A Conversation with UW’s Most Recent Commit, Jacob Bandes

I had the chance to quickly talk with Jacob Bandes, the 4 star defensive tackle from Pittsburg HS, Calif. after he committed to UW on Friday. Here is what he had to say:

How excited were you to finally make your commitment known public?

I feel like it was the best for me and my family so we can get all of the college recruiting out of the way and done. I wanted to make my decision and get it done to help my team and [focus on] my senior season.

How did you let the coaches know?

I called in a few minutes before to let them know and I let Coach Pete know and Coach Malloe know and to give them the utmost respect before I committed, to let them know.

Why did you choose UW?

The coaching staff can help me on and off the field and to become a better man. Coach Pete can help direct me along the right path and Coach Malloe will become a mentor and father figure to me. That is what I looked for most in the team I chose. I felt like UW had everything I needed and was the best school, really.

Have you been in contact with any other commits so far?

I haven’t really talked with any other commits other than Nathan Kalepo. I know about Noa Ngalu and Sama Paama out of Hawaii. Nathan though seems like a really cool person from my interactions with him. In the next few weeks I am going to reach out to Sama and Noa.

Do you the coaches see you playing Nose or the three technique?

Coach Malloe hasn’t talked to me about a specific position yet. Honestly, I don’t care if it’s end, tackle or the three technique. If he sees me as a nose guard I will play the position he sees me fitting in best.

Are you going to recruit some guys to UW ?

I am going to look at the board in the next couple of weeks and talk with Nate, Sama, and Noa. That should be one of my missions, really, to help get guys to UW.

Are you planning on enrolling in April or January?

I was planning on playing in the Polynesian Bowl but I talked with Coach Malloe and he said I can’t enroll in January if I play in the Polynesian Bowl. I don’t feel like I want to do that because I want to go to college now, get classes out of the way. Have a feel for college and get ready for spring ball. Enrolling early will help me get used to the team better, coaching staff, and use those couple of months to practice my technique, and skills for when fall comes to play as a true freshmen. I don’t want to be a redshirt freshman, I want to be a guy who plays.

So how happy were your family, coaches, and teammates (who looked excited in the commitment video)?

My parents are very supportive of me, and my teammates were unbelievably happy, and supportive of me, and my coaches were happy for me as well. My parents were helping me look for specific things in a school I chose, and we all felt like UW was the best place for me really.

That is all for now and as always follow me @asieverkropp or you can follow Jacob @jacob_bandes