Baron Naone of West Linn (Oregon) sees offers roll in as his recruiting stock explodes

'If you don’t know who he is by now, I mean, you’re going to see he’s tough.'

When West Linn junior tight end Baron Naone received his first offer last spring from San Diego State, it caught him by surprise. 

“I wasn’t really talking with them or anything,” said Naone, the state’s No. 1 class of 2025 recruit according to 247Sports. “But then (my 7v7 coach) Houston Lillard called me and was like, ‘Yo, I want you to talk to this tight end coach from San Diego State,’ and that’s when he offered me.” 

Since that first offer, Naone’s profile has risen in the recruiting circle. He now has eight offers, including his current top five of Oregon State, Washington, Arizona State, Arizona and San Diego State. 

It was when Arizona State tight ends coach Jason Mohns contacted him that Naone realized his life had changed.

They first talked when Naone was in Phoenix with Team Lillard for a 7v7 tournament. He and Mohns talked, and the former coach at Arizona high school power Saguaro gave Naone some advice that Naone implemented into his game.

A month later, Mohns came to West Linn, where Naone ran some routes for him. Mohns made him an offer on the spot, “and you know, that’s when it really started to pick up. I’ve been waiting for all the offers to come in. I think I deserve them.”

He’d get no argument from Nelson coach Aaron Hazel, who watched Naone catch four passes and record a sack in the Lions’ 37-0 season-opening victory over his Hawks.

“He’s big, and he moves really, really well for his size,” Hazel said of the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Naone. “He was kind of behind (Mark) Hamper and some of their other guys last year, so he didn’t stand out as much. But if you don’t know who he is by now, I mean, you’re going to see he’s tough.”

Baron Naone (West Linn) photo by Dan Brood 

Lions senior Gus Donnerberg, another sought-after tight end, calls his teammate “a huge freak athlete who can play on both sides of the ball. He’s got a crazy wingspan, and he can jump high and run fast. He really does it all.”

More than Naone’s physical skills, Donnerberg appreciates that Naone is “one of the best characters on the team. I love being around Baron. He’s got a great sense of humor, and he and I just get along really well. He’s just a lot of fun.” 

Naone has drawn interest mostly as a tight end, although Oregon State also sees him as a potential defensive end at the next level.

He knows there are aspects of his game he needs to work on this fall to cement his place atop the recruiting rankings.

“I’m still working on my motor,” he said. “I still need to make those hard plays. I still need to learn how to get to the ball quicker, make those tackles across the field.

“And I’m still growing, and you never know how heavy or tall I could get, so I still need to work on my speed, run my routes fast so the quarterback can get it out quicker.”