The Eugene-Springfield area has produced no shortage of local stars over the last 10 years.
Over the past decade, countless star football players have emerged from the Eugene-Springfield area and gone on to have stellar careers.
Now, we're asking you to decide which local standout was the best of the bunch and vote for the Register-Guard's top football player from the last 10 years.
Narrowing down the list of candidates was no simple task; dozens of players from the area have earned all-league and all-state recognition over the past decade. So, a list of criteria was used to decide who made the cut.
A player is eligible for the poll if they have achieved any of the following accomplishments:
- Earned either offensive or defensive state player of the year for their respective classification
- Earned first-team all-state honors in multiple seasons
- Garnered a three-star ranking or better from the recruiting service 247Sports
Vote for the candidate you think is most deserving at registerguard.com. The poll closes at noon on Friday, July 25.
Nicolas Ah Sam — Springfield
One of the top players in Springfield history, Ah Sam earned 5A first-team all-state defensive honors at linebacker as a sophomore, junior and senior. He was an honorable mention selection as a freshman and also earned first-team offensive honors at tight end as a junior.
Ah Sam went on to become a starting linebacker at Portland State University.
Bryce Boettcher — South Eugene
Over the past half-decade, Boettcher has emerged as one of the more versatile college athletes in the country. Before he became both a baseball and football star at the University of Oregon, though, the local standout was a dual-threat quarterback and an all-state safety at South Eugene.
During his senior season with the Axe, Boettcher emerged as a three-star recruit and was an all-state selection at defensive back after setting the tone for South Eugene on both sides of the ball.
Jackson Christian — Marist
A standout in the trenches on both sides of the ball, Christian was named the 4A defensive player of the year after leading Marist to the 2024 state title as a senior. He was also a first-team all-state pick along the offensive line.
Myles Green-Richards — South Eugene/Churchill
A multi-sport star who garnered a three-star ranking as a defensive back recruit, Green-Richards began his career at South Eugene. He spent his senior year at Churchill, where he was an all-state cornerback who helped the Lancers reach the 5A state title game.
Green-Richards went on to play collegiately at both Washington State and Oregon State.
Aiden Hazen — Marist
A key figure behind Marist's surge to the state title game, Hazen earned 4A state player of the year honors as a senior and was a two-time first-team all-state selection at linebacker.
Justin Herbert — Sheldon
Long before he went on to become an NFL superstar, Justin Herbert burst onto the scene at Sheldon during a stellar senior season in which he earned 6A first-team all-state honors.
After arriving at the University of Oregon as a walk-on the following fall, Herbert blossomed into one of the greatest players in program history and is now a Pro Bowl quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Patrick Herbert — Sheldon
A superb athlete who excelled as both a tight end and defensive end for the Irish, Herbert was a highly-touted four-star recruit who went on to have a stellar college career at Oregon. Prior to his time at UO, he was a two-time first-team all-state selection at tight end.
During his final three seasons with the Ducks, Herbert was a key figure at tight end. He signed with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in May.
Nick Hudson — Marist
Hudson was named the 4A offensive player of the year after leading the Spartans to the state title as a senior in 2024. He was a first-team all-state selection in 2023, too.
Michael Johnson Jr. — Sheldon
Johnson arrived in Eugene ahead of his junior season as one of the nation's blue-chip quarterback recruits. A four-star prospect, he earned second-team all-state honors as a senior at Sheldon and chose to play at Penn State after receiving offers from some of the top programs in college football.
Johnson has since gone on to play at Florida Atlantic University, Syracuse and Akron.
Cooper Ladd — Cottage Grove
In 2017, Ladd was named the 4A defensive player of the year after helping lead the Lions to their first-ever state championship. He was also a first-team offensive selection at center.
Ladd went on to play collegiately at George Fox.
Wesley Kommer — Thurston
An electric ball-carrier, Kommer was named 2019 5A offensive player of the year after rushing for 2,031 yards and 37 touchdowns while helping the Colts to the state title.
Kommer went on to play at Nevada.
Jacob Newell — Thurston
One of the more highly-touted college prospects to come out of Lane County in recent memory, Newell was tabbed as a three-star tight end by 247Sports. He earned 5A first-team all-state honors on both sides of the ball as a senior in 2021 and went on to play at Arizona State.
Newell has since transferred to Akron, where he is a starting tight end.
Jake Riley — Thurston
After earning 5A state defensive player of the year honors as a junior in 2018, Riley delivered another stellar season in 2019 to help lead Thurston to a state championship.
Riley went on to play linebacker at Western Oregon.
Grant Starck — Thurston
One of the top offensive linemen to come out of the area in recent memory, Starck earned 5A first-team all-state honors along both the offensive and defensive lines during his junior and senior seasons. He helped the Colts to the 2019 state title.
Starck went on to play collegiately at Nevada, where he was a starter. He spent his final two seasons at Oregon State and was the Beavers' starting right tackle in 2024.
Santino Stranieri — Thurston
During his final two seasons at Thurston, Stranieri was a tackling machine for the Colts. He racked up 76 stops as a junior in 2018 and 54 during his senior season.
Stranieri, who helped lead Thurston to the 2019 state title, was named the 5A state player of the year.
Mana Tuioti — Sheldon
One of the more disruptive football players to ever come through Eugene, Tuioti was named the 6A defensive player of the year in 2024 after helping lead the Irish to the state semifinals.
A Boise State linebacker signee, Tuioti also earned second-team all-state honors at running back as a senior.
Teitum Tuioti — Sheldon
In his lone season at Sheldon, Tuioti made his presence felt for opposing offenses. He was named the 6A state player of the year after racking up 84 tackles, 30.0 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.
Tuioti has since gone on to play at the University of Oregon, where he is a standout edge defender for Dan Lanning's Ducks.
Jacob Woods — Cottage Grove
A standout receiver with speed to burn, Woods was named the 4A offensive player of the year after helping lead Cottage Grove to its first-ever state title in 2017. He also earned first-team all-state recognition as a defensive back.
During his senior season, Woods racked up 50 catches for 939 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also ran for 392 yards and five touchdowns on 39 carries. He went on to play at Riverside City College.
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X@jarrid_denney
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Vote: Who is top Eugene-Springfield football player of last decade?
Category: General Sports
