One of our readers asked if I could do an update on recruiting so far and this is where we as we are about to enter the weekend.
Current Verbals
QB Keith Price...Keith was a rising star in recruiting circles after a very solid senior campaign. He was recruited by the old staff then he was welcomed by the new one. Most are pretty excited about his potential.
TE Marlion Bennett...Marlion verballed after Willingham was fired which tells you he picked the school and not the coach.
TE Dorson Boyce...Dorson is the newest recruit and was brought in to play right away next season. The one thing that stands out about this kid is his blocking ability.
DT Semisi Tokolahi...Another Sark recruit that was picked up from Hilo, Hawaii who really passes the eye test. He will likely need a year in the program to get used to the upgrade in competition but has the tools to do well.
DE Talia Crichton...We really like his film coming off the edge on defense. A nugget that USC passed on that Sark was aware of.
DE Andrew Pulu...He had a great senior season and is all about being a Husky. Has the tools to play LB or DE.
CB Aaron Grymes...Aaron was hurt a lot last season so we didn't get to see everything he was capable of. He will need a year to get bigger and stronger.
CB Keith Pinkard...Was recruited by Willingham after being turned on to him by an ex Husky player. His film held up when Sark arrived and will be a Husky.
S Josh Moten...Josh is listed as a soft recruit at this point. A QB who projects as a safety in the future. Think Shane Pahukoa.
S Nathan Fellner...The nephew of Husky great Robin Earl verballed early but has been looking around ever since Willingham was fired. (A little update on this one. He got a visit last night and seems to be solid.)
What to look for
Sarkisian was quoted the other day that he would like to bring in a full class of 25 this year. To do that there would have to be some attrition along the way and you can expect that with a new coach.
One thing that always bothered me about Willingham is he was never close to the 85 limit for scholarships. Sarkisian is approaching it differently. If he takes 25 that means he has room in this class for 15-16 more players in this class.
The question of course is if he can find 15-16 more guys that are worthy of a scholarship this late in the game. One thing for sure is he won't fill the class out with many 4-5 star type players and that is where solid evaluation is going to have to come in.
One advantage this staff has is that they have spent a lot of times in camps and combines in Southern California. There is a lot of talent down there. Most of these kids dream of becoming Trojans and there simply isn't enough room for all of them. UW should be able to find quite a few diamonds in the rough and late risers to fill out the class.
Another thing this staff is doing is hitting the JUCO ranks hard. Being from SOCAL really helps in this area because they know all the coaches and are familiar with the players that can help them. I am sure transcript review is a big part of the process that is going on right now. The Huskies would love to add at least a JC punter, DT, and OT to help round out the class.
UW traditionally is usually mostly done with recruiting by the New Year. This season the Huskies are having all their official visit weekends in January. This weekend won't be one of them because all the coaches will on the road recruiting. Expect verbals to start rolling in once those trips begin.
Can you stand eye to eye with Nick Holt and say no?