UW Dawg Pound - 2016 UW Football Recruiting: A Look AheadAll I Blogged Was Purplehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51197/uw-fav.png2015-02-16T09:00:06-08:00http://www.uwdawgpound.com/rss/stream/77801862015-02-16T09:00:06-08:002015-02-16T09:00:06-08:002016 UW Football Recruiting: The Rest of the West
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<img alt="4-star DT Garrett Rand out of Arizona" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rnhHzoS-Wmn3T70ej6Mvp-EpG34=/0x552:3072x2600/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45696360/13091929033_92df39d4f6_o.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>4-star DT Garrett Rand out of Arizona | <a href='http://www.studentsports.com/'>Student Sports</a></figcaption>
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<p>A look ahead to the next recruiting cycle for Husky football - who are the names to know as the work on the 2016 recruiting class begins in earnest? In Part 3, we take a closer look at the prospects from Hawai'i, Utah, Arizona, Texas and Louisiana on the Husky recruiting radar...</p> <p>We've been taking a look ahead in the past week at the 2016 football recruiting cycle - who are the players the Huskies are currently targeting? In <a target="_blank" href="http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2015/2/10/7988035/2016-uw-football-recruiting-a-look-ahead-part-1-brandon-wellington-jacob-eason-foster-sarell/in/7780186">Part 1</a> we examined the Pacific Northwest prospects, and in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2015/2/14/8023877/2016-uw-football-recruiting-california-prospects">Part 2</a> we examined the targets in California. Today we look at the remaining areas where Washington currently has extended offers, including Hawai'i, Arizona, Utah, Texas and Louisiana. Up first is the Lone Star State:</p>
<h4>Texas:</h4>
<p>Given past recruiting ties established by staffers Brent Pease and Jeff Choate, it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that the Huskies are becoming more active in recruiting the fertile grounds of Texas. While you certainly shouldn't expect Washington to suddenly become a recruiting force there, there is value in keeping those connections alive and seeing if the Huskies can pry away a hidden nugget or two. Washington's early offers so far in the state are mostly to well-known prospects, but they do have a few early offers that might get them some traction with kids a bit more on the down-low.</p>
<p>One of the more interesting prospects on the UW radar is RB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/8069837n-lil-jordan-humphrey">Lil'Jordan Humphrey</a> from Southlake H.S. in Carroll, TX. He's very tall for a RB at a listed 6'5"; he shows good speed and runs north-south but also has a few moves. Whether he sticks at RB or moves to WR remains to be seen. He's got offers from Texas, Ole Miss and Texas Tech among others. His teammate <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7734233n-obi-eboh">Obi Eboh</a> - a CB prospect - also claims a UW offer. He has good size at a listed 6'1" and has played some safety in addition to corner. His offer sheet includes Ole Miss, Mizzou, Iowa, Texas Tech and others, and he has a strong interest in Oklahoma.</p>
<p>Another 4-star offensive target is WR <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7673108n-devin-duvernay">Devin Duvernay</a> of Sachse H.S. in Sachse, TX. A blazer with John Ross kind of speed, he has offers from basically every big-time program out there - Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan State, Oregon, Texas, Notre Dame and Wisconsin are just a sampling. I'm not going to hold out too much hope on this one.</p>
<p>Among the 3-star targets is RB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7598642n-brandon-stephens">Brandon Stephens </a>out of Plano Sr. H.S. in Plano, TX. Stephens is a taller RB at 6'1" with plenty of room to fill out. He shows good speed but what really stands out is his vision and patience and the burst he has when he sees the hole. He's got a very high upside as he continues to physically develop, and a number of programs have already thrown their hats in the ring, including Ohio State, Stanford and Wisconsin - a few places that know about a good running game.</p>
<p>With OL prospects being at a premium in the West this year, it's not surprising to see the Huskies look outside their normal recruiting radius for help, and they've offered C <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7709484n-clarence-henderson">Clarence Henderson</a> from Skyline H.S. in Dallas. He lacks the height you want in a tackle prospect but has good feet and good hand technique and could be a very good interior line prospect. UCLA, ASU and SMU have all reportedly offered as well.</p>
<p>On defense the Huskies have offered DE/OLB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7848892n-michael-johnson">Michael Johnson</a> of Hightower H.S. in Sugar Land, TX. His sophomore season was cut short by an ACL injury, but he's shown enough since then to receiver offers from Texas Tech and Louisiana Tech. He's the type of high-upside bet that makes sense for Washington. Also sporting an offer is LB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7826128n-deonte-williams">Deonte Williams</a> of Prestonwood Christian H.S. in Plano. He's an athletic defender that also plays RB and WR on offense. His most notable other offers right now are from Baylor and TCU, but he expresses a great deal of interest in Texas and admiration of Charlie Strong which bodes well for Petersen's "Built For Life" approach.</p>
<h4>Louisiana:</h4>
<p>Washington only has one offer in the Bayou State, but it's a big one (literally) to 5-star DT <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7650918n-rashard-lawrence">Rashard Lawrence</a> of Neville H.S. in Monroe, LA. He's the kind of elite DT talent that seems to proliferate in the south - a big man (6'3", 300 lbs) that has great quickness and can dominate a game from the interior. His offer list basically reads like every high level program in the country, but LSU, Alabama, USC & and possibly Oregon look to be early leaders.</p>
<h4>Hawai'i:</h4>
<p>Moving way out west to the islands, it's a bit surprising to see the Huskies have only one offer out currently, though typically recruiting seems to move a bit slower here - I would expect more offers to go out after the summer as kids get a chance to show their stuff at camps. RB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7940279n-vavae-malepeai">Vavae Malepeai </a>from Mililani H.S. in Mililani (O'ahu) has that lone offer form the Huskies. He possesses a good frame at 6'0", 195 lbs and has been timed at 4.44 in the 40 so he's got the physical skills to succeed. Washington and Colorado were the first to offer, and he's since added ones from Cal and Hawaii, with interest also coming from Stanford.</p>
<h4>Utah:</h4>
<p>With a rapidly growing population it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Beehive State continues to pump out an increasing number of high-level recruits. Petersen spent a lot of time in the state recruiting for Boise State and has built up a lot of connections there.</p>
<p>The top prospect in the state (and one of the better ones in the country) is WR <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7635702n-simi-fehoko">Simi Fehoko</a> of Brighton H.S. in Salt Lake City. He's a very intriguing prospect - a rangy 6'4", 175 lbs, he has the genetics to get a <i>lot</i> bigger (his dad was similar sized at his age and picked up over 70 lbs on his LDS mission). As a WR he posted outstanding numbers this past year, hauling in over 60 catches for more than 1,600 yards. He already projects as a high-level WR, but depending on his physical development it's not out of the question he could turn into a terror at OLB or DE. He was in Seattle for Junior Day recently and was quite impressed. At this point it appears Stanford is the biggest competition for him given his focus on academics.</p>
<p>The other offer currently out is to DE <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7806977n-maxs-tupai">Maxs Tupai</a> from Murray H.S. in Murray, UT. Tupai is a somewhat raw prospect, but one with terrific tools - very fast, very physical and with a rugby background. His offer list is growing rapidly and includes ASU, BYU, Oklahoma State, Utah and Oregon State among others. He's hoping for interest from USC.</p>
<h4>Arizona:</h4>
<p>Last but definitely not least is Arizona. The Copper State is also growing quickly and is more than double the size of Utah, and is now consistently churning out a lot of top prospects. Washington currently has four offers out in the state and that is likely to grow.</p>
<p>Finding a stud DT is always a priority, and high on Washington's list is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7238229n-garrett-rand">Garrett Rand </a>of Hamilton H.S. in Chandler, AZ. Possessing good size already and off-the-charts strength, he's likely going to see his offer list grow exponentially. He's already got offers from Stanford, Nebraska, Arizona and Illinois but it's hometown ASU that may be the toughest to get past.</p>
<p>The other 4-star defender with an offer is CB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7741553n-byron-murphy">Byron Murphy</a> from Saguro H.S. in Scottsdale, AZ. Murphy is a terrific athlete with good size and play-making ability and could succeed at WR as well. His offer list is long, including (but not limited to) USC, UCLA, Stanford, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Florida State and many others.</p>
<p>A couple of offensive standouts from Chandler H.S. also have offers. RB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7226849n-chase-lucas">Chase Lucas</a> is one of the top prospects at his position in the west boasting great speed and hands and could project at WR and CB as well. He's a rangy kid that would need to fill out some at RB if he sticks there, but he's got game-breaking ability. His primary offers come from the hometown ASU, UCLA, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Arizona and more. His teammate WR <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7262584n-n-keal-harry">N'Keal Harry</a> is also getting a lot of recruiting attention. Very well-built at a listed 6'3", 210 lbs, he's quickly racking up offers including a recent one from USC joining those from ASU, Texas A&M, Nebraska and others. He's indicated an interest in coming up to Seattle for an unofficial visit before hitting the camp circuit this summer, so keep an eye on that.</p>
<h4>Up Next:</h4>
<p>That wraps up the current offers out there, but the list will expand significantly over the summer and into next fall as prospects attend the UW Rising Stars camps, results come in from other camps and the staff gets more game film.</p>
<p>Up next will be a look at the UW scholarship situation and a very early attempt to guess how many the Huskies will try to sign for the 2016 class.</p>
https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2015/2/16/8042955/2016-uw-football-recruiting-the-rest-of-the-westKirk DeGrasse2015-02-14T15:00:02-08:002015-02-14T15:00:02-08:002016 UW Football Recruiting: California Prospects
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<img alt="5-star WR prospect Tyler Vaughns" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Pw_6VyievpFmlzKhnxXOj3yimws=/0x311:3072x2359/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45674802/13091913934_47a3f751f2_o.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>5-star WR prospect Tyler Vaughns | <a href='http://www.studentsports.com/'>Student Sports</a></figcaption>
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<p>A look ahead to the next recruiting cycle for Husky football - who are the names to know as the work on the 2016 recruiting class begins in earnest? In Part 2, we take a closer look at the California prospects on the Husky recruiting radar...</p> <p>On Tuesday we kicked off our series on 2016 football prospects that the UW is looking at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2015/2/10/7988035/2016-uw-football-recruiting-a-look-ahead-part-1-brandon-wellington-jacob-eason-foster-sarell">by focusing on the Pacific Northwest region</a>. Today in Part 2 we move on to California - as the biggest state in the west it should come as no surprise that this presents the main recruiting area for the Huskies. Washington currently has offers out to at least 29 prospects in the Golden State, more than every other state combined. Who are the players that currently have Husky offers? Let's take a look:</p>
<h4>California:</h4>
<p>Washington is not shying away from going after top talent in California, and perhaps the highest-profile target on their list is early 5-star WR <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/181395-tyler-vaughns/analysis">Tyler Vaughns</a> from Bishop Amat H.S. in La Puente. Tall, highly productive with great hands and body control, Vaughns has an elite offer list from big-time programs all around the country. A big USC fan growing up, Chris Petersen and the Husky staff have done a great job of getting into the mix and he's going to give Washington a long look. If he makes it up this spring or summer for an unofficial visit that will be good news for the Huskies staying in his top-5, but they're going to have stiff competition not only from the L.A. schools but also Michigan, Notre Dame and Oklahoma.</p>
<p>Another 5-star target is LB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/188395-caleb-kelly/analysis">Caleb Kelly</a> from Clovis West H.S. out of Fresno. His offer list is a who's who of college football with basically every big-time program out there pursuing him. The L.A. schools have been particularly aggressive as you might expect. He'll attempt to trim his list to 10 or so this summer, so we'll know by then whether Washington has a shot or not.</p>
<p>Besides Vaughn, the Huskies have offers out to a number of other high-level WR prospects. <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7690837n-javon-mckinley">Javon McKinley</a> from Centennial H.S. in Corona has already been to Seattle on an unofficial visit and came away impressed. He grew up favoring the Trojans and has visited both L.A. school and ASU, and would like to check out Notre Dame and possibly Oregon. He had considered committing at the end of his junior season, but is letting the recruiting process play out for now. Another top target is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7493241n-dylan-crawford">Dylan Crawford</a> out of Santa Margarita Catholic H.S. He's nearly as tall as Vaughns and has a similarly impressive offer list. Early on he appears to be looking hardest at the L.A. schools, Tennessee and Oregon State (though whether that interest remains high after Mike Riley's departure is in question). Washington is likely in better shape with <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7588924n-david-long">David Long</a> out of Loyola H.S. in Los Angeles. Long visited Seattle for the Oregon State game and has them as one of his early standout schools. <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7546012n-steffon-mcknight">Steffon McKnight</a> from Mira Mesa H.S. in San Diego reportedly has the Huskies in his early top-3 along with USC and Oregon, but I suspect the Trojans will be the team to beat for him. One of the smaller receivers the Huskies are after is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7551302n-damian-alloway">Damian Alloway</a> out of Summit H.S. in Fontana. He's been a do-it-all guy for his team also playing RB, DB and wildcat QB and took part in the UW's satellite camp last year at Redlands University. Another smaller receiver that could also get a look at CB is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7582057n-jack-jones">Jack Jones</a> from powerhouse Long Beach Poly. USC was a childhood favorite for him, Boise State is making a big push for him and he has some interest in WSU.</p>
<p>With it being a down year locally for OL, the Huskies are hoping to snag one of the stud prospects out of California and have offers out to three high level tackles. <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7754581n-jonah-williams">Jonah Williams</a> of Folsom H.S. is considered one of the top tackles in the country and already has an impressive offer list including Auburn, Ole Miss and nearly the entire Pac-12. As the teammate of Jake Browning there is some hope that the QB can work a little magic and recruit him to Seattle. <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7572877n-frank-martin">Frank Martin II</a> out of Mater Dei H.S in Santa Ana has an even more impressive offer list including (but not limited to) LSU, Oklahoma, UCLA, Texas A&M, Miami (FL), Arkansas, ASU and many others, but so far not USC. He's indicated he's going to take his time with the process. Rising up recruiting boards is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7767256n-luke-wattenberg">Luke Wattenberg</a> from JSerra Catholic H.S. in San Juan Capistrano. He's interesting in making a decision this off-season, and if the Huskies can get him past UCLA, their blend of academics and coaching could really appeal to him - keep an eye on whether he camps with the Huskies. On the interior, it appears the Huskies have offered <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/8377053n-mike-alves">Mike Alves</a> out of St. Augustine H.S. in San Diego. He has interest from ASU, Boston College and San Diego State.</p>
<p>Much focus every year is put on the glamor positions, none more so than QB and RB. While Petersen hasn't given up on pursuing Skinny Eason, he's also taking no chances and has offered <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/8165219n-matt-fink">Matt Fink</a> out of Glendora H.S., alma mater to OC and QB coach Jonathan Smith. He was up for Junior Day this past weekend, and with competing offers from Oregon State and Boise State, there's reason to believe that Fink might pull the trigger for Washington this summer. He doesn't have the gun that Eason possesses, but he has good arm strength, nice touch and deceptive speed - he can hurt you with his feet and is comfortable running a read-option attack.</p>
<p>As for running backs, one of their top prospects is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7325063n-sean-mcgrew">Sean McGrew</a> from St. John Bosco in Bellflower. A smaller back, he has great speed and surprising toughness - he's not just a scatback. He has early interest in UCLA, Cal and Washington and was on hand last year when the Huskies hosted the Bruins. <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7512615n-melquise-stovall">Melquise Stovall</a> of Paraclete H.S. in Lancaster is of similar size, has plenty of speed and has been tremendously productive with over 3,700 rushing yards already in his career. Washington was an early offer for him which made a very big impression on him and he's planning to visit next month. Slightly taller but still on the smaller side is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7728738n-romello-harris">Romello Harris</a> out of Tulare Union H.S. He had a monster season, putting up over 2,500 yards on the ground and 30+ TDs and is very high on the Huskies, and they've seen him up close as he took part in the satellite camp last year at Redlands. On the other end of the size spectrum is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7429476n-beau-bisharat">Beau Bisharat</a> from Jesuit H.S. in Carmichael, a bruising downhill runner that could also get looks at LB. He has a range of offers from much of the Pac-12 plus Nebraska and interest from USC & LSU. Washington, ASU, Boise State, Cal, USC are all standing out to him at this point.</p>
<p>Getting some beef for the DL is always a priority, but those prospects are tough to come by. Washington currently has a couple of offers out in California along the d-line: a rising 4-star prospect considering the Huskies is DE <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7642292n-oluwole-betiku">Oluwole Betiku</a> of Junipero Serra H.S. in Gardena. A native of Nigeria, he's fairly new to football and still coming to grips with the recruiting process, but he's already formed a strong interest in the Huskies and is planning to visit. USC is on him and will be a major player, and he has interest in seeing a number of other schools including Florida State, Miami (FL) and Notre Dame, but the Huskies have a chance of making a big impression on him with Petersen's "Built For Life" philosophy. The other prospect with an offer is DT <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/6842920n-boss-tagaloa">Boss Tagaloa</a> from De La Salle H.S. in Concord. He's got good size already at 6'3" and 295 lbs, and he combines that with terrific quickness and room to grow. He's a 4-star and generally considered the top DT prospect in the west; he's got a huge offer sheet including SEC powerhouse Alabama, but the early indications are UCLA is the team to beat.</p>
<p>Besides Kelly, the coaching staff has a number of other offers out to LBs - their top MLB target is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7335129n-lokeni-toailoa">Lokeni Toailoa</a> out of Carter H.S. in Rialto. Washington will be pushing the academic angle with him, but he grew up a USC fan and UCLA is pushing very hard for him. On the outside, Petersen has offered Frank Martin's teammate <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/8068738n-curtis-robinson">Curtis Robinson</a> of Mater Dei. He's a 4-star prospect in his own right with a long offer list, but Washington was one of the first and they are high on his list of places to visit this summer. He has the size and speed to be considered at WR as well. Also on their list is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7599224n-darrian-franklin">Darrian Franklin</a> of Downey H.S. and he too was offered early by the Huskies. He also has a lot of interest in the L.A. schools as well as Michigan (his dad is originally from Detroit). Another prospect with early interest from the Huskies is Camilo Eifler from Bishop O'Dowd H.S. in Oakland. He has already checked out Washington, and has them in an early top tier with UCLA and Cal; academics are going to be very important for him (his mother is a professor at Cal).</p>
<p>In the back end, Washington has offers out to a couple of corners. One of those is Tyler Vaughn's teammate <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7126824n-trevon-sidney">Trevon Sidney</a> of Bishop Amat H.S. The athletic prospect has played QB on offense and could factor at WR as well. He's putting a lot of emphasis on academics, so Washington will have a puncher's chance against offers from USC, UCLA, Notre Dame, Miami (FL) and others. The other offer is to <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7577997n-treyjohn-butler">Treyjohn Butler</a> of Etiwanda H.S. While Scout.com lists him at CB, he's also getting equal attention from schools as a safety as he combines good speed (10.7 100-meter) with a physical style of play. He has former teammate Michael Neal (2015 signee) in his ear about the Huskies, but he's planning on letting the process play out.</p>
<p>So there you go Husky fans - I know that's a lot of names to digest, and the reality is most of those kids will end up elsewhere. The important takeaway though is that Petersen is not shying away from battling the big boys for top California talent, and he's now had 2+ years of establishing relationships with these kids - ones that wouldn't give him much of a look while he was at Boise - and his "Built For Life" approach is one that resonates with many of these targets. I expect many more offers to go out to California kids through the spring and summer, particularly after they hold their camps (I would anticipate they will once again hold satellite camps in the state) as new names will emerge.</p>
<p>Up next we'll take a look at prospects from the remaining areas - Arizona, Utah, Hawai'i, Texas and Louisiana (yes, the Huskies have an offer out in the Bayou State).</p>
https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2015/2/14/8023877/2016-uw-football-recruiting-california-prospectsKirk DeGrasse2015-02-10T16:00:02-08:002015-02-10T16:00:02-08:002016 UW Football Recruiting: Pacific NW Prospects
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<img alt="ATH Brandon Wellington is already committed for the 2016 class" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8aIbDurNvm5un4HpfID2HEgMRvE=/0x265:1728x1417/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45635192/14390622436_f26ffe220b_o.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>ATH Brandon Wellington is already committed for the 2016 class | <a href='http://www.studentsports.com/''>Student Sports</a></figcaption>
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<p>A look ahead to the next recruiting cycle for Husky football - who are the names to know as the work on the 2016 recruiting class begins in earnest? In Part 1, we take a closer look at the PNW prospects on the Husky recruiting radar...</p> <p>Signing Day for 2015 is still fresh on the minds for many college football fans, but it's never too early to look ahead to the <i>next</i> recruiting cycle and see who the Huskies are targeting. Recruiting is a year-round job, and while the coaching staff was working hard to finalize the 2015 class, they were also busy evaluating film and handing out offers for 2016 (and even 2017). In Part 1 of this series we'll take a look at the prospects Washington has reportedly offered for next year out of the Pacific Northwest Region:</p>
<h4>Washington:</h4>
<p>Husky fans are always eager to see the program lock up the top prospects in-state, and so far Petersen is batting .500. The big name of course is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/184429-jacob-eason">Jacob "Skinny" Eason</a>, a 4-star QB out of Lake Stevens H.S. who is being talked about in the same light as past stars such as Chris Chandler, Billy Joe Hobert, Drew Bledsoe, Brock Huard and Max Browne as possibly one of - if not <i>the</i> - best QB prospects to come out of the state. Eason drew a ton of recruiting attention after his sophomore season with offers from schools like Alabama, Florida State, Florida, Miami (FL) and Tennessee. Petersen held off offering as he had a policy of wanting to see QB prospects throw in his camps first before offering, and some close to Eason were a bit bothered that the hometown school was holding back while big-time SEC schools weren't. Michigan, Notre Dame and Oklahoma State all extended offers before Petersen followed suit, having watched him at the UW's Rising Stars camp. He ended up <a target="_blank" href="http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2014/7/19/5919295/top-2016-washington-high-school-prospect-commits-to-wrong-dawgs">committing to Georgia </a>less than a month after that Husky offer, and despite attending nearly every Husky home game in 2014 and many practices, has remained firm in that commitment even in the wake of the departure of Georgia OC Mike Bobo (point man on his recruitment) to take over at Colorado State. Washington hasn't stopped recruiting Eason, but they are starting to look at other QB options for this class.</p>
<p>ATH <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7077221n-brandon-wellington">Brandon Wellington</a> out of Eastside Catholic H.S. was the first prospect to jump on board for the 2016 class, committing this past August. He's well-built, very physically talented and is thought by some thought to be the top prospect in the state this past year regardless of class - heady praise when considering guys like Benning Potoa'e, Henry Roberts, Myles Gaskin, Austin Joyner, Brett Rypien, Trey Adams and more in the 2015 class and Eason in the 2016 class. He projects at both RB and LB, and the guess is that he'll get his first crack on defense.</p>
<p>Also with offers currently are CB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/6986330n-isaiah-gilchrist">Isaiah Gilchrist </a>out of Bellevue H.S., S <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/6995438n-taylor-rapp">Taylor Rapp</a> out of Sehome H.S. and DE <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7998507n-amandre-williams">Amandre Williams</a> out of Tahoma H.S. All three are guys that could add their name to the commit list over the next few months as all of them have a very strong interest in the Huskies, though Gilchrist and Rapp might opt to let the process play out a bit as they both boast some significant offers elsewhere and could decide they want to take some visits before closing things down. Williams is an intriguing guy - projected as a DE or BUCK for the UW, he's been playing QB on offense and has posted some big numbers there. His future is on defense though.</p>
<p>Some other notable recruits in state include LB <a target="_blank" href="http://recruiting.scout.com/player/6750917n-joel-dublanko">Joel Dublanko</a> out of Aberdeen H.S., TE <a target="_blank" href="http://recruiting.scout.com/player/6986292n-isaac-garcia">Isaac Garcia</a> out of Bellevue H.S and his teammates WR <a target="_blank" href="http://recruiting.scout.com/player/8202027n-tyson-penn">Tyson Penn</a> and ATH <a target="_blank" href="http://recruiting.scout.com/player/6986333n-justus-rogers">Justus Rogers</a>, QB <a target="_blank" href="http://recruiting.scout.com/player/6581473n-harley-kirsch">Harley Kirsch</a> from Eastside Catholic H.S., DE/OLB <a target="_blank" href="http://recruiting.scout.com/player/7578035n-evan-weaver">Evan Weaver</a> out of Gonzaga Prep and OL <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/173311-jared-goldwire">Jared Goldwire</a> from Kentwood H.S. Dublanko has received a lot of interest from around the country but no offer yet from the Dawgs - they may be waiting to see him in camp this summer before offering, as there's some thought he might be outgrowing LB, and they may want to see him up close to decide where he'd fit. Garcia is a recent transplant from Fontana, CA and is a lifelong USC fan, so it was no surprise when he committed early to the Trojans. Penn has terrific size at 6'4" but not a lot of opportunities to catch the ball in the Wolverine offense, so hitting the camp circuit this off-season could be big for his recruitment. Rogers plays QB for Bellevue but will likely play S at the college level and will also look to show his versatility in camps this summer. Kirsch had a big season for the state champs and has an offer from Wyoming. Weaver has strong interest already from WSU and Boise State - not surprising given their proximity. Goldwire is a big guy with a lot of potential - the question is how much he really wants to play.</p>
<p>A few guys are starting to emerge as the 2016 recruiting cycle officially kicks off, including Husky legacy <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7088855n-eric-briscoe-jr">Eric Briscoe Jr.</a> out of Davis H.S. in Yakima - he made the trip west for Junior Day and his recruiting could really pick up quickly with a strong showing this summer in the camp circuit. He currently plays WR and S, but has the size to grow into a LB prospect. LB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/190141-erik-glueck/recruiting">Erik Glueck</a> out of Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma also made the trip. He's got the size you like to see as a MIK LB at ~6'2", 220 lbs. He has an offer from Ohio and interest from Oregon, WSU, Boise State and a few Ivy League schools. Another prospect making the trip for Junior Day was LB/DE <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/8381644n-lakota-wills">Lakota Wills</a> out of Richland H.S. He's waiting on his first offer and is hearing from the NW schools.</p>
<h4>Oregon:</h4>
<p>Our neighbors to the south don't produce as many FBS prospects as in our neck of the woods, and those they do produce can be hard to pry away from the Ducks. That hasn't stopped Petersen from trying though, as LB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7690841n-lamar-winston">Lamar Winston</a> from Central Catholic H.S. in Portland and TE <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/8285349n-cam-mccormick">Cam McCormick</a> from Summit H.S. in Bend both have offers from the Huskies. While both predictably put a lot of value in their offers from Oregon, they also both express a real interest in Washington. Both made the trip up north this past weekend for UW's Junior Day which is encouraging. Winston is a taller, rangy kid with good hands, while McCormick has a classic TE frame and could end up one of the top prospects at that position on the west coast.</p>
<p>Another Oregon product that made the visit to Seattle was OL <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7889893n-conner-crist">Connor Crist</a> from Tigard H.S. He projects as an interior player, and in a fairly lean year for OL prospects out of the NW, he's going to get a long look from Washington. He does not currently have an offer, so he may need to hit the camp circuit this summer to get that ball rolling. Also getting attention is DL <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/8310033n-osa-odighizuwa">Osa Odighizuwa</a> out of David Douglas H.S. in Portland. He's the younger brother of UCLA player Owamagbe Odighizuwa, and the Bruins have stepped up with an early offer for Osa along with Boise State.</p>
<h4>Idaho:</h4>
<p><strike>While the Gem State isn't known for producing a lot of football prospects, Chris Petersen spent over a decade mining talent out of the region and with his deep connections there will continue to try to find undiscovered diamonds.</strike> Sorry, let's just move on to the prospects...</p>
<p>There currently don't appear to be any Idaho players with offers from Washington, but there is at least one guy to keep an eye on in LB <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/8263204n-kenton-bartlett">Kenton Bartlett</a> out of Centennial H.S. in Boise. He was unable to make the trip for Junior Day, but has the attention of the coaching staff and is the type of player that could benefit from hitting the Rising Stars camp this summer to boost his stock.</p>
<h4>2017 Prospects:</h4>
<p>While the main attention has shifted to 2016 recruiting, the coaches are also looking down the road and have issued a few offers already for the 2017 class. Headlining that list is OL <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/183469-foster-sarell/recruiting">Foster Sarell</a> out of Graham Kapowsin H.S. in Graham, WA. He's got the size to play college football already and has offers from Washington, UCLA, Oregon State and Boise State. Before it's all over his recruitment could rival - or surpass - past standouts such as Josh Garnett and Steve Schilling, and is almost certainly going to be a national-level recruit. He reportedly grew up a Husky fan, but is expected to take a deliberate approach to his decision. He was among a number of 2017 prospects at Junior Day this weekend. Landing him would be a major get for Petersen.</p>
<p>It's already looking like a banner year for OL prospects in-state for 2017 as there are at least 3 other FBS level prospects emerging. Fellow OL prospect <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7830225n-henry-bainivalu">Henry Bainivalu</a> out of Skyline H.S. also was on hand, and it paid off as he received his first offer from Petersen. I would expect several more offers to start coming in on the heels of that news. The other two 2017 OL prospects in the house were <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7565771n-cody-kanouse">Cody Kanouse</a> out of Peninsula H.S. in Gig Harbor and <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/8381292n-brody-mcknight">Brody McKnight</a> from Eastside Catholic H.S. Kanouse has all the size you love to see at nearly 6'8" and close to 300 lbs - he just needs to continue to work on his fundamentals and show enough quickness to start getting FBS offers. He and McKnight have plenty of time to impress coaches.</p>
<p>It's not just linemen in the 2017 class though - ATH <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7502065n-salvon-ahmed">Salvon Ahmed</a> out of Juanita H.S. in Kirkland is the 3rd in-state player with an offer. He projects as a slot WR/RB on offense and a DB on defense. He has terrific speed. Last but definitely not least is <a target="_blank" href="http://washington.scout.com/player/7855266n-elijah-molden">Elijah Molden</a> out of West Linn H.S. in West Linn, OR. The son of former Oregon standout and NFL CB Alex Molden, he's an early 4-star recruit and is already getting national attention in addition to his offers from Washington and Oregon.</p>
https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2015/2/10/7988035/2016-uw-football-recruiting-a-look-ahead-part-1-brandon-wellington-jacob-eason-foster-sarellKirk DeGrasse