Initial Northwest Hot 100 released

SEATTLE - After hitting high schools, camps and combines in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Hawai'i, it's time to unveil Scout.com's initial Northwest Hot 100 for the class of 2009. When you are the top player at your position in the country, it stands to reason you will also be the top player overall in your region, and that's the case for Manti Te'o.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker from the Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawai'i has been on Scout.com's recruiting radar ever since his performance years ago at the All-Poly camp in Bountiful, Utah. Only an eighth-grader at the time, Te'o had a physical presence about him with the pads on that was undeniable. It's no surprise that he's taken his game to a new level every year and now finds himself the No. 1 SAM prospect in the land and nearly 30 scholarship offers to choose from.

The other big news coming from this list is just how quickly the balance of power has shifted from the state of Washington to the other states in the Northwest region. For the class of 2008, Washington accounted for seven of the top 20 prospects; this year they have but three. Instead, Hawai'i and Utah combined for 13 of the top-20 prospects, and Oregon had as many top-20 players as did the Evergreen State.

Expect that trend to reverse itself in 2010, as the early returns show the Washington in-state crop of prospects to be strong once again.

To check out the entire list, click on the link below.

Scout.com 2009 Northwest Hot 100