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Joshua Garnett and Zach Banner Both Named Top in Nation By Rivals.com

Joshua Garnett and Zach Banner Both Named Top in Nation By Rivals.com

One of the most prestigious lists and perhaps the hardest list to get on is the Rivals.com Top 100.  It is comprised every year of those in the Nation who are the best of the best.  For a small State like Washington to have one on the list is terrific.  To have two on it this year speaks to a special group of guys.  But there is more to it then that.

Because this year Washington has two very special offensive linemen who are both in the Top 40 in the Nation and both can potentially still rise the ranks.  In the end it will be of little consequence because at this point there is almost no one in the top collegiate ranks that has not offered them.

Puyallup High School Junior (Puyallup, Wa)  Joshua Garnett is rated as #22 in the Nation overall by Rivals.com.  He holds at least 20 Major BCS School offers and has another 20 plus schools who have offered as well.

The 3.87 student is a 4 star with a 6.0 rating from Rivals with a 6.2 being the Max score.  He is very close to a pre-season 5th Star.  His top schools who have offered him are Auburn, Cal, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington State.

Just West of Garnett’s home and across I-5 is Lakewood, Washington and Lakes High School.  That would be the home of the biggest athlete in the United States.  Zach Banner is a true giant and his accomplishments on the hardwood and the gridiron have earned him the #31 Ranking in the Nation by Rivals.com.

Big Zach is a terrific athlete and student and plans to play both Football and Basketball in College.  Something that very few athletes have ever done.  At least 10 major programs have said yes to that plan.  He is the only guy we have seen that can legitimately pull that one off.

Zach is rated 5.9 out of 6.2 total rating points in the matrix Rivals.com uses.  He is a 4 star also on the verge of a 5th as well.  At 6’9″ and 310 pounds he stands the biggest athlete in the High School ranks.  His potential as an offensive tackle is almost without a ceiling.

His list too is long.  Maybe one of the longest in the Nation and he has not denied the fact that it is over 50.  In the last few weeks Notre Dame, Boise State, BYU, Washington, Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, USC and Michigan are among the programs to head to Seattle and make a school visit.

What a treat for Washington High School football fans to see two young men of this caliber showcase what they can do this Fall as they represent their teams on the grid iron.  They lead a loaded class of talent this year; especially at the Offensive Line position.

Joshua and Zach have both been invited and accepted an invite to play in the Army All American Game in January of 2012 representing the West Squad and they will both start up front.  That will be special indeed.

Both of their fathers were Washington Huskies of legendary status (Lincoln Kennedy; Banner and Scott Garnett; Garnett) and that may mean that they are strong leans to join Coach Sarkisian at the U of W as they rebuild.  But both have been clear that they are looking at all of the options and will take all of their official visits.  So nothing is a done deal yet.

For now it is enough just to enjoy watching them be kids and play the game as it was meant to be played at this time in their life.  Both of them want to lead their teams to the playoffs and beyond and that is the way it should be.

We congratulate them and appreciate the hard work it has taken by them and their families to achieve the things that they have!

I am the Founder of the Northwest Prep Report. For 17 years I have led the way to the best of my ability to promote the best talent from the Pacific NW free of charge. It is my pleasure to continue to serve High School athletes from all over the Pacific NW and beyond. Formerly with Rivals.com my sites have now crossed over 8,000 stories, 7 MILLION Video Views, and 15,000 regular followers. Together with the best football people in the USA we pursue excellence for our NW athletes.

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