It never fails that no matter who you bring in on signing day there are always the big fish or fishes who get away. One of the problems at Washington is that they have been getting away more frequently in recent years.
2009 is no exception but expect Steve Sarkisian to be a very formidiable recruiter in future years. He gets the work ethic part of recruiting. He had no problem coming in at the last minute to try to steal recruits away from UCLA, USC, and California. Give him a full year and he is going to start getting those guys.
2009 - WR Gino Simone (WSU) TE Billy Sanders (UCLA) OL Grant Enger (Oregon State) DT Deandre Coleman (California) DE James Boyd (USC) S Alex Logan (California) Stan Hasiak (UCLA or Cal)
Some serious misses but you have to like the way Sark put himself in position to at least finish second on kids who had no business visiting an 0-12 team.
2008 - WR Carl Moore (Florida) OT Nick Cody (Oregon) C David Decastro (Stanford) DT Trevor Guyton (California) LB Byron Hout (Boise State)
This was one of the better classes in Washington history but it would have looked a lot better if local studs Guyton and Decastro had come on board.
2007 - QB Kellen Moore (Boise State) WR Drew Davis (Oregon) TE Trey Henderson (USC) DT Darrion Weems (Oregon) OG Pou Paleilei (ASU)
Henderson and Moore were a couple of local players that UW could have had but Willingham did not recruit heavily. Who would you rather have right now? Fouch or Moore?
2006 - TB James Montgomery (California) TB Andre Crenshaw (Oregon) TB Rodney Glass (ASU) OT Steve Schilling (Michigan) OT Cody Pope (Tennessee) LB Travis Goethel (Arizona State) S Taylor Mays (USC) LB Andy Mattlingly (WSU)
You add some talent like this to Jake Locker and Willingham might still be head coach.
2005 - TB Jonathan Stewart (Oregon) TB Leon Jackson (Nebraska) LB Anthony Felder (California) Ed Dickson (Oregon) LB Zack Follett (California) LB Adam Leonard (Hawaii)
Some serious local talent to leave on the table.
2004 - OL Chilo Rachal (USC) OL Andy Roof (WSU) DE Rashaad Goodrum (USC) S Michael Willis (WSU) CB Willie Glasper (Oregon)
This was Gilby's class which looked good on paper then vaporized. Roof and Rachal would have really helped the OL. Washington was in too late on Willis. Goodrum spent his time injured and buried at USC.
2003 - QB Dennis Dixon (Oregon) TB Reggie Bush (USC) TE Chris Barrett (USC) Matthew Malele (California) Brendan Mebane (California)
UW finished second for Bush's services. Washington was Dixon's favorite but they didn't offer because of baseball. Malele and Mebane were usually the kind of guys that Washington gets. When Cal started taking away guys like these it meant trouble.
2002 - TB Lorenzo Booker (Florida State) OT Winston Justice (USC) DT Haloti Ngata (Oregon) DT Jonathan Mapu (Tennessee) S Darnell Bing (USC)
Ngata was a UW lock until the party atmosphere on his recruiting trip convinced him to switch to Oregon of all places. Booker picked from UW, FSU, and ASU on ESPN.