Tag: Washington Huskies Recruiting

Former Arizona State star receiver visits Washington

The Washington Huskies appear to be turning to a former Arizona State Sun Devil to bolster their wide receivers.

The Washington Huskies are looking for reinforcements all over the roster and are turning to the transfer portal in search of another wide receiver, as former Arizona State Sun Devils star Elijhah Badger.

ASU beat writer Anthony Totri reported that Badger was visiting Washington on Monday afternoon, which the former four-star recruit confirmed on his Instagram story.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Badger has led the Sun Devils in receiving yards in each of the last two seasons and tallied 142 receptions for 1,640 yards and 10 touchdowns over his four years in Tempe. He added 3 rushing touchdowns to his total and would be an intriguing piece for coach Jedd Fisch’s offense.

A versatile player, Badger can line up in the slot or on the outside of the formation and would give the Huskies an extremely exciting group of receivers for the upcoming season. If he were to commit to Washington, he would likely be asked to start in the slot alongside sophomore Denzel Boston and California transfer Jeremiah Hunter.

Fisch and offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll would also find significant roles for senior Giles Jackson and redshirt freshmen Keith Reynolds and Rashid Williams, who have all turned in solid performances so far during spring practice, which could create one of the better groups of receivers in the Big Ten.

If the coaching staff can secure a commitment from Badger in the coming days, he would round out Washington’s receiving corps and allow the coaching staff to focus on the offensive line, which is still in need of extra help.

Washington adds transfer lineman Logan Sagapolu from Miami

The Washington Huskies added another transfer along the offensive line on Monday morning, a former member of both the Miami Hurricanes and Oregon Ducks.

Both head coach Jedd Fisch and quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty told the media after Saturday’s practice that help was on the way for the Washington Huskies along the offensive line. On Monday morning, former Miami offensive lineman Logan Sagapolu announced his commitment to Washington, however, he is rumored to make the switch to defensive tackle on Montlake.

According to 247Sports’ Scott Eklund, Sagapolu is expected to flip sides of the line like former Washington defensive tackle Ulumoo Ale.

After spending the first two years of his college career with the Oregon Ducks, Sagapolu followed coach Mario Cristobal to Miami, where he played in 10 games along the offensive line over his two seasons with the Hurricanes.

The product of Skyridge High School in Lehi, Utah, has two years of eligibility remaining, and the 6-foot-2, 340-pound lineman should add much-needed depth for defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi at nose tackle. Washington lost three defensive tackles after the 2023 season, with Ale and Tuli Letuligasenoa out of eligibility, while Faatui Tuitele chose to medically retire.

Sagapolu gives defensive coordinator Steve Belichick a promising option to deploy in the middle of the defense and also allows the Huskies to pursue another player at the position, like Louisville transfer Jermayne Lole, who also visited UW over the weekend.

Washington adds offensive line depth with Portland State transfer

The Washington Huskies added some much-needed reinforcements to the offensive line on Thursday.

It didn’t take long for offensive lineman D’Angalo Titialii to figure out his next destination after officially entering the transfer portal on Tuesday. Titialii visited Washington’s eighth spring practice on Thursday afternoon, received a scholarship offer from offensive line coach Brennan Carroll, and committed before the day was over.

A 6-foot-4, 285-pound center, Titialii played well for the Vikings in 2023 after making starts at both left guard and right tackle in 2022. He allowed just one sack and earned a 65.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, receiving a 71.2 for his pass blocking and a 66.3 as a run blocker.

Titialii graduated from Eastside Catholic High School in Sammamish, Washington, and appears to be very close with linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala.

The Huskies had just eight healthy offensive linemen for the second straight practice on Thursday and have been in dire need of reinforcements at the position. Titialii will provide experience and bring versatility to Washington’s offensive front and with three years of eligibility remaining, he also adds long-term depth.

Washington should prioritize transfer portal DL Jay Toia

The Washington Huskies will be aggressive in the transfer portal this spring and UCLA defensive lineman Jay Toia would be a perfect target for the team.

It’s no secret that the Washington Huskies will be very active in the spring transfer portal window with eyes on bolstering multiple positions. The defensive line will be one of those focus areas, as the team has already hosted Indiana transfer Philip Bildi on an official visit and will likely also look for other options moving forward.

One of those options should be UCLA defensive lineman Jay Toia, who announced on Thursday his intentions to enter the transfer portal. He was one of the best players on an impressive defensive line that featured future first-round pick and former Husky Laiatu Latu. Toia’s dominant 6-foot-3, 325-pound profile should be a coveted asset for the Huskies at a position of need.

As a junior in 2023, Toia was an impressive player whose impact doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet, as he only amassed four tackles for loss and a sack. Toia didn’t play in UCLA’s 2022 matchup with Washington, so he might not be someone many Husky fans are familiar with.

He’s an excellent run defender who has plenty of upside as a pass-rusher. With alignment versality from a three technique due to his twitch all the way to a nose defender due to his strength, he can offer a defensive line plenty to work with.

Toia has jaw-dropping reps throughout games, where he can completely disrupt what an offense wants to do. With Washington’s current group at the position, adding an explosive interior defender like Toia could further transform the group into one that can compete in the Big Ten.

His addition would add proven production and size to a room that will be expected to carry the load against run heavy teams in the new conference. While it’s unknown at this point if the Huskies will seriously pursue the former UCLA defender, he should be high on their wish list.

Four-star safety from Florida to take official visit to Washington

The Washington Huskies continue to set official visits with top-tier prospects, this time with one of the nation’s top safeties.

Safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri is pushing hard to secure a few top-flight prospects at his position in Washington’s 2025 recruiting class. On Thursday, four-star recruit Ladarian Clardy announced his intentions to take an official visit to Washington thanks to his relationship with the former New England Patriots assistant.

“Coach Sunseri checks up on me and my family every other day,” Clardy told TTJH Sports. “I told him I’m big on relationships and that’s what stands out to me. He’s been reaching out to me, checking up on me, and just showing me that he wants me.”

Clardy, a 6-foot, 175-pound prospect from Escambia High School in Pensacola, Florida, holds 35 offers and is ranked as the nation’s No. 16 safety by 247Sports. He is currently projected to commit to Ole Miss but has quickly built a relationship with Sunseri, who offered him just 10 days ago, on April 8.

Since arriving at Washington, Sunseri has hit the ground running as a recruiter and credited his family, who have some deep ties to college football, for his approach on the recruiting trail.

“My dad [longtime assistant Bill Sunseri] has been doing it for as long as I can remember, my brother [Indiana quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri] has been doing it since he’s been in college for his whole coaching career, and I did it for one year as a graduate assistant at Alabama,” Sunseri said.

“I just want to build relationships with young men and show them that I’m here to help develop them not just on the field, but off the field as well.”

That has clearly paid off with Clardy, who is scheduled to take his official visit to Washington on May 3, when the Huskies will play their spring game.

Two defensive prospects set official visit dates with Washington

The Washington Huskies have added two defensive prospects to their list of official visitors.

The Washington Huskies are looking to add both short and long-term depth to the front seven and set up two official visits on Wednesday afternoon with defensive tackle Jermayne Lole and linebacker Cyrus Polu.

Lole, who has spent the last two years with Louisville after starting his college career at Arizona State, has the experience and production defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi is looking for up front. He was very productive early in his career with the Sun Devils, putting together 71 tackles, 10 for loss, and 6.5 sacks during his sophomore year in 2019.

A much older prospect, Lole missed the 2021 season due to an elbow injury and suffered a triceps tear that ended his 2022 campaign after just one game. Last season with the Cardinals, he recorded 19 tackles, 5 for loss, and 1.5 sacks and will have one year of eligibility remaining.

Lole announced that he will also take visits to Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and USC before he makes his decision.

The Huskies also set a visit with three-star linebacker Cyrus Polu from Desert Hills High School in Saint George, Utah on Wednesday. Ranked as the No. 5 player in the state, he holds 13 offers and is also set to visit Utah in June.

Polu will arrive in Seattle on May 31 and will be part of the coaching staff’s biggest weekend of official visits that is expected to include seven blue-chip recruits. After one of the team’s top targets, four-star Matai Tagoa’i, committed to USC, Polu is expected to take his place on the trip.

Linebackers coach Robert Bala is looking to take two or three high schoolers in the 2025 class and Polu is an interesting prospect to watch as the Huskies also pursue four-stars Christian Thatcher, Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, and Mark Iheanachor.

2025 WR commit Raiden Vines-Bright could be an impact player for Washington

The Washington Huskies secured one of their top targets in the 2025 recruiting class, receiving a commitment from Raiden Vines-Bright but what could he bring to the team for next season and beyond?

The Washington Huskies, led by coach Jedd Fisch, have already become a formidable force on the recruiting trail with some of the team’s recent commits and scheduled visits.  On Monday, the Huskies secured their fourth commitment in the 2025 class, from IMG Academy product Raiden Vines-Bright, a talented receiver who brings high-end speed to the wide receiver position.

Currently, the Huskies’ top receivers include Jeremiah Hunter who will likely be off the NFL after this season, Denzel Boston who is in the midst of a breakout spring campaign, and speedy slot receiver Giles Jackson who will depart the program after 2024.

This will leave the team with holes at receiver come 2025 and the coaching staff has been aggressive in looking for young talent to fill these holes, but Vines-Bright may be the most talented of them all.

Vines-Bright, who has spent the last two years at Corona Del Sol High School in Arizona, transferred to IMG this offseason and will be ready to prove himself against tougher competition.

He made a name for himself last season, racking up over 1,100 yards and averaging nearly 19 yards per catch and should shoot up recruiting rankings this season as he attempts to shine at IMG.

Vines-Bright is a smooth, high-level athlete. As a downfield burner and field stretcher, he routinely reeled in huge chunk plays by beating defenders with his elite speed. By the end of his college career, he may be considered as someone who could run a sub 4.4 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

He isn’t just a straight-line athlete either, he can make special things happen with the ball in his hands. He has excellent lateral agility and an impressive understanding of how to make defenders miss in tight spaces.

Heading into his senior year, Vines-Bright does still need to work on some of the nuances of the wide receiver position. He can easily win downfield with his speed, and this has led to an underdeveloped route tree, something he will have to work on at IMG.

This isn’t to say that he can’t improve, he has elite hip flexibility that will allow him to sink into breaks and explode in different directions. Vines-Bright could very easily and quickly turn this area of his game into a strength.

It’s possible that Vines-Bright may never be a threat for contested catches downfield and that shouldn’t be a concern as many players with his level of speed don’t need that element of their game, since they can win downfield with separation. He has shown the beginnings of above average ball tracking, but like his route running, he will need to continue to hone his game in that area.

The Huskies appear to feel that Vines-Bright could be a massive piece of the team’s offense going forward as he could potentially grow into a number one target with alignment versatility.

With added weight and strength onto his frame in the future, he certainly has a chance to become the latest star wide receiver to grace Husky Stadium.

Breaking down four-star Washington CB target Daryus Dixson

Cornerback is being heavily recruited by the Washington football staff in the 2025 class and Daryus Dixson is near the top of that list.

New Washington Huskies cornerbacks coach John Richardson has already established himself as one of the best in the country at his role after overseeing the development of both Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis at Arizona.

Both players blossomed under his tutelage and he will now be searching for the future of the Huskies cornerback room, a spot that traditionally, has been a strong spot for the team. The coaching staff has already locked in official visits with five-star Dijon Lee and four-star Adonyss Currie. and could also receive a visit from four-star Mater Dei product Daryus Dixson.

Dixson is a top-75 recruit in the 2025 class and would be a major get for Jedd Fisch as he works to build out his first full recruiting class at Washington.

In terms of the current cornerback room, Prysock, Elijah Jackson, and Davon Banks are thought to be the leaders. With another impactful season it would be assumed that Prysock would make the leap to the NFL. Jackson and Banks are both juniors. meaning the future of the position is very much up for grabs.

It would ideal if the coaching staff can get one or two high profile cornerbacks on the roster by next season so that they could potentially learn from Jackson and Banks as they mature. Dixson is a perfect candidate to take one of those spots and could be an exciting project for the staff.

He is a fascinating study with an incredibly high ceiling, as he possesses elite ball skills with instincts that will translate immediately. His fantastic route recognition and understanding of how to get his hands on passes before they reach the body of the receiver is a blast to watch.

Dixson is the stereotypical definition of a ballhawk, he will fit very well as a boundary or slot corner due the aforementioned traits, elite length, and his willingness to be physical. While that physicality may get him in trouble at times with pass interference calls, as long as he learns to better walk the line it should not be a major issue.

There are multiple paths that his career could take. Due to a lack of overall athleticism, it’s very possible that he could end up making the move to safety depending on the needs of the team he commits to.

As a willing tackler who did play in or near the box with some frequency, it shouldn’t be out of the question that this becomes his full-time role, and his ability to play the ball would not be diminished. As long he adapts well to playing primarily zone coverage well this is a good fit for Dixson over the long term.

His potential versatility and upside are the main reasons the staff appears to be coveting him. While it faces plenty of competition for his services, the pedigree of his potential position coaches could be a major factor that might sway Dixson to Montlake.

Washington sets official visit with four-star WR from IMG Academy

The Washington Huskies have set up an official visit with another four-star wide receiver after losing one of their top targets to the Oregon Ducks.

A new target is emerging for the Washington Huskies at wide receiver after four-star Cooper Perry committed to the Oregon Ducks. It appears that wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings was prepared for the move, as he scheduled an official visit with four-star prospect Donovan Olugbode earlier this week.

Ranked as the nation’s No. 27 wide receiver by 247Sports, he transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, following his freshman season, which he played at Montini Catholic High School in Chicago, Illinois.

He pulled in 31 catches for 561 yards and 5 touchdowns during his junior year and is expected to take a big step forward in his senior season alongside another Husky target, four-star Raiden Vines-Bright.

Assuming Perry will no longer be taking his visit to Seattle, which was set to begin on May 3, Olugbode will take his spot on that trip. He has also set official visits with USC, Oregon, and Missouri as part of his summer plans and one look at his film shows why the 6-foot-1, 200-pound receiver holds 26 scholarship offers.

Olugbode is an impressive route runner for his age, with a fluid lower half and quick feet that allows him to create clean releases off the line of scrimmage and at all levels of the field.

While he doesn’t necessarily have elite long speed, he can certainly run away from second level defenders and create yards after the catch. He also possesses great strength and balance with the ball in his hands, and could be an exciting playmaker with the ball in his hands at the college level.

As Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff searches for two or three high level receivers to add to the class of 2025, Olugbode appears to be a top priority for the Huskies.

Four-Star LB Christian Thatcher is a big target for Washington

The Washington Huskies have a major recruiting weekend planned in May, one of the attendees is talented linebacker Christian Thatcher.

The Washington Huskies and new defensive coordinator Steve Belichick have to be happy with the current state of the linebacker position. With Carson Bruener as one of the team leaders and Alphonzo Tuputala as his running mate, the returning seniors from last year’s dominant team make the position one of the few spots where the Huskies have extensive experience coming into 2024.

However, this doesn’t mean that the coaching staff isn’t looking for ways to upgrade the future of the room. With recruiting efforts in full force, there will be a concerted effort to try to lock in as many visits as possible over the next few months. One of these visits is Las Vegas product and four-star linebacker Christian Thatcher.

Thatcher has garnered major interest from a bevy of programs. With a whopping 30 other offers on the table and three other visits lined up, the Huskies will be facing stiff competition for his services.

That said, the NFL pedigree of the Washington staff should be a major draw for many players, especially those on the defensive side of the ball. Belichick and linebackers coach Robert Bala likely have a plan for how to implement Thatcher into the defense, so selling him on that vision should be a large part of the recruiting pitch.

At the high school level, Thatcher is a game-wrecker for his team’s defense. He can almost singlehandedly shut down the running game and force offenses to shift away from him. His lateral agility and closing speed allow him to get into the backfield and make tackles with ease.

To go along with these impressive traits, he absorbs contact and sorts through trash in the middle of the field effectively to stay involved in the play at all times. As he continues to mature and add weight to his frame, he should be able to play a MIKE linebacker role effectively and slide over to SAM if needed. His display of reps as a blitzer is an added bonus to his profile.

Diagnosing in coverage is one of the areas that Thatcher needs to improve on, most of his highlight plays comes as a run defender and he can easily get drawn into run action. Encouragingly, he is always around the ball which did lead to some impressive plays in those areas, offering hope that he will make strides in that area this season. Finding a balance between solidifying his frame and not sapping too much of his explosiveness will be important as well, as Thatcher adapts to a role at the college level.

Fisch’s staff would be extremely excited if it can to secure Thatcher’s services. Washington has some stiff competition to land his commitment, but an improvement on the defensive side of the ball in 2024 would go a long way to convincing Thatcher to make his way to Montlake.[lawrence-related id=2069]