Arkansas. His younger sister, a high school freshman, is already a track star (so much, in fact, that Anderson has tried recruiting her to play football). Bair has seen every coverage imaginable designed with the sole purpose of slowing him down. He takes screenshots from film of every defensive coverage opposing coaches deployed against him this season. “There’s some wild ones,” Anderson said. Like a quadruple coverage, with two defenders pressing Bair, a linebacker inside and a safety over the top. Bair split the double team, turned on the gas on a post route and scored a touchdown on the play. Bair, considered a five-star recruit by 247Sports and a four-star composite recruit, is a composite top-50 recruit nationally. Limited with injuries his senior season, Bair tallied 832 yards and 10 touchdowns on 52 receptions and added 148 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries for Burley last fall. He also had two return touchdowns. He plans to take a two-year Mormon mission before attending college. Bair, who holds 27 offers, committed to Oregon on Saturday.
Huffman: “Unicorn. There’s no other way to describe him. I know you shouldn’t be that adamant, but he’s the first five-star from Idaho. I don’t know if we’ll ever see a guy like that again from that state, and him being a small-town Idaho guy makes it even more insane. He’s fast but he has developed as a route runner. He’s a complete football player. He will sign, but won’t enroll until 2026. Where he signs and where he ends up could be vastly different things. The landscape could change in two years.”
JASON BROWN JR.
O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)
Running back, 5-10, 205
Signed to: Arizona State
Brown completed his sensational high school career as both O’Dea’s all-time leading rusher and one of the top rushers in state history. During his four seasons with the Fighting Irish, Brown piled up 6,425 yards and 92 touchdowns and, as a senior last fall, the 3A Metro League Mountain offensive MVP and TNT state player of the year collected 1,897 yards and 34 scores on 159 carries. “He’s powerful, he’s fast, he’s smart,” O’Dea coach Monte Kohler said. “I think Jason is just a great competitor. He’s tough and he wants to win. I think what really jumps off the scale on him is how competitive and how physically tough he is. He just is a physically tough football player.” Which he showcased week after week at the center of a relentless rushing attack that led O’Dea to a third consecutive appearance in the 3A state playoffs in November, and second consecutive trip to the semifinals. Brown now heads to the FBS level as the career leader at O’Dea in both rushing yards and touchdowns, having passed the previous school records set by former Northwest Nuggets selection Myles Gaskin, now a tailback in the NFL, in 2014. Only former Timberline star running back Jonathan Stewart (7,755 yards), who played 11 seasons in the NFL, and Connell’s Matt Hadley (6,881 yards) rushed for more yards in their high school careers in Washington than Brown. And, as consistent as he has been the past four seasons as an elite rusher, Brown — the top-ranked recruit in Arizona State’s high school signing class in 2024 per 247Sports — can impact the game through the air, too. “He was real excited about the opportunity that they’re going to use him in the passing game,” Kohler said. “He’s got great hands. He runs great routes. ... I think his versatility as an athlete will just play out well.” Brown, who piled up 23 offers before signing with the Sun Devils in December, is a consensus four-star recruit and considered the No. 3 recruit in Washington in 2024 by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN. He is also nationally ranked on the ESPN300 recruiting list (No. 281) and was an All-American Bowl selection this winter.
Huffman: “Jason Brown has been the most productive player in this class from beginning to the end of his high school career. Complete back, can run, catch the ball. Considering the running back history of O’Dea, what he has done has been pretty impressive. Two Northwest schools that kind of slow-played him will regret not recruiting him as hard as they could have. I think Arizona State got a steal.”
FOX CRADER
Evergreen (Vancouver, Wash.)
Offensive lineman, 6-6, 285
Signed to: Oregon
Evergreen coach Christian Swain remembers a 5-on-5 tournament early in Crader’s career that was played without helmets. Crader came back with a bloodied face, cut, bruised and swollen. While Crader learned how to better protect his head over the course of his high school career, Swain’s biggest takeaway from that day: Crader isn’t one to back down from a challenge. “His face is just busted up,” Swain said, laughing. “He wanted to keep going. It just showed everyone there how tough he was. And he’s not afraid to lose. He’ll go 1-on-1 with somebody. He wants somebody to beat him so he can learn from it. He really wants to go to work against the best kids and learn from them.” Crader became one of the best in his high school career, complementing his raw talent and 6-foot-6, 285-pound frame with refined technique at left tackle. He may owe Swain a steak dinner if he makes it to the NFL one day, too. Coming into high school with raw athletic tools and a basketball background, Crader wanted to play tight end before Swain convinced him to move to the offensive line. “He kind of looked at me crazy, but he listened. He continued to get taller, bigger. He’s got great feet, can dunk the basketball with ease, he’s explosive, can get off the ground.” Considered a four-star recruit and the No. 3 player in the 2024 class in Washington by 247sports.com, Crader signed with Oregon during the NCAA’s early signing period, sticking with the Ducks despite late interest from other programs. “I think (Oregon) likes him at left tackle because of his athleticism,” Swain said. “He’s really, really good at pass protection. But he’s athletic enough and big enough to play anywhere. … He’s elite in pass protection. He’s super twitchy, does a great job there. I think he’s continuing to get stronger in run game stuff, being able to drive people off the ball. His mobility really sets him apart.”
Huffman: “A kid that I think his best football will be ahead of him. Raw, good athlete, basketball background, really turned it on junior and senior years. Optimal length. Oregon got his commitment early with the old offensive line coach and then the Ducks held onto him when all these national programs came in.”
JAYDEN FORTIER
Tualatin (Tualatin, Ore.)
Tight end, 6-5, 220
Signed to: Arizona State
The top recruit in Oregon in the 2024 class per 247Sports, Fortier was an impact player everywhere on the field for Tualatin, which reached the 6A state title game last fall. He played three different receiver positions for the Timberwolves on the way to posting 1,140 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 60 catches. “His ball skills are elite,” Tualatin coach Dominic Ferraro. “I mean, they are like top-level, probably the best I’ve ever seen. He just catches everything that comes his way. … His route running is pretty impressive too. I think that kind of got better this year with his his speed development.” Lining up in the backfield? Fortier excelled there, too, in the Wildcat quarterback position, and added 271 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing in 2023. “Anytime it was fourth-and-1, third-and-short, whatever, and we needed a yard, we usually went to that package,” Ferraro said. “And he would get it every single time.” Linebacker? Safety? Fortier was also a playmaker for Tualatin on defense. He was the 6A Three Rivers League co-defensive player of the year as a senior, and a first-team receiver and linebacker. “He’s a very, very astute kid when it comes to the game, which I think will serve him well in his future years,” Ferraro said. Fortier, who is recovering from an ACL injury, is set to join Arizona State as a tight end, and continue to impact the game in multiple ways, both as a blocker and pass catcher for the Sun Devils. “I think they see him as one of those type of tight ends that can kind of do both,” Ferraro said. Fortier was named Oregon’s state player of the year by The Oregonian/OregonLive as a senior. He is considered a four-star tight end and the top recruit in Oregon in the 2024 class by 247Sports, and the No. 4 recruit in the state by ESPN. He collected 12 offers from Division I programs before signing with the Sun Devils in December.
Huffman: “Steal for Arizona State. He started to blow up down the stretch. ASU was the first school to prioritize him, he stuck with them out of loyalty. He missed his freshman and sophomore years with a broken leg. Flourished as pass catcher his junior year. He had 330 yards in a state semifinal game, he was a starter on the state basketball team. He came off the mat from injury the first two years to become the best player in the state.”
HOGAN HANSEN
Bellevue (Bellevue, Wash.)
Tight end, 6-6, 220
Enrolled at: Michigan
One thing’s certain: when it comes to the blocking responsibilities of playing tight end in college, Hansen should be ahead of most of his peers. Playing in Bellevue’s Wing-T system, Hansen’s pass catching opportunities were limited, but he excelled with whatever he was asked to do, including starring on the Washington 3A state champion Wolverines’ defensive line. A TNT all-state selection, Hansen hauled in 10 catches for 215 yards and four TDs, added eight carries for 111 yards and two scores and blocked for a Wolverines’ offense that averaged 403.5 total yards per game. Defensively, added 39.5 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and two fumble recoveries. “His selflessness was really incredible,” said Bellevue coach Michael Kneip. “Think about playing tight end in our offense, especially when you’re an incredible athlete that can run, catch — to be primarily used as a blocker and an amazing contributor on defense was a huge testimony to himself and his personality and the way he looked at the team.” That team-first attitude showed up all the time, like when Hansen would shuttle as many teammates as possible in the family’s minivan to workouts or practices. Considered a four-star recruit and the No. 4 player in the 2024 class in Washington by 247sports, Hansen is currently enrolled at Michigan, after signing with the Wolverines during the NCAA’s early signing period. Could he be the next Colston Loveland for the reigning national champions? He brings similarly intriguing tools to the field. “He’s super athletic and long,” Kneip said. “He was such a great basketball player. Going up, jumping, high-pointing is a skill that he has that is under-showcased but it’s there. … Just how well he moves. … There’s not too many guys who are 6-5 that can get out of stance as well as he does, play so many positions. … He’s very good. He’s sneakily fast.”
Huffman: “With Hogan, he had a better (high school) career as a defensive player because tight end is essentially a sixth offensive lineman in the Wing-T. As a defensive end, he flashed. His best football will be played in college when he’s utilized in a role that his position is best used for.”
BRAYDEN PLATT
Yelm (Yelm, Wash.)
Linebacker, 6-1, 220
Signed to: Oregon
Platt comes from an athletic football, wrestling and track family in Yelm. He made his presence felt as a bruising running back for the Tornados and on defense, as an old-school, nasty linebacker with sideline-to-sideline speed. “His instincts, his ability to diagnose plays is second to none,” Yelm coach Jason Ronquillo told The News Tribune ahead of Yelm’s second Washington state Class 3A championship game appearance last fall. “When you diagnose plays as fast as he does and you play at the speed that he does, that’s why he’s such a rare athlete.” Platt, a TNT All-Area and all-state first-team selection, piled up 122 carries for 1,328 yards and 23 TDs at running back and added 99 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and an interception at linebacker for Yelm. He helped deliver Yelm’s first state title in 2022, his junior season. “His combination of size and speed is not normal,” said Yelm offensive coordinator Bryan Irion. Considered a four-star recruit and the No. 1 rated player in the state in the 2024 class by 247Sports, Platt is enrolling early at Oregon after signing with the Ducks during the NCAA’s early signing period. He chose Oregon over 19 other offers, including much of the west coast, Oklahoma, Michigan and others. Platt, who won the 3A state shot put title last spring, also plans to compete on Oregon’s track and field team, with a dream of one day playing in both the NFL and throwing in the Olympics.
Huffman: “Best pure football player in the Northwest. He can be a running back, obviously he’s a linebacker. He’s a physical, old-school throwback type of player. Oregon having track town USA certainly helped play a role in landing him with the Ducks. They’ve got a history of two-sport players there.”
BEST OF THE REST
OL Devin Brooks, Clackamas (Clackamas, Ore.)
Signed to: Oregon
QB EJ Caminong, Garfield (Seattle, Wash.)
Signed to: California
ATH Rahshawn Clark, Garfield (Seattle, Wash.)
Considering: 14 offers
WR Malachi Durant, Graham-Kapowsin (Graham, Wash.)
Committed to: Oregon State
OL Rakeem Johnson, Bishop Kelly (Boise, Idaho)
Signed to: Michigan State
DB Kyan McDonald, O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)
Considering: 14 offers
TE Joey Olsen, Lakeridge (Lake Oswego, Ore.)
Signed to: USC
LB Isaiah Patterson, Yelm (Yelm, Wash.)
Signed to: UCLA
ATH Kayo Patu, Roosevelt (Seattle, Wash.)
Signed to: Washington State
TE AJ Pugliano, North Medford (Medford, Ore.)
Signed to: Oregon
OL Payton Stewart, Kelso (Kelso, Wash.)
Signed to: Michigan State
OL Marquise Thorpe-Taylor, Mount Tahoma (Tacoma, Wash.)
Signed to: UCLA
This story was originally published February 5, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
