It has been a wild couple of weeks for Husky fans with most of the news being a disappointment until the hiring of Justin Wilcox and Peter Sirmon was announced yesterday.
I really think this hire sends out shockwaves across the country. These are two very hot assistant coaches we just hired. They are both going to make an immediate impact.
So whats up next? Justin Wilcox says it is time to hit the road to do a little recruiting. The Huskies have nineteen solid commits as of this morning and have room for approximately nine more. The majority of those guys will have to come from out of state.
The two biggest areas of concern heading into the final weeks is the offensive line and cornerback. Washington desperately needs to sign Zach Banner (Lakes) and Shane Brostek (Hawaii Prep) to resurrect this class. Jake Eldenkramp (Bellevue) who will choose between UW and WSU would give the class a nice finish even though I would prefer another tackle.
At corner Brandon Beaver (Dominguez) remains the number one target left on the board. The coaches would love to pair him with Randall Goforth (Poly), Richard Smith (Poly), or Davonte Neal. Alphonzo Marsh (Dominguez) also remains a possibility once Wilcox finishes evaluating some film.
I don't see Washington grabbing another safety unless Shaq Thompson (Grant) wants to come aboard. Most think he is a Cal lock but he has UW and Notre Dame among his finalists. If Washington is able to poach a DB coach off the Cal staff it could help.
Washington is still in on a couple of highly rated linebackers. Matt Rowe (Poly) is a likely visitor in January. Jared Afalava (Bingham) will choose between the Huskies, Nebraska, and Utah. The latest I heard is that he is Nebraska lean...that could all change with a good in home visit from Sirmon.
DE Dylan Cozens (Chaparral) has Washington in final five. He visited in December and enjoyed it. He was described as a sleeper earlier in the year but now he has offers from most of the Pac 12. Washington could still steal a visit from Deforest Buckner (Punahou) if he hits it off with the new coaches. Pio Vatuvei (Patterson) remains a possibility.
Christian Powell (Upland) can play FB, DE, or even LB. He is 6'0 250 lb kid with a lots of potential. Washington and Colorado are his top two. It will be interesting to see if the changes in the Washington coaching staff is a positive for him.
WR Jayden Mickens (Dorsey) is a kid I can see Washington landing if they still have room. He has offers from most of the Pac 12 and he had a good time on his UW visit. He was early SC commit but they dropped him when they ran out of room.