The Washington Huskies and head coach Jedd Fisch took an unfortunate but not unexpected loss on the recruiting trail on Saturday after defensive back Ladarian Clardy committed to Ole Miss. Clardy was a top target for the coaching staff and would have been a transformative player in the secondary, even as a freshman.
“It’s a dream come true. All my life, this is what I’ve been grinding for. It means so much to commit to an SEC program. It’s a dream come true,” Clardy told the Pensacola News Journal. “I just love Ole Miss – everything about them. It just felt like it was another home. Lane Kiffin, he’s my guy. The fans, the atmosphere, everything, it’s good. … They’ve got the No. 1 defense in college right now. So why not? I’m a DB, so why not go?”
The Huskies could have used his services as they could lose several players in the backend of the defense after this season concludes.
Clardy offered plenty of upside with his level of athleticism and twitch, but the team must now pivot to other defensive targets to fill up the rest of the class. However, Clardy’s commitment to Ole Miss may not be the end of his recruitment, expect a battle up until signing day as Clardy has signaled excitement about a recent offer from LSU, calling the Tigers his “dream school.”
For the Huskies, it does strike a blow to their recruiting class, but it is nothing that Fisch and his staff can’t handle. The team currently sits at No. 19 in the country for the 2025 class, an impressive feat considering where the program was after Kalen DeBoer departed.
Fisch and company still have plenty of time to move that ranking up as early signing day in December continues to approach.
With future defensive stars Zaydrius Rainey-Sale and Jonathan Epperson committed, the team should be in great shape despite Clardy deciding to stay closer to home.
It will be key to have younger players move into larger roles next season, as veterans Cameron Broussard, Ephesians Prysock, and Carson Bruener could all be moving on in 2025.
The Huskies will take on Northwestern on Saturday as they look to get back on track after a devastating loss in the Apple Cup.