One of the top football recruits in Oregon has announced what college teams he wants to play for. And among them are a local team that would welcome a legacy defender.
On Monday, Rivals first reported that West Linn junior Josiah Molden has finalized his top six college football teams.
The four-star cornerback has listed Oregon, Washington, Ohio State, Texas, Miami and USC as the schools he is interested in.
A 6-foot, 175-pound cornerback, Molden was a second team all-state selection as a freshman, a first team all-state selection as a sophomore, and a first team all-state selection as both a defensive back and a receiver as a junior.
In 2025, Molden recorded 35 tackles, 12 passes broken up and one interception. He also hauled in 39 receptions for 613 yards and seven touchdowns as West Linn went 11-1 and grabbed the No. 1 seed in the state playoffs.
247Sports lists Molden as the No. 1 recruit in Oregon’s class of 2027 and No. 23 defensive back in the class, nationally.
Molden is the son of Alex Molden, who was a star cornerback for the Ducks in the ‘90s. Molden was a member of the 1995 Rose Bowl team, was a first team All-Pac-10 selection in 1994 and 1995, and was a first team All-American in 1995.
Molden was selected with the 11th overall selection in the 1996 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints and spent eight years in the NFL (also for the Chargers and Lions).
Josiah Molden is also the younger brother of Elijah Molden, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Chargers. Like his brother, Molden was a nationally-ranked defensive back for West Linn and decided to play collegiately for Washington. He was a first team All-Pac-12 selection in 2019 and 2020 and was taken in the third round (100th overall) by the Tennessee Titans in the 2021 NFL Draft.