Both the Northwest and Northern California were well represented in the inaugural release of the 247Sports’ Top 247 for the class of 2025.
Six players from Northern California and three from Washington made the expanded list.
The lone Northwest native on the Top 100 list in the summer is now the highest rated prospect from the region, Mukilteo (Wash.) Kamiak athlete T’Andre Waverly, who is the No. 29 prospect in the country, the No. 2 athlete nationally and the No. 1 prospect in Washington.
Initially rated as a tight end, Waverly, who can also rush the passer as an edge, is now listed as an athlete. He’s broken 11 seconds twice this year at 6-4, 220, with a 10.8 recently, while starring on both sides of the ball.
Waverly holds a dozen offers, from Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Oregon State, Penn State, Texas A&M, Utah, Washington and Washington State.
The first newcomer to the list is now the highest rated prospect in Northern California, with El Dorado Hills (Calif.) Oak Ridge tight end Kaleb Edwards checking in as the No. 63 overall prospect in the country, the No. 8 prospect in California and the No. 1 prospect in Northern California while ranking as the No. 4 tight end nationally.
The Sacramento-area tight end is coming off a big sophomore season and the 6-7 pass-catcher shined at this month’s Polynesian Bowl Combine and Showcase.
Another newcomer to the list is Spanaway (Wash.) Bethel linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale.
Rainey-Sale is one of the youngest players in the class of 2025- he won’t turn 16 until November of his junior campaign but had a big year playing as a mostly 14-year old sophomore and followed it up with a good performance at the Under Armour Next Camp in Southern California this month.
He comes in as the No. 71 overall player in the class of 2025, the No. 11 linebacker nationally and the No. 2 prospect in the state of Washington.
The top prospect in the Bay Area in the class is Pittsburg (Calif.) safety Jadyn Hudson, who is the No. 85 prospect in the class, the No. 8 safety and the No. 2 prospect in Northern California.
Hudson could be a standout on either side of the ball but we love his long-term potential in the secondary, where he started on a loaded Pirates roster that made it to the state championship game.
Rounding out the Top 100 from the region is Pleasanton (Calif.) Foothill receiver Chris Lawson, who checks in as the No. 99 overall prospect in 2025, moved up to the No. 15 receiver nationally, the No. 15 player in the Golden State and the No. 3 prospect in Northern California.
Lawson stars on both sides of the ball for Foothill but we think he projects to receiver long term.
The top interior offensive lineman in the West comes from San Jose (Calif.) Valley Christian, which has churned out their share of prospects at the skill positions, but interior offensive lineman Champ Taulealea, who was an inaugural Top 100 member, has a chance to be the best lineman they’ve produced in the last decade, if not longer.
He started as a freshman and sophomore on the offensive line while also playing a number of spots on it as well as playing defensive line for the Warriors and is a powerful blocker that moves really well, having already been invited to the 2025 Polynesian Bowl.
Taulealea is rated as the No. 103 overall prospect nationally, the No. 17 prospect in California, the No. 3-rated interior offensive lineman in the class and the No. 4 prospect in Northern California.
Another newcomer to the Top247 is Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley edge Marco Jones.
The versatile Jones, who also plays baseball for the Wolves, debuts as the No. 105 overall player in the country, the No. 12 edge in the country, the No. 18 prospect in the Golden State and the No. 5 prospect in Northern California.
Another East Bay edge debuts in the Top 247 and joins his teammate Hudson in the Top 247, the lone school in Northern California with multiple selections, Pittsburg (Calif.) edge Jewelous Walls.
Walls comes in as the No. 23 prospect in California, the No. 6 player in Northern California, the No. 17 edge in the country and the No. 154 overall prospect in the class of 2025 in the national rankings.
The final member of the Top 247 from the region is Auburn (Wash.) Riverside athlete Jonathan Epperson.
Originally from Maryland, Epperson moved to the Evergreen State before his sophomore season and shined in his first year in the Northwest.
Epperson ranks as the No. 219 overall player, the No. 13 athlete in the country and the No. 3 prospect in the state of Washington in the class of 2025.