Tag: Washington Huskies Recruiting

Washington makes top seven for 3-star CB LaRue Zamorano

The Washington Huskies are in contention for a promising cornerback from California, who released his top seven schools list on Tuesday.

The Washington Huskies are making a push to add some of the best defensive backs on the West Coast in the 2025 class and cornerbacks coach John Richardson got some good news from one of his priority targets on Tuesday afternoon.

Three-star cornerback LaRue Zamorano announced his top schools list, trimming his options down to seven, including the Huskies along with Arizona, Kansas, Michigan State, Oregon, Penn State, and USC. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound product of Centennial High School is ranked as the nation’s No. 34 cornerback and No. 36 player in California.

Zamorano has three official visits lined up for the summer, with a trip to Utah set for May 31 and USC for June 7 before he travels to Seattle on June 21.

“What’s important to me is the relationship they have to have for me and also my family,” he told Trojans Wire’s Donovan James. “Because this is a family decision. My family has to trust the program and the coaching staff with my life. I’m leaving my mother’s nest and my mother’s giving me to them.”

Zamorano would be a promising addition to Washington’s 2025 class, as his film shows a strong tackler with good length, athleticism, and ball skills.

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Enormous Washington OL target Demetri Manning has a high ceiling

Players of Demetri Manning’s size and potential are hard to come by and Washington is firmly involved in his recruitment, but what could his future on Montlake look like?

Seeing a high school player listed at 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds piques the interest of anyone, especially the Washington Huskies coaching staff, which have made sure to schedule a visit with Demetri Manning. There are very few players at any level of football with that hulking size.

Manning, a product of nearby Bellevue High School, possesses an 83-inch wingspan which is half an inch longer than New York Jets first-round pick Olu Fashanu. His rare size immediately makes coaches salivate over the type of player they can mold him into.

Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Brennan Carroll is no exception, as his track record with offensive linemen such as Jordan Morgan speaks for itself.

Manning is a fascinating prospect mainly due to the raw talent that surrounds his gigantic frame. In a fully run-based offense, Manning has very little experience as pass blocker which will limit his ability to make an impact in college in first few years.

He’s a tricky player to project, as some of the 16 teams who have offered him could feel he is a better guard, but it’s rare to see someone of his height play on the inside due to the potential obstruction of the quarterback’s line of sight. This will come into play at Washington due to the smaller stature of quarterback of the future Demond Williams.

However, Manning’s frame and movement skills project well to tackle in a vacuum. There will be a steep learning curve for Manning as it’s unlikely he has ever been asked to take vertical sets or climb the pass rush arc against talented rushers.

His frame is not all positives though, as some time in a college weight room should reduce bad weight in his lower half and add good weight in his upper half, which could do wonders for his profile. If he is listed at 340, it should not be out of the realm of possibility that he ends up playing around 325 pounds to maximize his potential athleticism.

As a run blocker, Manning can get out and run, but he has a tendency to lose steam as reps get drawn out, something that will likely improve going forward. This creates optimism that he could become a serviceable and potentially above-average pass blocker in the future, though it may never be his strength. The strength he possesses is enhanced due to the smaller size of players he is up against, but his bulldozing mentality will easily translate to the college level.

As a three-star prospect, Manning is not going to be expected to come in and be an instant contributor, which will be ideal for him. Schools outside of Washington interested in him include Miami and Oregon, two schools with coaching staffs with excellent track records along the offensive line.

This signals that Manning possesses a significant amount of potential, but also that teams view him as a massive project. If Washington can land him during this recruiting cycle, it could be an investment that pays major dividends in later years.

Washington offers four-star OL prospect from New Jersey

The Washington Huskies have waded into uncharted waters in search of extra support along the offensive line.

New Jersey is unfamiliar territory for almost everybody involved with the Washington Huskies. The exception is coach Jedd Fisch, who grew up in Livingston, New Jersey, and attended Hanover Park High School. 30 years later, he’s returned to offer four-star offensive lineman Malachi Goodman.

A 6-foot-5, 315-pound prospect from Paramus Catholic High School, Goodman is one of the more sought-after trench prospects in the 2025 class. Ranked as the No. 8 interior lineman in the nation and No. 112 overall player by 247Sports, he holds 27 offers and already has a full schedule of visits lined up:

Offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll is still looking looking for three or four more offensive linemen to join the 2025 class and while chances appear to be slim with Goodman, Washington’s offer is intriguing.

It signals that the coaching staff is willing to continue stepping outside of Washington’s normal recruiting footprint, as it has given out offers in Oklahoma, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida, and more. It could also mean that Washington feels good about potentially getting Goodman on campus for an official visit despite his full schedule, which would also improve the staff’s chances in what could already be a solid class up front.

The Huskies appear to be doing well with four-star prospects Douglas Utu and Champ Taulealea, along with three-star prospect John Mills. Adding Goodmand and two of those three would make a strong offensive line class, when combined with three-star commit Jake Flores.

Washington offers 5-star 2026 QB from California

The Washington Huskies extended an offer to the No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 class.

The Washington Huskies have taken an aggressive approach on the recruiting trail and are looking to bring in top talent in the 2025 class and beyond. On Friday, coach Jedd Fisch was looking beyond as he extended a scholarship offer to five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, who is one of the nation’s top players in the 2026 class.

Lyons is ranked as the No. 9 player in the country, the No. 2 quarterback, and the No. 2 player in California by the 247Sports Composite. A 6-foot-3, 215-pound product of Folsom High School, Lyons threw for 3,578 yards and 38 touchdowns during his first year as a starter, rushing for an additional 929 yards and 23 scores.

As a sophomore, he assumed the starting duties for the Bulldogs, taking over for quarterback Austin Mack after the former four-star recruit decided to reclassify and enroll for the 2023 season at Washington.

Lyons holds 27 scholarship offers from some of the nation’s best programs, including Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, and USC. The Trojans could have an upper hand in his recruitment, as his brother Walker, a former four-star tight end, plays for coach Lincoln Riley in Los Angeles.

Fisch and quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty have their sights set on some of the nation’s best signal callers in the 2026 class and hosted top 100 players Brady Smigiel and Jaden O’Neal on unofficial visits during spring practice.

Washington is heavily involved with two four-star receivers

The Washington Huskies have established strong connections with two four-star receivers, one who took his official visit for the spring game and another who is set to visit at the end of May.

Wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings has made sure the Washington Huskies are heavily involved with some of the nation’s top prospects at the position in the 2025 class. On Wednesday, Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff got some good news from a few of those recruits.

First, four-star wide receiver Donovan Olugbode released a list of his top five schools, including the Huskies with USC, Oregon, Missouri, and Florida as the teams competing for his services. Cummings has established a strong relationship with the product of IMG Academy and got him on campus for an official visit during the team’s spring game.

The Huskies have also secured a commitment from his IMG teammate, Raiden Vines-Bright, and could be selling Olugbode on reuniting with his running mate at the college level.

As the coaching staff attempts to add three receivers to the 2025 class, he isn’t the only pass catcher the Huskies are pursuing.

Four-star athlete Dylan Robinson also released his summer plans and included Washington among his four official visits. The nation’s No. 10 athlete has also set visit dates with Utah, Notre Dame, and UCLA, and will travel to Seattle on Fisch’s biggest weekend of visitors on May 31.

Robinson, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound product of Bonita High School in La Verne, California, will be flanked by a bevy of other top receiver talents as four-star receivers Andrew Marsh, Chris Lawson, and Phillip Bell are all set to take their official visits during the same weekend.

Washington football adds second QB in 2025 class

The Washington Huskies added some depth to the quarterbacks room by taking a second 2025 prospect at the position.

The Washington Huskies have found a way to ensure long-term depth at quarterback. While coach Jedd Fisch is still looking to add an experienced option to the room for 2024, since there are just two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, he’s added a promising long-term prospect in Treston Kini McMillan.

A three-star quarterback from Mililani High School in Hawaii, McMillan is ranked as the nation’s No. 39 prospect at the position by 247Sports and is a good depth piece to have behind three-star commit Dash Beierly.

Last season’s Gatorade Player of the Year in Hawaii, McMillan is a 5-foot-10, 210-pound dual-threat quarterback with intriguing upside.

He gives quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty a talented athlete to work with after throwing for 3,521 yards and 42 touchdowns during his junior season. McMillan added 575 yards and 11 scores on the ground and will have plenty of time to develop as he sits behind Demond Williams, who is presumed to take over the starting job in 2025.

Assuming Fisch is able to secure a quarterback with some experience from the transfer portal for the upcoming season, there will be a few players ahead of him on the depth chart for the foreseeable future.

Washington four-star TE target Vander Ploog has a promising future

The Washington Huskies have found a promising prospect in four-star TE Vander Ploog, who recently took his official visit to Seattle.

The Washington Huskies and tight ends coach Jordan Paopao are looking to make a major splash at the position in the 2025 recruiting class. One of Paopao’s top targets is four-star tight end Vander Ploog from Troy High School in Fullerton, California.

Ploog, who is ranked as the nation’s No. 14 TE by 247Sports took his official visit to Washington over the weekend for the team’s spring game and is set to take trips to Utah, California, and Arizona State this summer before making his decision. Washington needs to add multiple bodies at tight end and the 6-foot-6, 210-pound prospect is a promising developmental prospect.

An impressive athlete who runs very well but certainly needs to add weight, he has the potential to be a big factor in coach Jedd Fisch’s offense, which loves to utilize its tight ends. He has a lot of experience running routes as a wide receiver and has shown he can make plays in traffic.

As he continues to develop a more extensive route tree, add weight, and refine his run blocking technique, Ploog has shown that his ceiling is as high as anyone’s at the position. Paopao has shown to be one of the nation’s best developers of talent, placing 10 tight ends in the NFL since he started coaching the position in 2013.

Ploog has as much upside as anyone Paopao has coached at the position and with Fisch’s strong emphasis on pulling in what he called the “best class in school history,” Ploog has become a priority target for the coaching staff and would be an intriguing add to the 2025 class. [lawrence-related id=3277]

Four-Star RB Jordan Washington has a bright future on Montlake

The Washington Huskies secured a huge commitment on Sunday in former Arizona running back Jordan Washington whose electric speed will immediately impact the team.

After Washington’s spring game on Friday, Jedd Fisch mentioned that the Huskies are close to the 85-man scholarship limit, suggesting a few players hadn’t committed publicly.

One of those players is former Arizona running back Jordan Washington, the Wildcats’ highest-rated commit in the 2024 class. Washington, who committed to the Huskies on Sunday, is a speedy running back who finished second in California in the 100-meter dash, with a personal best 10.24 time in the event. While running back wasn’t necessarily a need for the team, the potential future pairing of fellow freshman Adam Mohammed and Washington was too much to pass up.

A top-200 player in 2024, Washington will immediately step into the running back competition in some capacity. He also racked up 50 catches during his senior year to go with his 800 rushing yards for an average of over 10 yards per carry. This tremendous production should translate into efficiency at the college level.

On the field, Washington was a complete mismatch for any high school player. His ability to accelerate is unmatched, as being able to reach his top speed so quickly when taking a simple swing route out of the backfield creates problems for a defense.

He can outrun any linebacker that is matched up against him, and his productivity as a receiver gives him a high floor entering the college level. Despite his smaller size, he could easily carve out a role as a dangerous weapon out of the backfield.

Currently, Washington is much more of a playmaker than a true running back, but that isn’t a bad thing. As just a true freshman, Washington will have plenty of time to develop his game.

Running backs coach Scottie Graham should help him focus on utilizing more lateral cuts as his speed won’t allow him to win the same way in college. Developing his vision will go a long way to improving his game as well. Getting to the outside will be a large part of his winning formula where stretch runs and pitches will be his friend in Seattle, while adding weight to become more serviceable between the tackles will drastically increase the likelihood that Washington can be a three-down back.

Washington is a rare freshman that would very easily compete for a hefty role on most teams. That is not necessarily the case with the Huskies, as the ultra-talented duo of Jonah Coleman and Cameron Davis are on top the depth chart. Even behind them, Mohammed has impressed this spring and has likely earned carries this season. That said, the talent that Washington brings is going to be tough for Fisch and company to keep off the field for long.

Arizona transfer Jordan Washington brings elite speed to Washington’s backfield

The Washington Huskies added an exciting transfer to the running backs room in former Arizona signee Jordan Washington.

The Arizona Wildcats brought in three four-star recruits in the 2024 class. After running back Jordan Washington announced his commitment to Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies on Sunday, all three have followed him to Montlake.

Washington, who enrolled early, stayed in Tucson through spring practice before making the move to Seattle, where he becomes the tenth player from Fisch’s 2024 class to follow him and will round out running backs coach Scottie Graham’s room.

Even though he might not see the field for more than four games during his freshman year, Washington should quickly gain a reputation as one of the most exciting ball carriers in the Big Ten. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound running back was ranked No. 17 at his position in the 2024 class and brings game-breaking speed to the Huskies’ backfield.

Washington was also one of California’s top track athletes during his time at Jordan High School, clocking a personal-best 10.31 100m dash, but he doesn’t just possess straight line speed. He also brings impressive vision to the table and can accelerate in an instant, as he doesn’t need much space to break into the second level of the defense.

If he can add 10-15 pounds to his frame while retaining his speed and athleticism, Washington and fellow freshman Adam Mohammed have a chance to be one of the best combinations of running backs in the Big Ten. [lawrence-related id=3143]

Old Dominion transfer Chris Adams is a promising tackle prospect

The Washington Huskies made a major move to bring in more offensive line help with transfer Chris Adams. What can the team expect from him this upcoming season?

The Washington Huskies have had a major need along the offensive line since the moment the 2023 season ended. The team has now lost all five starters and is looking to break in an entirely new group. As spring practice winds down, only one spot is truly locked down with San Diego State transfer Drew Azzopardi managing right tackle.

The coaching staff has made it clear that it planned to tap into the transfer portal again to bolster the group and did so on Wednesday when Old Dominion transfer Chris Adams announced his commitment to Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff.

Adams didn’t receive much hype when he entered the transfer portal but was quietly one of the more experienced players available after starting 13 games last season.

At a listed 6-foot-6 and 286 pounds, Adams is not the ideal size for a tackle weight-wise, but that isn’t to say that he doesn’t have promising tools for offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll.

If he can manage to add good weight to his frame, he should be more than capable of standing up to Big Ten edge rushers. The ability to bring in a junior who has the level of experience that Adams has is a rare opportunity that the coaching staff has to be thrilled about.

Adams has little tape against non-Sun Belt competition and began last season at right tackle, where he looked extremely uncomfortable at times. Balance was a key reason for his struggles, as he wasn’t able to maintain blocks effectively and was often knocked to the ground. Adams did show promising flashes of potential, displaying that he could climb the pass-rush arc effectively with good initial power from his hands.

It’s rare to witness the change that occurred for Adams when he transitioned from right to left tackle, where he will likely fit in for the Huskies. He blossomed in the nine games he played on the left side, looking much more comfortable sitting back in his stance in pass protection, controlling the rep rather than being thrown off balance so early on.

While he doesn’t produce a ton of push in the run game, he can at the very least maintain the integrity of lanes for an adequate amount of time. The running game will definitely be an area of focus as he develops at Washington, one of the reasons it’s very important that he bolsters his frame.

Maintaining the level of play Adams displayed during the latter half of the season against Big Ten competition will be the main driver of his success next season.

At the very worst, Adams will give the coaching staff a depth option at left tackle as redshirt freshmen Soane Faasolo and Elishah Jackett have both struggled at times during spring practice.

In an ideal world, Adams will be able to claim the starting left tackle spot during fall camp and never look back. The more likely outcome is somewhere in between, as he may struggle as he faces a higher level of competition, but should get better as the year progresses.