Elijah Qualls, Defensive Tackle
Height: 6-2
Weight: 280
Rankings: 11 Scout 4* / 23 Rivals 4* / 8 (247) 4*
Offer Sheet: Arkansas, Boise State, Cal, Michigan, Nebraska, UCLA, USC
In the last 7 months or so, there haven't been many bigger ambassadors for the University of Washington than Elijah Qualls. He was the ringleader who orchestrated the monster haul back in June when eight players, many very high profile, all committed to play football at UW. It was thought to be the biggest group commit many recruiting experts had ever seen. Though some of those players fell by the wayside, that day set the tone for this class and is the biggest reason that it is so highly rated.
Qualls hasn't ever really been a defensive tackle. He was a defensive end and fullback in high school. But during camps and All America game practices when he was put at defensive tackle, he was as good as any other player at the position. At times, he was unblockable. For a man his size, he has all the strength that you'd hope for and expect, but what puts him over the edge is his agility. He is alarmingly nimble for his size and can out-quick just about any player he matches up against. Once Tosh Lupoi teaches him some techniques and he learns the position a bit, he could easily become an All Conference talent.
A Northern California defensive line commit? Wonder who was responsible for getting him in the boat.
Junior year highlights: