The News Tribune’s 2026 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 39th class includes eight seniors from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. All eight have signed with Power-4 programs, and three enrolled early at the University of Utah and University of Oregon.
The TNT has been producing Northwest Nuggets — the longest-running recruiting package on the West Coast — since 1988. Including the 2026 class, 410 players have been honored, including 264 from Washington, 109 from Oregon, 31 from Idaho, five from Alaska and one from British Columbia.
THE NEWS TRIBUNE’S 2026 CLASS OF NORTHWEST NUGGETS
LaMarcus Bell
Lake Oswego (Lake Oswego, Ore.)
Running back, 5-11, 190
Enrolled at: Utah
Bell has built an undeniable resume over the years, a two-time Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year and defending 6A state champion from Lake Oswego. The catch? Bell won’t turn 18 until July, already enrolled at the University of Utah for January programs and spring ball. Scouts say the three-star recruit does everything well, an all-around feature back with a next-level blend of power and balance. “He’s an extremely hard-working kid,” Lake Oswego head coach Steve Coury said. “And I think to get to the level that he is, and for kids that get to that level, I think the work ethic is something that you have to have. If you don’t have it, in my experience, you just don’t find it all of a sudden. He’s got that part of it.” Bell only needed 137 carries to amass 1,603 rushing yards (11.7 YPC) and 25 touchdowns as a senior, equally valuable as a pass-catcher and in pass protection. “He’s very physical and explosive at the point of attack, which I think, again, will only get better because of his youth,” Coury said. “He’s gonna get bigger and stronger, but he’s very powerful, and he’s got a great change of direction with that power. And so I look at him as a fluid, but a powerful back.” Bell is considered Oregon’s No. 2 recruit in the 2026 class, per 247Sports.
What 247Sports National Recruiting Editor Brandon Huffman says: “I love this kid. … This year, there was no denying (Lake Oswego’s state championship). He was the main reason for that. He was ridiculously productive. The opening game of his junior season, I think they played South Medford, the first two times he touched the ball he gained like 80 yards. My big question was speed, then he ran a 10.8 in the spring. He catches the ball well out of the backfield. He runs like a workhorse back.”
Derek Colman-Brusa
Kennedy Catholic (Burien, Wash.)
Edge, 6-5, 267
Signed to: Washington
The No. 1 player in the state of Washington, Colman-Brusa was coveted by major programs across the country, including UW, Ohio State, Oregon, BYU, USC and others. It’s easy to see why: at 6-foot-5, 267 pounds, Colman-Brusa’s blend of size, strength, quickness and athleticism made him a matchup nightmare for opposing offensive linemen. There were times when Colman-Brusa — who is also a wrestler at Kennedy Catholic — would lift an opponent into the air and toss them to the turf as if he was discarding a crumpled up piece of paper into a garbage can. “It’s his first two steps,” Kennedy Catholic coach Pat Jones said. “Once the ball is snapped, his get-off (is fast).” For all the accolades and recruiting attention — and the undeniable measurables — Jones said Colman-Brusa’s mental acuity, humility and work ethic are what set him apart. Even during wrestling season, Colman-Brusa showed up every day for early-morning weight lift sessions before school. “His willingness to learn, remain humble, do the work and not get caught up in the hype, he’s kind of a throwback, old school. He’s been brought up the right way by his parents,” Jones said. Considered a four-star recruit by 247sports.com and the No. 1 ranked player in the state of Washington in the 2026 class, Colman-Brusa racked up 50 tackles, including 19 tackles for loss with eight sacks and two blocked kicks in 2025. Three-time TNT All-Area selection and two-time 4A North Puget Sound League player of the year is a Washington signee, where he’ll reunite with his older brother, Lowen, an offensive lineman with the Huskies.
Huffman: “He’s been the No. 1 defensive player in the Northwest since the first rankings came out. … He did nothing to ever sway from that, it was never a roller coaster. He may have been the most consistent player, from when he got his first offers in eighth grade from UW and WSU. (Former Kennedy Catholic coach, current University of Idaho assistant Sheldon Cross) said then that he’d be the next great Kennedy Catholic player. He was always playing on the thinner side. He got massive between his junior and senior year. His o-line film would be just as good as his d-line film. The motor — he never mailed it in. With Ohio State, Oregon, Washington all wanting him, that showed you the kind of elite defensive lineman he was.”
Tony Cumberland
Willamette (Eugene, Ore.)
Defensive line, 6-4.5, 285
Enrolled at: Oregon
When Cumberland enrolled at the University of Oregon last month, there wasn’t a plane to catch or a county line to cross. The move to Division-I football took a matter of minutes, just an eight-mile commute from his Willamette High stomping grounds to Autzen Stadium. He moved from Arizona to Oregon as a sophomore, fielding several big-time offers from the likes of Ohio State, Texas, and Ole Miss. But Cumberland knew early on that Oregon was the best fit, committing in 2023 and staying loyal to the Ducks in a new era of transfer volatility. “In this day and age where there’s a lot of pomp and circumstance, a lot of guys like to keep people on the hook,” Willamette head coach Josh Line said. “Not all the time, but sometimes, that’s an attention grab, and it kind of fills the tank when it comes to their ego. Tony has never cared about that. He made his decision, and then (worked) on the things that he needed to prepare himself to be successful when he got to Oregon. He’s definitely unique in that regard.” The four-star recruit is considered an interior defensive lineman at the next level, but Cumberland wrecked opposing game plans at Willamette from inside and out, even dropping back from the edge on occasion with surprising athleticism considering his 6-foot-4.5, 285-pound measurables. “When you look at 6-foot-5 on the paper, he’s much longer than that,” Line said. “He’s also just kind of built different. ... He’s got the foundation, physically, to be a 300-pound guy but look like he’s about 225, 250. He’s probably... it’s not probable. He’s the most explosive player I’ve ever been around, not just as a coach, but as a player myself. … If he can put all the pieces together here, I think he’s going to definitely explode at the Division-I level and hopefully go on and be a first-round draft pick here real soon.” Cumberland is Oregon’s top recruit in the 2026 class, per 247Sports, and is the nation’s No. 5 defensive line recruit on composite rankings. “A lot of guys grow in their confidence, and then it just serves them. But what was cool about Tony is that he used that confidence to serve others,” Line said. “That’s what was really neat to see here, and obviously it impacted us in a positive way, and I’m excited about what that means for him at the next level, because that leadership piece gets you more opportunities.”
Huffman: “He’s interesting. He started his career in Arizona, played his first two years there, committed to Oregon as a sophomore and then moved to Eugene as a junior. Was just OK as a junior. There was a fire lit under him during the offseason. He had a fantastic senior season and showed during his senior season exactly why Oregon has such high hopes for him. … When you consider how high of a level Oregon recruits at, for them to go after him that early and stay on him was pretty significant. He’s got pass rusher, edge rusher quickness, but he’s at 285 now. He didn’t lose any of that explosiveness. Very strong. Has a lot of power, super quick.”
Ramzak Fruean
Bethel (Spanaway, Wash.)
Linebacker, 6-4, 215
Signed to: Washington
It’s been a nice multi-year stretch of linebacker play at Bethel High School. A year ago, Bison linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale was on this list. A year later, it’s teammate Fruean’s turn. Fruean, who moved from Hawaii in time for his junior year, was able to watch Rainey-Sale operate as a senior. After he graduated, Fruean — who is the third-oldest of 10 kids — stepped into the full-time outside linebacker role as a senior and thrived. “I think that was a natural, perfect storm for Zak, to be able to see how Zay was, as far as a practice player, a teammate, running to the football,” Bethel coach Travis Domser said. “Sometimes, coaches talk about certain things, but you had a guy like Zaydrius who was doing all of them. (Fruean) fell right into that. … Both Zak and Zay never wanted to come off the field, ever.” The 4A South Puget Sound League South Division’s co-player of the year logged 62 tackles with nine tackles for loss, six sacks and three interceptions in the 2025 season. “The dude is mean,” Domser said. “He’s mean. He’s a violent player. He has no fear. You kind of mix that with speed, length … he wants to be by the ball every play. He sniffs it out. … He’s gonna be really dynamic in college. He can do multiple things. He can edge rush at that level. He can be on the wide side as an outside backer. He can be disguised, he can get off blocks.” Fruean is considered a four-star recruit in both 247sports.com’s Top247 rankings and composite rankings and is ranked the No. 2 player in Washington behind Kennedy Catholic’s Derek Colman-Brusa. He is signed to Washington, where he’ll rejoin former teammate Zaydrius Rainey-Sale.
Huffman: “He’s a guy that, the move from Hawaii to Washington paid off for him. When he got to Bethel, everyone had already known (former No. 1 recruit, current UW linebacker) Zaydrius Rainey-Sale. When schools came to look at Zay, they’d see him. His junior year, he looked like a baby giraffe. Come the offseason, he took a huge jump. It culminated with a good senior year, then he was phenomenal at the Polynesian Bowl. He can run like a safety, move up in the box, has the athleticism as a linebacker to drop into coverage. I think that kid’s best football is gonna still be played in college.”
Henry Gabalis
Archbishop Murphy (Everett, Wash.)
Tight end, 6-4, 215
Signed to: Arizona
Just how athletic was this 6-foot-4 tight end, who led a loaded Archbishop Murphy squad to the Class 2A state championship at Husky Stadium this fall? On defense, he lined up at safety, in addition to playing some defensive end and linebacker. On offense, he blocked, ran routes and took carries out of the backfield and around the edge. While some tight ends are stiff, Gabalis moves like a gazelle, creating separation from linebackers and defensive backs alike with ease. “He’s done everything,” Archbishop Murphy coach Joe Cronin said. “He’s just a natural athlete. He’s just fluid. His ball skills are pretty incredible.” Gabalis was a late bloomer in high school, shooting up a few more inches in height as an upperclassman. His teammate, Jack Sievers, is a Wisconsin commit and garnered most of the attention early in their careers, but Gabalis ended his career as the higher rated recruit. He’s considered a four-star recruit by 247sports.com and the No. 3 player in Washington in the 2026 class. A TNT all-state selection, Gabalis racked up 18 total touchdowns (10 receiving, eight rushing) with 965 scrimmage yards as a senior. Arizona signee. “He’s a late bloomer in all aspects,” Cronin said. “He’s really figuring out the intricacies of route running, concepts. He’s just so big, he can kind of post up some of those linebackers on those inside routes. He has the speed to get separation. He’s pretty versatile and can play anywhere. His best football is still in front of him.”
Huffman: “This is gonna be the guy that I think a lot of guys are gonna regret that they didn’t recruit. Is he an outside linebacker, a tight end, what exactly is he? … Arizona did a great job recruiting him. They got the steal of the class, in my opinion. He’s such a freak athletically. In baseball, he threw a no-hitter in the spring. … His catch radius, range, how big and athletic he is — he gets on the field at Arizona immediately. He’s very smooth, super natural. … He gets a lot of separation when he’s running routes.”
Kelvin Obot
Fruitland (Fruitland, Idaho)
Offensive tackle, 6-5, 265
Enrolled at: Utah
There’s a reunion brewing at the University of Utah. Fruitland head coach Jordan Gross — an 11-year NFL veteran at tackle for the Carolina Panthers — was recently hired as Utah’s offensive line coach, where he played from 1999-2002. Obot is joining him: The five-star tackle signed with the Utes last summer and enrolled last month, following in the footsteps of his head coach. Obot dominated both sides of the football and tackled 75 (27 TFL) with 8.5 sacks last season, but the offensive upside is impossible to ignore — often bulldozing opposing blockers several yards downfield before the whistle. He is Idaho’s top-ranked recruit in the 2026 class by 247Sports and is considered the No. 2 offensive tackle recruit in the country on composite rankings. The 2025 MaxPreps Idaho Player of the Year chose Utah over the likes of Washington, Oregon, and Michigan.
Huffman: “As a player, we had him (ranked) Top 40 in the country. Great track record, his high school coach (Jordan Gross, who is now the offensive line coach at the University of Utah) spent double digit years in the NFL. You look at him, he’s what you want your tackle to look like. He’s a basketball player, too. He’s still a little bit raw but he’s super athletic, super light on his feet, very flexible, has natural knee bend. A big reason he’s going to Utah, that tackle spot is open. He’s gonna have a chance to play right away at Utah.”
David Schwerzel
O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)
Defensive line, 6-4, 260
Signed to: Washington
Schwerzel concluded his high school career on the same field where his next journey begins, capturing back-to-back 3A state championships with O’Dea inside the friendly confines of Husky Stadium. Could you have written more of a storybook ending? A three-star recruit, Schwerzel is considered the state’s No. 4 player in the 2026 class, per 247Sports, with enough versatility to move around Washington’s defensive line in the coming years. “His physical size.... I mean, he’s, whatever, 6-5, 6-6, and then he’s athletic as all get-out on top of that,” said O’Dea coach Monte Kohler, the winningest high school coach in state history with 407 career wins. The disruptive, dominant Schwerzel cemented his status as a Northwest Nugget with a standout junior season as an edge rusher, but stood out for much of his senior campaign at tight end thanks to reliable hands and overwhelming size. Kohler can see him playing either side at UW. “His catch radius was something,” Kohler said. “Tight ends are hard to find. He definitely fit that mold. And then his 6-5 frame and his athleticism allows him to play defense and be an edge guy. Very talented, skilled on both sides of the ball. There’s so much. His best football is in front of him. His skill set and his athleticism along with that size, he’s going to be, I think, a special player.” Schwerzel chose hometown Washington from a long list of Division-I offers that included Stanford, Notre Dame, UCLA, Michigan, Miami, and Penn State.
Huffman: “David’s had an interesting career, and interesting last couple days of his recruitment. … His junior year, he was phenomenal. He had that strip sack to win the game against Graham-Kapowsin, then a week later against Rainier Beach, forced a fumble in the end zone. He was playing like a man possessed. Senior season was up and down, he was playing a lot more offense. He came alive in the playoffs. Is he gonna be an edge rusher, 3-tech, defensive lineman? He’s got the versatility to play any of the three spots.”
Jax Tanner
Rocky Mountain (Meridian, Idaho)
Offensive lineman, 6-2, 287
Signed to: BYU
No one loved a pancake block more than Tanner, who was equal parts nastiness and brute strength at right tackle for Rocky Mountain. Tanner is the only player to start all four years at Rocky Mountain, according to Grizzlies’ coach Scott Criner, who retired after the 2025 season. “He’s extremely physical,” Criner said. “He’s coachable, understands the game. … He never gave up a single sack. He set our pancake record.” His dad, Mike Tanner, was an all-conference linebacker at BYU, where Tanner will follow in his footsteps after serving in a Mormon mission. BYU is recruiting him as a center. Above all, that nasty streak showed up time and time again with Tanner, all the way back to his freshman year. “Once he gets into a block, he’s gonna finish it,” Criner said. “It didn’t matter who he lined up against, whether it was an all-state guy from Rigby or here locally, he just flatbacked people and punished them. … When you’re watching film, your eyes go to him. It’s the nastiness. It’s at the point of attack, he’s bending a guy, taking him down and then climbing to the next guy. He can slam a basketball. He’s just explosive with his hands. When he strikes you, it stuns guys.” Tanner, a 6-foot-2, 287-pounder, is considered the No. 2 recruit in Idaho and a four-star recruit in 247’s composite rankings. He held 29 offers and chose BYU over Michigan, Oregon, UW, USC, Penn State, Tennessee and others.
Huffman: “He’s probably the most college-ready player in this group. He’s going on his LDS mission, so he won’t see the field until 2028. He played left tackle for Rocky Mountain, right tackle. He’s gonna play center for BYU. He was always the baddest lineman at every event he went to. He’d be the shortest player there and he’d win every single rep because he’s just angry. He’s the nicest kid off the field, but he’s got this chip on his shoulder. He’s the penultimate interior lineman. He can play anywhere across the line.”
BEST OF THE REST
CB Elijah Durr, Mount Tahoma (Tacoma, Wash.)
Signed to: Washington
WR Rasean Jones, Rocky Mountain (Meridian, Idaho)
Signed to: Boise State
LB Wassie Lugolobi, Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.)
Signed to: Stanford
RB/LB Lance McGee, Sumner (Sumner, Wash.)
Committed to: Washington State
RB Asnu Sanoe, Lakeridge (Lake Oswego, Ore.)
Signed to: Washington
EDGE Fameitau Siale, O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)
Signed to: Utah
TE Jack Sievers, Archbishop Murphy (Everett, Wash.)
Enrolled at: Wisconsin
This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 10:45 AM.
