Tag: Washington Huskies Recruiting

What is Washington getting in 2026 RB Ansu Sanoe?

The Washington Huskies’ newest commit, 2026 running back Ansu Sanoe could be a future superstar in a Husky uniform, what should fans expect when he arrives on campus?

Very few of the top players in the 2026 class have announced their college destination as of yet, but the Washington Huskies and coach Jedd Fisch secured a pledge from one of the best players in the Northwest and a top-100 player in the country Ansu Sanoe.

While it’s still early and the staff must continue to keep Sanoe in the fold for the next two seasons, he provides an excellent foundation for recruiting classes to come. Sanoe is listed as an athlete but he projects as a running back, a spot offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll has made sure is strong going forward.

 

The future of the running backs room includes 2024 signee Adam Mohammed and 2025 commit Julian McMahan who could form a formidable trio with Sanoe and secure an excellent succession line for years to come. The three all bring different skillsets to an offense that should feature the running backs heavily both on the ground and in the passing game.

Sanoe ran for over 600 yards as a sophomore and will be looking to build on that over the next two seasons. His game resembles current Husky running back Jonah Coleman, so it’s no surprise that the team heavily recruited him.

As a power-focused, downhill back, Sanoe rarely goes down on first contact and is adept at letting the blocks develop in front of him before aggressively hitting holes. He shrugs off arm tackle attempts and routinely drags defenders with him for extra yards.

He’s not the most athletically gifted running back, but he still possesses solid build-up speed that can allow him to break off big runs here and there. He does however show solid quickness to get to the edge and occasionally make defenders miss.

There seems to be more ability in his game to get twitchier and as only a sophomore, there is plenty of room for him to grow. Washington had to be drooling over his frame which looks college-ready right now and will only continue to develop over the next two seasons.

While we are still multiple years away from Sanoe joining the program, there should be plenty of hope that he can be a contributor right away due to his size and power profile.

Washington lands 2026 commitment from the top player in Oregon

The Washington Huskies earned a huge commitment to kick off the class of 2026.

Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies earned their biggest win yet on the recruiting trail on Thursday morning, securing a commitment from four-star running back Ansu Sanoe. The No. 1 player in the state of Oregon and No. 98 player in the country according to 247 Sports becomes the first player to join Washington’s 2026 class.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Sanoe, a product of Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego, Oregon, chose the Huskies over 12 other offers including Georgia, Miami, Oregon, and Tennessee.

Sanoe took his first visit to Washington in March and within days, multiple recruiting experts predicted that he would land with Fisch and the Huskies. Washington’s coaching staff was pushing hard to land his services during its time at Arizona, and the move to Seattle appears to have made recruiting easier for multiple position coaches.

Running backs coach Scottie Graham has been one of the most vocal members of the staff on social media and appears to have done a very good job building a relationship with Sanoe.

While there is still quite a long way to go until he is able to sign and he’s certainly going to pick up some notable offers along the way, earning a commitment from a top 100 player with this type of upside should build a significant amount of momentum for the staff as it continues to recruit the 2025 class.

What could Washington be getting in five-star cornerback Dijon Lee?

Talented five-star cornerback Dijon Lee will be taking an official visit to Washington in May, what could the team be getting in the highly-rated prospect?

In the modern recruiting era, the Washington Huskies have managed to land just six five-star recruits. Many of the past coaches including Kalen DeBoer, Chris Petersen, and to some extent, Jimmy Lake, had their way of recruiting that often was contrary to players inside the top 100.

There is no doubt that head coach Jedd Fisch also has his preferences in terms of players that the school is targeting, and he appears to want nothing short of the best. His coaching staff recently scheduled an official visit with elite cornerback Dijon Lee who hails from Mission Viejo High School and is ranked as the No. 23 player in the country according to the 247 Sports Composite.

Cornerbacks coach John Richardson, who followed Fisch from Arizona, has already has shown an ability to develop his position extremely well. Ephesians Prysock, who is now also at Washington, and Tacario Davis were two of the best cornerbacks in the country last season at Arizona and if he were to secure a commitment from Lee, he could follow a similar development path.

Richardson has shown an affinity for much longer and taller corners than average, criteria that Lee fulfills at nearly 6-foot-4. Securing his commitment would give Richardson a new project with a wildly talented player who could play an enormous role in the future of the Washington defense.

Lee possesses all of the traits you could dream of in a cornerback. At his size, he is extremely fluid and shows excellent instincts, especially in zone coverage. Lee is a screen destroyer who can blow up plays before they get going.

His wide receiver background shows up on defense as he runs routes for receivers and stays attached to their hip at all times. Not only does he have the mental aspects needed to play the position, his athleticism explodes off the screen.

Twitchy defensive backs at his size are extraordinarily rare and he could be a ball hawk at college that teams are terrified to throw at. Getting him into defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s system could be a great fit for both sides.

Washington’s top in-state prospect sets official visit to UW

The top prospect in the state of Washington has set an official visit with his hometown school.

After Kalen DeBoer’s coaching staff departed for Alabama in January, it appeared the Washington Huskies might take a backseat in the recruitment of four-star linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale. The product of Bethel High School in Spanaway, Washington, had committed to the Huskies on the morning of the national championship but backed off following DeBoer’s departure.

Now, the nation’s No. 112 overall prospect and top player in the state has confirmed that he is still interested in his hometown school, scheduling an official visit with Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff for June 7. Rainey-Sale also set trips to Florida State, Arizona State, and UCLA on Tuesday.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Rainey-Sale is an extremely explosive athlete on film. He lines up all over the formation for Bethel and displays impressive speed that helps him get after quarterbacks as an edge rusher and blow up running plays before they can develop at inside linebacker.

Rainey-Sale appears to have a future at either position but would probably be most effective at inside linebacker, while lining up on the edge in certain packages or acting as a delayed blitzer. Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick would be able to do a lot of different things with the four-star prospect and it appears the Huskies might be the favorites to land his commitment once again.

247 Sports insider Tom Loy put in a crystal ball projection for Rainey-Sale to commit to Washington on March 27 and although the Huskies have some strong competition, the selling point of early playing time could be what gets him to reaffirm his commitment.

2026 top 100 prospect receives crystal ball projection to Washington

The Washington Huskies have been projected to land a commitment from a top 100 player in the class of 2026, who also happens to be the top overall player in the state of Oregon.

Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies coaching staff got some good news on Tuesday morning, as multiple recruiting experts put in crystal ball projections for 2026 prospect Ansu Sanoe to commit to Washington.

247 Sports’ national insiders Brandon Huffman, Blair Angulo, and Greg Biggins, along with Oregon State insider Angie Machado all projected Sanoe, the nation’s No. 96 overall player in the class of 2026, to land with the Huskies.

Sanoe, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound athlete out of Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego, Oregon, is the top player in the state and holds offers from some of the nation’s elite programs, including Georgia, Miami, Oregon, and Tennessee. He had previously been projected to choose Oregon State and if the projection were to come true, this would be a big win for running backs coach Scottie Graham.

He projects out as a running back at the college with elite size and impressive athleticism. As he continues to improve at the high school level, he could be a candidate to play immediately as a freshman.

If he were to commit soon, the Huskies would have a long way to go until signing day, but his commitment would signal that the relationships Fisch’s staff have been developing are beginning to pay off.

2025 Top-100 prospect Andrew Marsh to visit Washington

The Washington Huskies spring and summer recruiting is in full swing with visits from top prospects lined up, including wide receiver Andrew Marsh.

The Washington Huskies coaching staff is kicking recruiting the 2025 class into high gear over the next few months, attempting to get a sizable head start before the season starts in the fall. Late May is shaping up to be a pivotal time for the first full class under head coach Jedd Fisch.

With numerous elite prospects visiting campus during that time, the potential to reel in an elite recruiting class that Washington has never seen is starting to look more and more like a possibility. One of these players that has locked in a visit is Texas wideout Andrew Marsh who is rated as the No. 66 player in the country.

Wide receiver is a complicated position to sort out in terms of incoming recruits, incumbent talent, and any potential future commits. Outside of Jeremiah Hunter, Giles Jackson, and Denzel Boston, there is little clarity on who will be the future of the position once the older players depart.

This means that bringing on more talent in the next recruiting class will be paramount to ensuring there are enough weapons for the offense to work with. Getting a player of Marsh’s caliber in the fold next season may give the Huskies a future star at a position with a high level of uncertainty.

Marsh is one of the players that every coaching staff in the country would love to have on their team. He is an effortless long strider who can build up speed very quickly even though it may look like he is not running at full capacity.

As a route runner, he has room for development, as he doesn’t run a full route tree yet and highlight plays come from improvisation that won’t always work at the next level. That said, he has an excellent ability to sink his hips and explode out of his routes, something that gives him a very high ceiling as a separator against college corners.

Speed and athleticism aren’t everything though. Marsh possesses elite grip strength to pull in tough catches in traffic or along the sideline. For a high school player in his junior year, he shows elite ball tracking and body control to help bail his quarterback out of bad throws.

Pairing him with a quarterback in college who can consistently put it on or near his frame (think Dermaricus Davis or Demond Williams) could provide elite returns in the future.

While far from a sure thing, getting Marsh in purple and gold would be a huge win for the coaching staff. Being able to go into Texas and pull a top 10 player in the state would help Fisch further his reputation as an elite recruiter and would bring an elite player in the program.

Anquon Fegans could play a unique role in Washington’s defense

The Washington Huskies can deploy safety Anquon Fegans differently than any other team in college football.

While the Washington Huskies might not be the favorites to land four-star safety Anquon Fegans out of Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama, they have a sales pitch that no other school in the nation does. Thanks to defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, the Huskies can utilize the nation’s No. 92 overall player in a way unlike any other.

Fegans, who is listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, has a similar frame to one of New England’s best defensive players in recent years, safety Kyle Dugger. Matching Belichick with Fegans, if he were to commit to Washington, would be an exciting match for both.

“The scheme will fit the players,” Belichick said during his press conference last week. “Whatever they’re good at, we’ll find a way to make it work.”

If Fegans were in the room, it would be easy to ask him to play a role similar to what Dugger has done in New England and then some.

In run support, as he continues to add weight and muscle to his frame, Fegans has the chance to be the same sort of player as Dugger against the run. He can line up in the box, has great eyes and is able to identify gaps quickly before making strong tackles, wrapping up ball carriers before they can pick up a head of steam.

Where Belichick would really be able to utilize Fegans is in pass coverage, as he displays better range and ball skills than the Patriots star, while also showing a willingness to come down and play man coverage anywhere in the formation. He’s also an incredibly gifted defender in zone coverage who has become very good at baiting quarterbacks into making difficult throws.

Belichick did a great job playing to player’s strengths during his time in New England, with one of his biggest accomplishments being revitalizing the career of safety Jabrill Peppers. With the opportunity to develop Fegans and play to his strengths right away at the college level, he could help turn him into one of the best safeties in the country.

Top 10 WR prospect sets official visit date with Washington

The Washington Huskies have added a fourth official visitor ranked inside 247 Sports’ top 100 prospects.

The Washington Huskies scheduled an official visit on Friday with one of the nation’s top wide receivers, four-star Andrew Marsh.

Texas produces some of the top football players in the county and the product of Jordan High School is certainly one of them. He’s ranked as the No. 66 player in the 2025 class by 247 Sports, and as the No. 7. wide receiver.

Marsh is a dual sport standout, as he also shines in track & field, displaying an impressive 6-foot-6 high jump. He had an impressive junior season on the football field, pulling in 65 receptions for 1158 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.

He holds 36 offers from most of the nation’s elite programs and has scheduled official visits to USC, Penn State, Oklahoma, and Texas along with Washington.

The 6-foot-1, 176-pound receiver has been clocked at a 4.46 40-yard dash and has already accrued an impressive collection of accolades. Some include being named an MVP at Under Armor’s All-American camp in Houston, as well as being named the District 19 6A Newcomer of the Year, a huge achievement in Texas’ premier division.

He was also selected to the District 19 6A All District team last season and will be looking to build on his strong campaign in 2024. Wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings is looking to put together a strong class in 2025 and if he can secure a commitment from Marsh, that would be a huge statement from Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff.

Belichick’s personality could turn him into an elite recruiter for Washington

Steve Belichick’s personality has shined through early on in his tenure at Washington, which could help him on the recruiting trail.

Just two months into his time as the Washington Huskies’ defensive coordinator, Steve Belichick has shown a lot of personality. After an appearance on the Green Light Podcast with Chris Long, the former New England Patriots staffer went viral during his first press conference when he was asked how he was different from his father, eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick.

“I have a job and he doesn’t, and he knows it,” Belichick told members of the media during a luncheon on Wednesday.

While that comment alone displays a vast difference from his father, he also has to take on a new challenge coming to college after spending 12 seasons with the Patriots. Recruiting is a key part of sustained success at the college level, therefore it’s a large part of every coach’s job, which Belichick said he is aware of, but still adjusting to.

“FaceTiming high school kids has been new,” Belichick said. “It didn’t feel natural at first, but I can talk to people so once I got over the mental block of doing that, I started getting the hang of it.”

Recruits seem to agree, as four-star linebacker Christian Thatcher claimed he was the first player Belichick called, and seemed to enjoy the defensive coordinator’s sense of humor.

“It was a really funny conversation,” Thatcher said. “He started with ‘I guess I have to ask you how school is and all that.’ We have hit it off really well and I can’t wait to meet him in person.”

Belichick appears to be a very promising hire for Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff, as he’s bringing one of the best defensive schemes from the NFL with him and if he can prove that he can help bring in top tier recruits too, he could quickly establish himself as one of the best defensive coordinators in the Big Ten.

Washington lands official visit with top California offensive lineman

The Washington Huskies set an official visit date with one of the nation’s top offensive linemen.

One of the best offensive linemen in the country has announced his intentions to visit coach Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies. Four-star Champ Taulealea, a product of Valley Christian High School in San Jose, California, announced his intentions to visit Seattle on May 3, while the Huskies have their spring game

The 6-foot-4 330-pound prospect is ranked as the nation’s No. 14 interior lineman by 247 Sports and played both sides of the ball last season, but should stick along the offensive line at the college level. While he primary plays tackle, he is expected to be moved to guard to fit his style of play and physicality on the field.

Taulealea is one of the most sought-after 2025 prospects and coach Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans are also in hot pursuit of his services, as he also lined up an official visit to Los Angeles on May 17

He currently holds 16 offers from some of the nation’s top programs, some of the most notable being Georgia, Florida, Penn State, Auburn and Texas, and recently won one of the top performer All-Star awards at the Polynesian Bowl Combine and Showcase. He was also selected to participate in the 2025 Polynesian Bowl.