The Salem-Keizer area has produced numerous talented football players in the last 10 years that have gone on to compete in NCAA Division I and the NFL.
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The Salem-Keizer area has produced an array of high school football talent that’s gone on to do great things in the sport at every level.
From state championships to the Super Bowl, the Mid-Valley has seen it all — especially over the last decade.
You get to decide who the best of the best have been over the last 10 years.
The nominees for best 6A/5A football player in the Salem-Keizer area are:
- Tanner Earhart, Dallas
- Anthony Gould, West Salem
- Alex Hurlburt, West Salem
- Jordan McCarty, Silverton
- Drew Rodriguez, Sprague
- Marlon Tuipulotu, Central
- Junior Walling, McNary
- Hudson Waples, Silverton
Information about each athlete is listed below. Vote for the player you think is most deserving at statesmanjournal.com. The poll closes at noon on Friday, July 25.
Tanner Earhart, Dallas
Earhart was a running back that rushed for more than 2,000 yards in 2016 for the Dragons. He was the Class 5A Offensive Player of the Year in Oregon his senior year.
He then committed to Linfield College to play both football and baseball.
Anthony Gould, West Salem
The wide receiver was a two-time all-state nominee for West Salem after being named to the second team in 2017 and first team in 2018. Gould posted a 1,000-yard season for receiving in 2018, too.
Gould played at Oregon State from 2019-23 and got drafted to the NFL by the Indianapolis Colts in 2024.
Alex Hurlburt, West Salem
This linebacker was the 2017 and 2018 Greater Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the all-state first team in the same years.
Hurlburt went on to play at the University of Montana after a shining career in West Salem.
Jordan McCarty, Silverton
2021’s 5A Offensive Player of the Year in the state, McCarty led Silverton to a state championship en route to his first team accolades as quarterback.
McCarty threw for more than 3,000 yards in a season twice and boasted a 3-star rating on 247sports. He now plays for Western Oregon.
Drew Rodriguez, Sprague
This two-way hybrid of a player was an all-state first team player on both sides of the ball in 2022. He earned a 3-star recruit rating on 247sports before committing to Colorado State.
As a redshirt freshman this past season, Rodriguez played in all 13 games at linebacker and recorded 14 tackles and a forced fumble.
Marlon Tuipulotu, Central
Tuipulotu earned consecutive state Defensive Player of the Year awards for Central in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, the poll’s last year, Tuipulotu collected his DPOY honors along with first team all-state on the offensive and defensive side of the ball as a lineman.
He went on to play college ball at USC and was eventually drafted to the NFL by the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2025, Tuipulotu was part of the Kansas City Chiefs team that played the Eagles in the Super Bowl.
Junior Walling, McNary
Walling was a first team all-state linebacker in 2019 for the Celtics while also delivering a more than 1,000-yard rushing season.
He ended his high school career with more than 350 tackles and over 2,900 rushing yards. He took his talents to Oregon State, then Nevada, after high school.
Hudson Waples, Silverton
Waples posted a 1,000 receiving yards season in 2024 from WR and earned an all-star first team spot as a WR and as a DB.
He’s committed to Portland State to play football after an impressive career with the Foxes.
Landon Bartlett covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at lbartlett@salem.gannett.com.
