Tag: Washington Huskies Recruiting

Washington hosts former Maryland C Mady Traore for official visit

The Washington Huskies hosted a promising big man on an official visit over the weekend.

Jedd Fisch wasn’t the only Washington Huskies coach who did some recruiting, as the football team beat USC 26-21. Danny Sprinkle and the basketball team hosted an official visitor with some Big Ten experience, center Mady Traore.

Traore, who currently plays for Frank Phillips College, started his career at New Mexico State during the 2022-23 season and averaged 1.4 points and 0.4 rebounds per game across 7 games. He chose the Aggies over 15 scholarship offers, including Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Oregon, and others.

After playing just 51 minutes as a freshman, the 6-foot-11 Frenchman decided to transfer to Maryland. Then, in his second season, he played 12 games for the Terrapins and averaged 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

Now, with Frank Phillips, Traore has played just one game but posted an impressive 18 points and 13 rebounds. On film, it’s clear why Sprinkle’s coaching staff is interested in his potential.

He has great length, possesses a soft touch around the rim, but also has the athleticism and ball handling skills to run the floor when needed. If he can add some weight to his listed 195-pound frame, he looks like he could be a very useful rotational piece in the Big Ten with tons of upside.

Washington made a huge impression on five-star S Bralan Womack

The Washington Huskies made a big impression on five-star safety Bralan Womack, who has made plans to return to Seattle.

The Washington Huskies have never had a massive recruiting presence in the South, but Jedd Fisch and safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri are shooting for the stars in an attempt to change that in the 2026 class with their recruitment of five-star safety Bralan Womack.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound product of Hartfield Academy in Flowood, Mississippi, took an unofficial visit to Seattle over the weekend to take in the Huskies’ 26-21 victory over USC, thanks in large part to his relationship with the relentless Sunseri.

“What I love most about Coach Vinnie is, although Washington did not make Bralan’s top 10 list, he reached out and said, ‘Hey, I know we didn’t make the list, but all that’s about to change!’” Womack’s mother, Nicole, told Huskies Wire.

That relationship has paid off, as Nicole confirmed that she and her son will return to Montlake over the summer for an official visit.

Sunseri has aimed high on the recruiting trail since he arrived at Washington with a recruiting pitch that has impressed recruits and their families from all over the country.

“Coach Vinnie’s goal is to grow the program, and he knows it takes athletes who know the game and can perform at a high level,” Nicole said. “He’s amazing guy that knows football and is family-oriented.”

Even though Fegans and Clardy both took their talents elsewhere, that hasn’t deterred the former New England Patriots coach, who’s looking to win the battle for Womack, who is ranked as the nation’s No. 2 safety and No. 19 overall player in the 2026 class by the 247Sports Composite.

While the NFL background that Fisch and Sunseri are selling has resonated with Womack’s family, everything that Washington brings to the table off the field wasn’t lost on them over the weekend.

“The campus is beautiful and serene with a lot of character, the views are picturesque,” she continued. “Most importantly, Bralan will be a business major, and the university has so many relationships with major corporations that can assist with internships and building relations. He is excited about that because he is such a people’s person.”

It’s safe to say that Washington’s coaching staff has firmly established itself as a strong contender for Womack’s services.

“Coach Fisch has a wealth of NFL knowledge and knows the potential of the program,” Nicole said. “He is excited to get us back on campus this summer, and we are just as excited!

Huskies crack top 5 for top 2026 offensive line recruit Esun Tafa

The Washington Huskies made the top five for offensive line recruit Esun Tafa, a guard who ranks as one of the top players in Utah in the 2026 class.

The Washington Huskies are officially in the mix for a top 2026 recruit in the state of Utah.

Offensive lineman Esun Tafa, the No. 5 player in the state in 2026 and a four-star recruit in the 247Sports rankings, named the Huskies to his top five schools on Wednesday. The Corner Canyon High School star also included Oregon, Miami, Utah, and BYU on his shortlist.

Tafa stood out over the summer at Utah’s Under Armour Next Camp while working at right tackle, but most recruiting analysts think the 6-foot-4, 305-pounder will move to the inside in college. With a wingspan reportedly nearing 80 inches, however, it’s possible that he could stick on the outside for a team in need of tackle help.

The current high school junior was among Washington’s visitors for a big upset win over Michigan earlier this year but has also seen Oregon beat Ohio State and Texas A&M close out LSU in recent weeks.

He fits Washington’s profile on the line, as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Brennan Carroll has emphasized versatility and size in the trenches so far on Montlake. Most of the Huskies’ offensive linemen are in the 320-pound range, which Tafa could easily get to with a college strength and conditioning program, and can play at least two positions.

A plan similar to that of freshman Paki Finau, who took first-team reps at guard in the spring but has been mentioned as an option at tackle due to injuries, could be in the cards for Tafa as well.

Tafa would be the first recruit from Utah to commit to Jedd Fisch at Washington and just the third commitment in the 2026 class, with running back Ansu Sanoe and kicker CJ Wallace already in the fold.

Four-star power forward names Washington to top 6

The Washington Huskies are among the six teams still in the running for four-star power forward Spencer Ahrens.

Danny Sprinkle and the Washington Huskies coaching staff are looking to make a big impact on the recruiting trail in the 2025 class. In September, Sprinkle extended an offer to four-star power forward Spencer Ahrens, who announced his top six on Tuesday night.

Ahrens, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound prospect from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, plays for Bella Vista Prep in Scottsdale, Arizona, and cut his list of 15 offers to Boise State, Gonzaga, Illinois, San Francisco, Stanford, and Washington.

Ranked as the nation’s No. 76 overall prospect and No. 20 power forward, Ahrens is a promising prospect who looks like he could make an immediate impact at the Power 4 level, but Sprinkle’s staff will have a fight on its hands with another Big Ten team, as Ahrens has received crystal ball projections from both On3 and 247Sports to pick Illinois.

“They really put into perspective what I was looking for,” Ahrens told Rivals’ Jason Jordan of his trip to Illinois in September. “I really liked the area and their style of play. They really showed me specifically how they would use me and their plan for me if I were to come there. Then, I knew someone on the team, so it felt even more welcome on the visit. It was fun.”

He went on to say that he was looking to take a few more visits, which could include Washington. If Ahrens were to choose the Huskies, he would join four-star guard Courtland Muldrew in the 2025 class.

Washington offers top 2025 junior college defensive back recruit

Washington got in the mix for one of the top junior college players in the nation on Tuesday when they offered corner Keshawn Davila.

The Washington Huskies continue to search far and wide for recruits under head coach Jedd Fisch.

On Tuesday, the Huskies dipped into the junior college ranks, offering Northwest Mississippi cornerback Keshawn Davila. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound prospect is ranked as the No. 2 cornerback in the junior college class of 2025 according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Washington’s offer came in about an hour after Davila announced a top seven of Florida, Arkansas, Iowa, Michigan State, Utah, Arizona State, and Virginia Tech Tuesday morning. That list already reflected growing interest in his services, as his top eight earlier in October consisted of only four of those seven schools in addition to Boise State, Illinois, SMU, and Washington State.

Davila took an official visit to Iowa last weekend and is planning to visit Florida and Arkansas in the coming weeks. He has two interceptions this season for the Rangers, both of which were returned for touchdowns.

Originally from Florida, Davila graduated high school in 2022 and has played two seasons for Northwest Mississippi, leaving him with two years of eligibility and a redshirt year coming into 2025. He also has garnered interest at multiple positions, as some schools are interested in moving him to safety.

Washington can point to the recent success of junior college transfer cornerback Thaddeus Dixon, who was named to the PFF Big Ten Team of the Week following the Huskies’ loss to Indiana, in their recruiting pitch. The Huskies have traditionally not utilized the junior college ranks often, largely because there are not many programs near Washington’s campus.

The Huskies have two high school corners committed in the 2025 class – D’Aryhian Clemons and Ramonz Adams – and do not have any players at the position out of eligibility after the season. Dixon and Elijah Jackson could decline their COVID season, however, and junior Ephesians Prysock is a name to watch for the NFL once the season wraps up.

Four-star 2025 WR sets official visit Washington for USC matchup

The Washington Huskies will host one of the best wide receiver prospects in Florida on an official visit on Saturday.

(This story has been updated with new information)

With just two home games remaining, the Washington Huskies coaching staff only has a few more opportunities to show potential recruits what game day at Husky Stadium is like. One recruit that will get a chance to experience that is four-star wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery.

A 6-foot-1, 165-pound 2025 prospect from Miami Central High School in Florida, Montgomery has been committed to coach Billy Napier and the Florida Gators since late August but is exploring his options. He is ranked as the No. 21 wide receiver and No. 181 overall recruit by the 247Sports Composite and has set up a trio of official visits for November, starting with Washington.

Montgomery announced on Instagram that he’s planning on visiting Seattle over the weekend to watch coach Jedd Fisch and the Huskies take on USC, which will be followed by trips to Ole Miss on Nov. 9 and Alabama on Nov. 16.

After originally announcing the trips as “tentative,” he told On3’s Keith Niebuhr on Monday evening that they would all be official visits.

Wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings has made it clear that not only does he want to add one more pass catcher to his 2025 class, but that he wants that player to be a high-ranking flip. Montgomery and four-star Michigan commit Andrew Marsh appear to be his two top targets, either of which would be a big win for Washington’s class and Fisch’s efforts to expand the school’s recruiting footprint.

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Four-star Washington commit projected to flip to Oregon

The Washington Huskies may have trouble hanging on to one of their top recruits, as the Oregon Ducks are hot on his trail.

Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies coaching staff have put together a promising recruiting class in its first full year on Montlake, which ranks No. 18 by 247Sports’ rankings. One of the prizes of the class is four-star tight end Vander Ploog from Troy High School in California, who ranks as the nation’s No. 23 player at the position and No. 242 overall prospect in the 2025 class.

However, it looks like tight ends coach Jordan Paopao may have his work cut out for him to retain Ploog’s services.

On Sunday, recruiting experts at both 247Sports and On3 logged predictions for the 6-foot-6, 223-pound recruit to flip his commitment to Oregon. Ploog took an official visit to Eugene over the weekend, taking in coach Dan Lanning’s 38-9 win over Illinois.

Ploog has taken two unofficial visits to Washington during the season, taking in the Huskies’ wins over Northwestern and Michigan, and could return for one of the team’s two home games in November.

Washington offers rising 2026 DL from Tennessee

The Washington Huskies extended an offer to a promising defensive lineman from Tennessee.

The Washington Huskies‘ never-ending quest to add top-end talent to Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff to Tennessee on Friday, as the Huskies extended an offer to three-star 2026 edge rusher Yahya Gaad.

A product of South Gibson High School in Medina, Tennessee, Gaad is listed at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds and added Washington’s scholarship to a trio of SEC offers: Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State.

Gaad’s great size allows him to be deployed with his hand in the dirt or as a standup edge rusher, and he excels in both spots. He identifies plays quickly and never loses sight of the ball carrier, getting off the line of scrimmage quickly and using his impressive athleticism to get into the backfield in a flash.

Like a lot of high school defensive linemen, Gaad still has some work to do with his hand-fighting technique and needs to add a few pass rush moves before he may be a consistent player at the college level, something that defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi has helped develop with Washington’s front in his first year on Montlake.

Gaad’s high school film shows he has all the tools necessary to be a successful defensive lineman with a few years of development, something the Huskies are desperately looking to add as they continue to build their roster for the Big Ten.

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Four-star Washington commit Zaydrius Rainey-Sale showcases exciting potential

The Washington Huskies have a promising playmaker in the fold in four-star linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, who showed off his complete skillset on his midseason film.

When Jedd Fisch convinced the No. 1 player in Washington, four-star linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, to stay home and choose the Huskies, it was his biggest win in the 2025 class. The nation’s No. 10 linebacker and No. 128 overall player is the highest-ranked player in Fisch’s class and has shown it throughout the first half of his senior season.

Rainey-Sale, who is committed to playing in the Adidas All-American Bowl in January, has been a standout on both sides at Bethel High School. As a linebacker, where his long-term future is, he shows tremendous power as a tackler, a great feel for running lanes, and natural instincts in coverage that consistently put him in a position to make a play on the ball.

At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, he lines up all over the formation as both an inside and outside linebacker and could see a usage similar to fellow local product Alphonzo Tuputala in defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s scheme once he enrolls at Washington, which could as early as January to participate in winter conditioning.

He also lines up at wide receiver and displays impressive ball-tracking ability, along with exceptional athleticism for his size. With Tuputala, Carson Bruener, and Drew Fowler all graduating at the end of the season, Belichick and linebackers coach Robert Bala could rely heavily on Rainey-Sale in his first year on campus, just like the Huskies have leaned on freshman Khmori House in 2024.

Washington offers 2025 three-star Alabama DL commit

The Washington Huskies are pursuing a defensive line product that is currently committed to Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The two most recent coaches of the Washington Huskies are going head-to-head on the recruiting trail for three-star prospect London Simmons after coach Jedd Fisch and the current UW staff extended an offer to the product of Hartfield Academy in Flowood, Mississippi, on Tuesday.

Simmons, who is ranked as the nation’s No. 44 defensive lineman in the 2025 class by 247Sports, is committed to coach Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide and has been since June following his official visit to Tuscaloosa. He holds 13 offers and chose the Crimson Tide over Arkansas, Florida State, LSU, and others.

Offering the 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive tackle this late in the recruiting cycle shows that, like at wide receiver, Fisch’s coaching staff is looking for at least one more player at the position in the 2025 class while also continuing its effort to expand its recruiting footprint.

Simmons is also teammates with five-star 2026 safety Bralan Womack, who has scheduled an unofficial visit to Seattle for November 2 when the Huskies take on USC.

Defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi has four commits, all ranked as three-stars, in the 2025 class: Devin Hyde, Victor Sanchez Hernandez, Caleb Smith, and Dominic Macon.

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