Washington’s cornerbacks coach John Richardson and safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri appear intent on bringing in an elite class of defensive backs in the Huskies’ 2025 recruiting class. The pair have scheduled official visits with eight defensive backs, by far the most of any position group set to take a trip to Seattle this summer.
The Huskies could see multiple experienced members of the secondary depart after the 2024 season, with seniors Kamren Fabiculanan and Thaddeus Dixon utilizing their final year of eligibility. Juniors Ephesians Prysock and Elijah Jackson could also test the waters of the NFL draft with successful campaigns.
Washington has some promising younger players waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves, but that won’t stop Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff from stacking recruiting classes.
If Richardson and Sunseri can secure commitments from a few of the blue-chip recruits they’ll be hosting in the coming months, it could be very beneficial for the future of defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s scheme, which asks its cornerbacks to play a significant amount of man coverage.
The staff’s focus on the secondary seems to indicate that Belichick might have plans for Washington to build its defensive identity through the backend, preaching the theory that tight coverage gives what will be an inexperienced pass rush more time to get after the quarterback.
After the Huskies spent a good majority of their time under defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake attempting to establish themselves as “defensive back university” or DBU, the coaching staff Fisch has hired could help the Huskies return to their former glory.