Tag: Washington Huskies Recruiting

Four-star Auburn-Riverside ATH joins list of June 21 official visitors

The Washington Huskies are set to host four-star athlete Jonathan Epperson on an official visit on June 21.

Under Kalen DeBoer’s regime, it appeared the Washington Huskies were the favorites to land in-state four-star recruit Jonathan Epperson’s commitment.

The 6-foot, 210-pound prospect attends Auburn-Riverside High School and is ranked as the nation’s No. 13 athlete and No. 2 prospect in the state of Washington and was very high on the previous staff’s list of targets in 2025.

After DeBoer spurned Washington for Alabama, Epperson held off on announcing his commitment and appears to have reemerged as a Husky target. Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff re-offered him in February and have gotten him to take an official visit to Montlake on June 21, when he was initially slated to visit Arkansas.

Epperson, who will also visit Arizona on June 14, projects as a linebacker at the college level but could play a unique role in defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s scheme. His speed and range could allow him to drop back to strong safety or potentially even over to nickel at times.

Linebackers coach Robert Bala has done an impressive job recruiting the position and has put himself in a spot to take three or even four of the nation’s top talents at the position. He hosted four-star prospects Madden Faraimo and Matai Tagoa’i on May 31 for official visits and with Epperson, he’ll have another star-studded cast coming in on June 21.

The Huskies are also expecting four-star linebacker prospects Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, Christian Thatcher, and Mark Iheanachor to take their official visits that weekend. If Bala can earn commitments from all three plus Epperson, that would end up being an extremely impressive first class for him during his tenure in Seattle.

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Four-star safety Anquon Fegans sets commitment date, names top four

The Washington Huskies appear to be out of the race for four-star safety Anquon Fegans.

One of the more shocking official visitors the Washington Huskies are set to host in June is four-star safety Anqon Fegans. The nation’s No. 9 safety and No. 98 overall prospect attends Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama, which isn’t typically a big area of emphasis for the Washington coaching staff.

But coach Jedd Fisch and safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri have gone to every corner of the country to bring the best talent to Montlake, and did an impressive job developing a relationship with Fegans.

The staff even convinced him to take an official visit to Seattle on June 21 but after his announcement on Wednesday morning, that trip may not be taken.

Fegans took to X (formerly Twitter) to declare that he will be announcing his college commitment on July 29 and with it, he displayed the top four schools he is considering. Washington didn’t make the cut and Fegans will be choosing between three Tigers: Auburn, Clemson, and LSU, along with the Georgia Bulldogs.

Sunseri has still done an impressive job building relationships with some of the nation’s top safeties and even if Fegans doesn’t make the trip on June 21, he will still host two talented three-star prospects that weekend, Aiden Manutai and Rylon Dillard-Allen.

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Three-star edge rusher Devin Hyde could be a solid contributor for Washington

The Washington Huskies are looking to lock in some commitments soon and edge rusher Devin Hyde may be one of those priority targets.

The Washington Huskies have kicked recruiting into high gear over the past few weeks with official visits galore, hoping that a slew of commitments are coming down the pipeline.

One of Washington’s targets is three-star edge rusher Devin Hyde, whose announcement could be on the horizon. During the program’s enormous recruiting event, Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff hosted the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Hyde along with 15 other recruits.

The Huskies have a fairly loaded edge rusher room so targeting underrated players who could turn into contributors down the line is a great strategy for this class. Hyde had jaw-dropping production last season at Menlo-Atherton High School with almost 100 tackles, 21 for loss, and 10 sacks. He will look to improve these numbers as a senior.

Hyde was a black hole for his team’s defense last season, ball carriers always seemed to come into his orbit, and he would swallow them up. While not the most athletically gifted player, his power profile will be the driving force for his potential success.

He possesses an excellent bullrush and with some potential pass-rush moves and counters added to his game, he could become a solid pass rusher. Due to his athletic limitations, however, he may never be able to become a star in that department.

Hyde could make his living as a run defender. He is excellent at flowing to the ball and understands pursuit angles in a way younger players do not. His non-stop motor keeps him involved with every play and allows him to rack up tackles. With some added mass and strength to his frame, he could easily dominate reps from the edge rusher position.

If he were to commit to Washington, the Huskies may never need to count on Hyde to be a full-time starter, but they could do much worse when it comes to adding rotational rushers who can fill a niche.

It’s also possible that with coaching from Washington’s loaded defensive staff, the Huskies could unlock more potential from Hyde that he hasn’t been able to show in high school. Hyde is an ideal target to help round out the depth in Fisch’s first full recruiting class in Seattle.

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Four-star small forward sets official visit with Washington

The Washington Huskies set an official visit with four-star forward Jasir Rencher on Tuesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, On3’s Joe Tipton reported that four-star small forward Jasir Rencher of Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco set three official visits for this fall.

The nation’s No. 9 prospect in California and No. 88 player in the nation according to 247Sports holds 22 offers and is set to visit Oklahoma on September 7, Washington on October 5, and LSU on October 12.

According to On3’s recruiting prediction machine, coach Danny Sprinkle the Huskies are the favorites to secure the 6-foot-5, 195-pound Rencher’s services and will be getting him on campus at the right time. Washington football will be preparing to host the Michigan Wolverines in a national championship rematch that day, which should provide the necessary atmosphere for his visit.

Rencher isn’t the only product of Archbishop Riordan the Washington program is recruiting either, as coach Jedd Fisch and the football team are also hot on the trail of four-star wide receiver Chris Lawson.

Early in his tenure, Sprinkle has done an impressive job on the recruiting trail, retaining four-star guard Zoom Diallo and flipping four-star guard Jase Butler from Illinois. With a lot of players in their final year of eligibility on the 2024 roster, he could rely heavily on the high school ranks going forward.

Hard-hitting linebacker Madden Faraimo could dominate at Washington

The talented Madden Faraimo visited the Huskies this past weekend and is a major target for the staff and for good reason, he can immediately raise the ceiling of a defense as a freshman.

With the Washington Huskies recruiting weekend extravaganza in the books, it’s now a waiting game to see which players who visited the program will end up committing to Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff. Linebacker has been a focus for the staff with the two incumbent starters Alphonzo Tuputala and Carson Bruener both in their final year of eligibility. With two other seniors behind them set to depart too, there is also a lack of depth meaning that next season, plenty of opportunities will be available to younger players.

Coach Jedd Fisch is pushing to secure a commitment from the top in-state prospect, four-star linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, but is also looking for other reinforcements at the position. Four-star JSerra Catholic product Madden Faraimo was one of the 16 players to take an official visit to the school last weekend and would make for an impressive duo with Rainey-Sale.

Faraimo does not belong on the field with other high school athletes, he has a sturdy build with even more room to add weight to his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame when he gets to the college. It looks like he could easily carry close to 240 pounds if that is his preferred playing weight.

When on the field, Faraimo makes sure to make offensive players aware of just how big he is, routinely laying bone-shaking hits on receivers and punishing running backs who find gaps in the defensive line. College-ready defenders are a rare commodity and Faraimo pairs excellent instincts with a drool-worthy frame.

Improving in coverage will be Faraimo’s main task in college, he does have some experience in coverage but much of it comes from a safety position. He even got some reps as the single-high safety, which is uncommon for larger linebackers. As he matures and continues to develop his instincts, learning to drop into coverage from the linebacker position will be integral. The physical and athletic traits he possesses should make this transition even easier.

Faraimo has the versatility to fill all three linebackers’ positions. Right away his best fit may be at SAM for his run-defending prowess but as he becomes more comfortable with the speed of the college game, a move to MIKE should absolutely be feasible.

For the Huskies, getting a player of Faraimo’s high floor and high-ceiling skillset should be a major priority for the team. He already feels like someone who has an NFL future and should only continue to improve with improved coaching and more of a focus on a traditional linebacker mold.

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Four-star Washington EDGE target sets commitment date

The Washington Huskies are high on four-star edge rusher CJ May’s list, who has set a date for his commitment.

The Washington Huskies quickly developed a strong relationship with four-star edge rusher CJ May after Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff took over in late January. Now, he is set to announce his commitment on July 14.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound product of Highland Home High School in Alabama decommitted from Notre Dame in February and holds 23 scholarship offers from some of the nation’s top programs, including Auburn, Georgia, Miami, and Penn State. Among those 23, a few are standing out.

In May, the nation’s No. 16 edge rusher and No.145 overall prospect according to 247Sports took official visits to Washington and Louisville and could set up one or two more before the end of June. 247Sports insider David Johnson put in a crystal ball prediction for May to end up with coach Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss, but he has yet to take an official visit to Oxford.

Defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi is looking for two or three projectable edge rushers in the 2025 class and May certainly fits the bill of what he’s looking for.

With a year or two in a college weight room, he could thrive in defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s scheme and it appears the Huskies have a good chance at landing the coveted prospect.

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Three-star safety Rylon Dillard-Allen includes Washington in top 4

2025 safety recruit Rylon Dillard-Allen, a consensus three-star, included Washington in his top four schools in a post on X on Monday.

Three-star safety Rylon Dillard-Allen announced his top four schools on Monday afternoon, including the Huskies in an illustrious group vying for the 2025 prospect’s commitment.

Dillard-Allen whittled his list down to Washington, Texas A&M, Alabama, and UCLA in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The standout safety at Mountain Pointe (Ariz.) High School committed to Arizona State in April, but reopened his recruitment in mid-May, opening the door for Jedd Fisch and his staff, namely safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri, to make another push.

Dillard-Allen told On3 that he hopes to be committed by late July. Washington was in contention for his commitment during the first round of his recruitment, even after Kalen DeBoer’s staff left for Alabama. Fisch’s staff had also offered the then in-state Dillard-Allen during his time at Arizona before making the move north, where it continued to prioritize the lightning-quick prospect.

Fisch also added Steve Belichick to his staff, who has already proven to be a draw for recruits looking for NFL experience. Dillard-Allen called the Huskies’ defensive coordinator a “standout” when speaking to On3 about his top four.

Dillard-Allen also mentioned the defensive background of Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko and the fact that UCLA is the only school offering him an opportunity to play nickel as rationale for including them in his top four.

Four-star Washington WR target sets commitment date

The Washington Huskies are zeroing in on four-star wide receiver Chris Lawson, who will announce his commitment soon.

Among Washington’s 16 official visitors from the May 31 weekend was four-star wide receiver Chris Lawson. The product of Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco, California, has been one of Washington’s top targets for a long time, even before Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff took over.

Lawson’s relationship with the school continued when wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings came to Seattle, as the new position coach was also heavily recruiting him during his time at Arizona.

On Sunday, following the conclusion of his visit, the nation’s No. 24 wide receiver and No. 217 overall player cut his list of 24 scholarship offers down to three. The final three are somewhat unsurprising, as they’re also the three schools that earned official visits from him: Washington, Oregon, and California.

Lawson, who is set to visit Oregon on June 7 and Cal on June 14, also set his commitment date for June 21 in the same announcement. It appears this could come down to the Huskies and Ducks, and should be a good test for Cummings.

Coach Dan Lanning already has three four-star receivers committed in the 2025 class, while Cummings has just one pledge, three-star Raiden Vines-Bright, to this point. That could change soon if the Huskies, who also hosted four-stars Andrew Marsh and Phillip Bell on official visits over the weekend, can land Lawson along with at least one of the two other visitors.

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Washington official visit impressed three-star edge rusher Devin Hyde

The Washington Huskies made a strong impression on three-star edge rusher Devin Hyde.

Defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi is looking to pull in some of the nation’s top high school talent as part of the Washington Huskies’ 2025 recruiting class. Among his top targets is three-star edge rusher Devin Hyde, who took his official visit to Seattle over the weekend.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Hyde, a product of Menlo-Atherton High School in California, is ranked as the nation’s No. 51 edge rusher and could be nearing his college decision. He visited UCLA in early May and will take a trip to nearby California on June 7, and could announce his commitment at any point.

Hyde has taken multiple unofficial visits to Washington and appears to be impressed by what Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff has to offer.

“I think the way that coach Fisch set up the presentations about what’s at Washington and what it can give for us was executed immensely well and really impressed me,” Hyde told Tyler Harden of TTJH Sports.

As the coaching staff continues to build the 2025 class, Hyde is a name to watch as Kaufusi looks to add two or potentially three edge rushers.

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Belichick breaks out Super Bowl rings for Washington’s official visitors

The Washington Huskies defensive coordinator broke out his NFL hardware for Washington’s official visitors.

Since he arrived in Seattle, Jedd Fisch has been branding the Washington Huskies as the “33rd NFL team” and hired former New England Patriots playcaller Steve Belichick as his defensive coordinator to hammer the point home.

With Washington’s coaching staff hosting 16 official visitors over the weekend, Belichick sent the ultimate message about his credentials as he prepares for his first season at the college level.

Multiple current Husky players and official visitors took to social media wearing Belichick’s Super Bowl rings as the Huskies pulled out all the stops in an attempt to add to the 2025 class. All five of Washington’s commits are on the offensive side of the ball, and the coaching staff will need to add a significant amount of pieces to the defense, expecting a large turnover in 2025.

Six of the nine four-star recruits on campus are defensive prospects, headlined by five-star cornerback Dijon Lee, four-star linebacker Matai Tagoa’i, and four-star corner Daryus Dixson, who are all ranked inside 247Sports’ top 100.

Even though Washington has yet to receive a commitment from the weekend, making a strong first impression on a lot of these recruits that are set to visit some of the nation’s other top programs in the coming weeks is very important and there are few better ways to do that than with the most coveted prize in football.

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