Tag: Washington Huskies Recruiting

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]

Washington locks in official visit with three-star DL Isaiah White

The Washington Huskies continue to lock in visit after visit, this time with defensive lineman Isaiah White from Indianapolis.

Even with spring practice underway, the Washington Huskies coaching staff is still recruiting at full capacity. There has been no hesitation by coach Jedd Fisch to scout the entire country either, looking for the best players that the Huskies can reel in.

Fisch turned his eye to the Midwest this week, securing an official visit beginning on June 21 from Isaiah White. White is a product of Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is ranked as the nation’s No. 118 defensive lineman by 247 Sports.

With the lack of depth along the defensive line, it’s no surprise that this is a point of emphasis for position coach Jason Kaufusi. White has offers from eight other schools including Boston College, Michigan State, and West Virginia, while Washington is the first West Coast team to show interest in the 6-foot-3, 270-pound prospect.

During his junior year, White racked up 11.5 tackles for loss and was a force in the middle of his team’s defensive line. He has so much room to grow into his frame and could play multiple spots along the defensive line depending on the path he chooses.

Length is one of the most valuable assets for a defensive lineman and White easily checks that box. He’s able to disengage from blocks and lunge to ballcarriers with ease. In fact, most of his 2023 production came in this manner.

At this point, White is a much better run defender than pass rusher. This is to be expected for such a young player, due to the need for developed pass rush moves in that area. He doesn’t have the ability to win as a pass-rusher outside of pure straight rushes yet, but he’s able to collapse the pocket effectively, which is an important foundational trait.

For now, White is best thought of as a run defending three-technique but could move further inside and could make more of an impact if he can gain good weight on his impressive frame.

This season will be important for White, he is now receiving major interest from numerous high-profile programs, so posting a dominant season will go a long way to helping him earn a large role when he steps on a college campus.

The Huskies are looking to be the team that he ends up choosing, as White would be an exciting commitment for Fisch. He would not only net them an impressive player, but would begin to encroach on Big Ten recruiting territory, which will be critical as the Huskies make the move to the conference.

Washington lands a commitment from one of the nation’s top specialists

The Washington Huskies have found their kicker of the future in a top prospect from St. John Bosco.

The Washington Huskies appear to have found their kicker of the future, as Jedd Fisch and his coaching staff landed a commitment from 2026 prospect CJ Wallace on Monday morning. Wallace, who attends St. John Bosco High School, becomes the second member of the 2026 class alongside four-star running back Ansu Sanoe.

While the world of kicking and special teams can be somewhat hard to gauge, it appears Wallace will be asked to step in as a starter during his freshman season as kicker Grady Gross will utilize his final season of eligibility in 2025.

Wallace is ranked as a 4 1/2-star prospect by Chris Sailer kicking and as the No. 4 player in the nation at his position in 2026.

“CJ is an excellent young high school kicking prospect. He is a great-looking athlete with a strong leg who does an outstanding job on field goals,” Sailer’s analysis says. “He hits a pure, accurate ball off the ground and has 50+ yard range. His kickoffs are strong and his best ball measures 60+ yards, with 3.85+ hang time.

“A competitor who is kicking with big confidence, CJ has a bright future at the next level with continued hard work. He is a fine young man with a great attitude and work ethic. One of the hardest workers out there.”

Washington schedules official visit with a second prospect from Alabama

The Washington Huskies have scheduled an official visit with DL prospect Nikolas Alston from Alabama.

One of the most important positions for Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies in the 2025 class is defensive tackle. In a weak year at the position on the West Coast, defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi has had to expand his talent search, which led him to Nikolas Alston.

A three-star prospect from Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama, Alston is ranked as the nation’s No. 90 defensive line prospect and has reportedly scheduled an official visit to Washington beginning on June 2. Alston is also teammates with four-star safety Anquon Fegans, who is also set to visit Seattle on June 21.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound prospect holds eight scholarship offers, including Colorado, Georgia Tech, and Minnesota. He has also set official visits to Tulane, Liberty, and Minnesota as part of his summer plans and could be a big riser during his senior year.

Alston has a lot of upside and his film shows a good athlete who consistently wins with speed to the inside. He is adept at keeping his eyes in the backfield and has a frame that can easily support enough weight to play defensive tackle at the college level.

Between Alston and three-star Josiah Hammond, Kaufusi seems to have taken an interest in projectable athletes with a high motor in the class that might need a year or two to develop, but could end up as productive members of the rotation.

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.