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Anthony James Eager to Get Started, Will Enroll Early

The Texas edge rusher remains a positive influence on UW recruiting.
Dan Raley|
Anthony James Eager to Get Started, Will Enroll Early
Anthony James Eager to Get Started, Will Enroll Early

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Washington Huskies

An overeager Anthony James II has indicated he will arrive at the University of Washington in January, enroll in winter quarter classes and waste no time in turning himself into a college football player.

Yet in 40 days, when Kalen DeBoer sends his defense out for the first series against Kent State in the opener, the new Husky coach might want to check and make sure the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Texan didn't sneak out there and get in a stance.

Such is the enthusiasm of the most prized player in the UW's 2023 recruiting class. 

James has been a leader and set the tone for the Huskies' latest recruiting efforts. His commitment no doubt influenced others to follow him to Montlake.

With practically each additional UW target, the edge rusher from East Wylie High School north of Dallas has gone on social media and publicly encouraged the others to join him.

DeBoer couldn't have picked a more influential player to build his program around, to create momentum, to send out a message that the mega conferences can't lock down every elite player. 

So what are the possibilities for this 4-star recruit who flirted with going to Texas A&M before deciding he had to get out of the Lone Star state?

The timing for James is ideal to play right away in 2023 and maybe, if he's physically ready, even start.

Of the Huskies' top three edge rushers, Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Jeremiah Martin likely will have moved on by then.

Martin, who played three seasons for Texas A&M and can tell James what he missed by passing on the Aggies, is down to a fifth and final season of eligibility. ZTF, if he can show he's healthy and disruptive again, could leave a year early and maybe get taken in the first or second round of the NFL draft.

James will find himself in competition next spring, if everyone else stays, with 6-foot-4, 256-pound Bralen Trice and 6-foot-3, 265-pound Sav'ell Smalls, who will be juniors; 6-foot-5, 251-pound Maurice Heims, who will be a sophomore; 6-foot-3, 219-pound Lance Holtzclaw, who will be a sophomore or a redshirt freshman; and junior-college transfer Sekai Afoa-Asoau, who will become a senior.

If he chooses to wear his high school number, James will try to make the relatively obscure 47 something special at Husky Stadium. Place-kicker Peyton Henry will wear it for a sixth consecutive season this fall and move on. The most prominent Huskies to previously pull on that shirt have been linebackers Jamal Fountaine (1990-93) , Greg Travis (1987-89) and Jerry McLain (1977-80).

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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