The Washington Huskies received disheartening news on Sunday when defensive lineman target Josiah Hammond committed to Kansas before his official visit to Montlake. He appeared to have the Huskies near the top of his list but announced on Sunday he would be shutting down his recruitment.
Head coach Jedd Fisch and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick will now have to shift their attention to other options along the defensive line, including three-star Josiah Sharma, in hopes that they can secure one of their preferred players as the prospects continue to dry up.
Building momentum on the recruiting trail, especially on the defensive side of the ball where the team only has one commit, will be key to the outcome of Fisch’s first class at Washington. The Huskies have long been in contention for Sharma’s services. He originally committed to the team before Kalen DeBoer departed the school and hasn’t come to a decision after backing off.
Sharma boasts a prolific offer list, with Texas, Alabama, and Oregon all in the mix. Securing Sharma, whose stock is soaring as the top-ranked defensive tackle on the West Coast, could be a major win for Fisch and company as he looks to find some success during his first full class.
For the Huskies, Sharma presents plenty of upside but may not be a factor for the team until later in his career. Though he seems to possess an ideal frame measurables-wise, there is plenty that needs to be done to remake his body. Sharma doesn’t fully utilize his arm length and bulking up to continue to maintain his strength advantage will be important going forward.
Sharma is an above-average athlete for his size, possessing bend and explosiveness that will certainly propel his ranking higher. However, Sharma is extremely raw as both a pass rusher and run defender. There is plenty of room for improvement in his understanding of how to use leverage to attack offensive linemen. As a run defender, he can explode into the backfield and make impactful plays, something that can easily translate to the next level.
Due to his level of competition, there is very little need for him to develop any sort of pass-rush plan besides overpowering the player across from him. It should be noted as well that Sharma is on the younger side for his age group, meaning that he may develop at an accelerated rate during his senior season.
Washington’s options along the interior of the defensive line are limited, so while Sharma has plenty of areas of his game that need to improve, his potential versatility to play nose tackle or three-technique could make him an attractive option to the team. It is also possible that Sharma will improve as a senior and prove he can make more of an impact as a true freshman.
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