Washington’s surging football recruits: 5 rising stars turning heads this spring
We’re still a few months away from Friday night lights, but as temps heat up across Washington, so too does high school football recruiting. The spring and summer months are a crucial time for recruits to get in front of recruiters and college coaches and pull in coveted offers.
Across the state, a new crop of blue-chip prospects is turning heads and making verbal commitments. Whose stock is rising as the summer nears? Here are five players who have made a jump in recent months, with thoughts on each player from Rivals national recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman.
The list is presented in alphabetical order, by last name.
WR Jayce Halasz, Graham-Kapowsin (Graham), 2028
Halasz had a breakout season with the Eagles last fall, emerging as one of the state’s top receivers. Recruiters took notice of the smooth-striding, 6-foot-2 wideout, who has recently pulled in offers from Cal and Stanford. Expect other big-name programs to line up over the summer and in the fall, as G-K’s offense will be electric.
What Rivals national recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman says: “He came to the Under Armour camp in Arizona, ran a 4.5 (second) 40, laser time. There were some questions about what his top-end speed looks like. He showed that he has really good top-end speed. A lot of schools like him as a safety, so he could end up being classified as an ‘athlete.’ Schools think he can be an elite ‘center fielder’ because of those ball skills. I think he’s open to it.”
OL Kyler Harden, O’Dea (Seattle), 2028
O’Dea has had a good run of interior offensive linemen in recent years, but Harden looks like a pure offensive tackle with his frame. The 6-foot-6, 300-pounder has been pulling in offers left and right. Auburn, Colorado State, Penn State, Cal, Oregon State, UW and Oregon have offered Harden in 2026.
Huffman: “His OL trainer was the old o-line coach at Rainier Beach. He told me that he’s not gonna say he’s the next Josh Conerly, but he’s got a chance to be really good. You know he’s gonna be very well-coached at O’Dea. He had the baby face but had this length you want offensive linemen to have. His sophomore tape was really good. … Harden is a true tackle prospect with his length, he’s flexible, natural knee bender. … He isn’t even done growing yet. How much stronger can he get? That’s where I can see the comp to Josh Conerly. He was very lean, also, and you knew there was time to put weight on.”
CB Kaden Johnson, Bellevue (Bellevue), 2028
It’s been a busy 2026 for this 6-foot, 165-pound corner. Since January, Johnson has pulled in offers from Auburn, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Colorado State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Idaho, UNLV, New Mexico and WSU. Now considered the No. 3 recruit in the state in the 2028 class by Rivals.
Huffman: “He’s another kid, the speed markers (at camps) were significant for him. He’s got the ability as a defensive back, he can cover, he’s pretty physical. There’s a good history of DB’s at Bellevue. Why go these camps? There’s questions a lot of times about your speed. If you record elite testing times and the film backs it up, that makes a big difference. He can play corner, nickel. He’s super smooth, super explosive.”
OL Rashaun Lavata’i, Curtis (University Place), 2027
The younger brother of San Diego State signee Robby Lavata’i, the 6-foot-6, 265-pounder has picked up offers from Oregon State, Idaho, UW, UCLA, Arizona and Utah in the new year and has moved to No. 4 in the state on Rivals’ 2027 board. One reason for the sudden jump? Age. Lavata’i, 16, won’t turn 17 until the summer. The skill set appears to be developing on schedule.
Huffman: “He was overshadowed by his older brother at Curtis. He had decent junior film. Then he came to the Under Armour camp in Phonenix in March and he was dominant. He was the offensive line MVP. With how tall he is, his wingspan, hand size, athleticism — his testing numbers for his size were in the top 3% for offensive tackles nationally. … Put some good weight on him, and he has the chance to be an elite offensive tackle.”
DL Achilles Reyna, Rainier Beach (Seattle), 2028
Believe it or not, the 2025 season last fall was Reyna’s first season playing football. But what Reyna lacks in polish, he makes up for with measuarbles: 6-foot-7, 240 pounds and athletic, to boot. Big-time programs have quickly taken notice. In fact, all of his offers have come in 2026: Idaho, Arizona, UNLV, Boise State, Fresno State, Utah, WSU, San Diego State, Cal, LSU, Texas A&M, Oregon State, UW and San Jose State.
Huffman: “I was looking for a picture of him, I was talking to a Big 12 school that was interested in him. Everything I could find was from AAU hoops, EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League), nothing football related. Last August, I got a tip from a coach who told me this kid’s coming out for football and we’re gonna offer him just for football alone. He’s raw as all get-out, but you cannot teach that size. … (Colleges) like him as a true edge (rusher), puts his hand down. Maybe he grows inside to be a three technique. But they like his explosiveness off the edge.”
