Look Who's Working the UW Recruiting Territory, Making Offers for the Crimson Tide
Steve Sarkisian left Seattle in an uncomfortable manner in 2013, as the first University of Washington football coach in 57 years to give up the job for another.
He exited voluntarily, not by retirement or firing, and bolted for USC.
Irking the fans, he made the Huskies a stepping stone.
A coach hadn't done that to Washington since 1956, when Darrell Royal left the Huskies after one season for the University of Texas.
After many football stops, Sarkisian is back — this week handing out a pair of scholarship offers on behalf of Alabama to talented and oversized local linemen Malik Agbo and Josh Conerly.
Now schools tend to offer football scholarships like airlines dole out seat reservations. They overbook. Still, recruiting developments over the past two days have to be a little disconcerting to UW football talent scouts trying to keep this surplus of Seattle-area talent home.
Alabama has entered the talent tug of war here in a big way.
Big, as in reaching out to Agbo and Conerly, four-star locals for the Class of 2022, and extending them offers on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Sarkisian, Alabama's offensive coordinator, is behind the scholarship awards, with the former UW coach now working feverishly against his former place of employment.
Agbo is a 6-foot-5, 295-pounder from Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, Washington. He has 13 solid offers, including the UW.
His size is huge for a high school underclassmen. Add nimble feet to the equation, and the Crimson Tide sees another D.J. Fluker or Chance Warmack, former Alabama O-linemen now with the Seahawks.
Conerly is a 6-5, 270-pound prospect from Rainier Beach High School who carries even higher regard. He has 19 offers, including one from the Huskies. Everybody wants this guy.
Alabama obviously sees two huge and mobile prospects who it feels can keep the Tide dynasty rolling and its running backs churning out big yards.
Recruiting was challenging enough for the UW, and Pac-12 teams in general, without Sarkisian and Nick Saban's team now canvassing this outpost for bodies.
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