The Washington Huskies are in the race for the No. 1 prospect in the state, four-star linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale. After committing to Kalen DeBoer’s coaching staff just before the national championship kicked off, Rainey-Sale backed off following the coaching change to reassess his options, but Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff has done an impressive job keeping the Huskies in the mix.
On Monday, the product of Bethel High School released a list of the top 3 schools he’s still considering among his 20 offers and included the Huskies along with Florida State and UCLA.
The nation’s No. 14 linebacker and No. 111 overall player according to 247Sports also set his commitment date for July 1, when four-star Washington targets, edge rusher Chinedu Onyeagoro, and defensive lineman Smith Orogbo will also announce their college decisions.
Rainey-Sale will take his official visit to Washington on June 21 before making his decision, giving linebackers coach Robert Bala and the Huskies the final opportunity to make an impression on him before his decision.
He would be an exciting addition to defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s scheme, as the 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker can line up all over the formation and has the speed, athleticism, football IQ, and strength as a tackler to play early on in his career no matter where he chooses.
That said, Washington’s coaching staff is going to put on a full court press to secure his commitment. Not just because he’s the top player in the state and a very talented linebacker, but the Huskies are also out of the running for four-stars Christian Thatcher, who chose Utah on Sunday, and Mark Iheanachor, who canceled his official visit to Seattle.
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Spanaway (Wash.) Bethel linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale named his final three schools on Monday and has his announcement date set for July 1 https://t.co/58pajgI7w0 pic.twitter.com/4WpDxuwKoP
— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) June 17, 2024