Report: Prep star Thompson headed to UW
Published 8:58 am Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Having missed out on much of this state’s top talent, the University of Washington football team turned to familiar stomping grounds to land the gem of its 2012 recruiting class.
When the Huskies officially announce their latest crop of prospects at Signing Day this afternoon, one of the best players in California is expected to be among the group. Shaq Thompson, a 6-foot-2 safety from Sacramento, is ranked the No. 4 prospect in the country and has reportedly made a verbal commitment to UW.
Thompson helps ease the pain for a fan base that has watched four of the state’s top five prospects sign with other schools. Mariner High School’s KeiVarae Russell (Notre Dame), Puyallup’s Joshua Garnett (Stanford), Lakes High products Zach Banner (USC) and Cedric Dozier (Cal) decided to play elsewhere.
Jordan Payton, a 6-1, 205-pound wide receiver who led Oaks Christian with 61 catches for 769 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, announced during a show Tuesday on ESPNU he will sign with the Huskies. Payton had previously committed to Cal.
According other media reports, Jaydon Mickens, a 5-8, 170-pound wide receiver from Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, and offensive lineman Shane Brostek of Hawaii Prep Academy in Kamuela, Hawaii, have verbally committed to the Huskies.
According to a list compiled on the Rivals website, the Huskies have 20 verbal commitments heading into Signing Day. Thompson is the only five-star recruit on that list, while quarterbacks Jeff Lindquist (Mercer Island) and Cyler Miles (Denver) are listed as four-star recruits. Both incoming quarterbacks could challenge current freshman Derrick Brown for the backup spot behind Keith Price next season.
The Huskies will officially announce today’s signings as the faxes come in throughout the day. Head coach Steve Sarkisian is scheduled to address the media at 2 p.m., at which time he is expected to comment on all the recruits.
