Though short on numbers, the University of Washington football team is putting together a recruiting class that still has a chance to make a significant impact in the coming years, and perhaps as soon as the 2016 season.
To date, 16 high school players have made verbal commitments to the Huskies, including three in the past three days. Many of those players were coveted by some of the nation’s most elite programs.
“I love their class,” said Greg Biggins, a national recruiting analyst for Fox Sports and Scout.com. “It’s funny, but I’ve had three different people affiliated with other colleges — these aren’t coaches, but just people affiliated with the schools — say to me that Washington is going to run the table in the Pac-12 in a couple of years.”
This is Chris Petersen’s third recruiting season since he became Washington’s head coach in December of 2013, and there has been a progression in quality each year, Biggins said.
“It’s been really, really impressive to watch,” he said. “This is their smallest class numbers-wise, but when you look at all the players individually there’s just a bunch of really good players.”
Among them, cornerback/wide receiver Byron Murphy of Scottsdale, Ariz.; cornerback Kentrell Love of Corona, Calif.; defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike of Allen, Texas; linebacker Camilo Eifler of Oakland, Calif.; running back Sean McGrew of Bellflower, Calif.; and offensive lineman Luke Wattenberg of San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
When Petersen was hired, Biggins said, “everyone knew that he was a great coach. But the question was, could he recruit at a high Pac-12 level? And now we’re seeing that he can. Byron Murphy, Kentrell Love, Levi Onwuzurike, Camilo Eifler, Sean McGrew and Luke Wattenberg are all elite kids. … So (Petersen) has definitely shown that he can close.”
Petersen, of course, does not get all the credit. Much of the recruiting legwork in college sports is done by assistant coaches, and UW co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake was instrumental in the commitments of Murphy and Love, who could both push for playing time this fall.
“Jimmy Lake might be my choice for recruiter of the year,” Biggins said. “He’s developed a great reputation.”
Murphy is “a tremendous two-way athlete who’s equally good as a receiver and a cornerback,” Biggins went on. “He runs well, he’s so smart and he’s technically sound. … I could see him competing for playing time right away.” As for Love, “He’s the most physical cornerback in (California). He’s hitting every play. He has that mentality. … The best part about him is his toughness.”
Another promising defender is Eifler, who “is a tremendous athlete,” Biggins said. “He’s still raw as a linebacker because he played defensive end in his sophomore year and part of his junior year. But his upside is off the charts. He’s a great kid and a fast, physical player.”
Washington has commitments from five in-state players, and perhaps the most promising is Brandon Wellington from Sammamish and Eastside Catholic High School. He could end up at running back, linebacker or safety, said Biggins, who added, “If Jacob Eason (of Lake Stevens High School, who committed to Georgia) is the best prospect in the state, Brandon Wellington is the best player. He’s the definition of a football player … and a guy that I don’t think people are talking about enough.”
Washington’s 16th commitment came Friday when Kamari Pleasant, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound running back from Etiwanda, Calif., announced his decision via Twitter. He had previously committed to San Diego State, but changed his mind after the Huskies recently offered a scholarship.
Prospects can sign national letters-of-intent on Feb. 3, and in the coming days it is possible the Huskies could add another recruit or two. It is also possible that one of the committed players might have a change of heart and sign elsewhere, which is permitted since verbal commitments are non-binding.
Regardless, this will be the smallest UW class in more than a decade, the result of Washington being a team comprised largely of underclassmen last season. By contrast, the Huskies signed 23 recruits in 2014 and 25 a year ago.
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