On Thursday, the Washington Huskies pulled off the biggest victory of the 2025 recruiting cycle so far when four-star offensive lineman Champ Taulealea, a product of Valley Christian High School in San Jose, California, announced his commitment to Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff.
Taulealea, who is ranked as the nation’s No. 12 interior offensive lineman and No. 208 overall player by 247Sports, took his official visit to Washington on May 3 and was set to take a trip to USC on June 21. Now that trip is in doubt following his pledge to join offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll’s front.
He held 17 offers from some of the nation’s top programs, including Georgia, Penn State, Tennessee, and Texas, but it seems that this has been a battle between the Huskies and Trojans for a while. Taulealea becomes the second offensive lineman to join the class, following three-star Jake Flores who committed in February.
Most recruiting sites have the powerful 6-foot-4, 325-pound Taulealea, who 247Sports also considers the No. 18 prospect in California, as an interior offensive lineman but Carroll, who preaches versatility across all five positions, appears to have other plans in mind.
“Our first meeting [with the offensive line group] I walked in and asked them, ‘Who plays center?’” Carroll said in a press conference before spring practice. “A couple guys raised their hands. I said, ‘That’s not right. Everybody put your hand up. We’re all playing center.’”
While center may not be in Taulealea’s future, Washington’s coaching staff will probably attempt to get him reps at both guard and tackle during his first year or two on campus to figure out where his best fit is.
This commitment is exactly the kind of momentum Fisch was looking for on the recruiting trail as Taulealea becomes Washington’s highest ranked commit and could inspire others to join him before the Huskies’ next big weekend of official visits on June 21.