Inside The Huskies

Omar Khan Remains Committed to UW, Wrestling, Being Great

The Texas defensive lineman just ran his mat record to 42-0.
Dan Raley|
Omar Khan Remains Committed to UW, Wrestling, Being Great
Omar Khan Remains Committed to UW, Wrestling, Being Great

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Washington Huskies

Omar Khan is a University of Washington football signee from Texas, an aspiring defensive tackle who handed over his national letter of intent to the school three weeks before the coaching change from Kalen DeBoer to Jedd Fisch.

Yet he didn't ask for a scholarship release. Didn't enter the transfer portal. Didn't back away from a Montlake playing career to take a look around.

Apparently Khan — not to be confused with the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager of the same name — has been too busy to consider shopping himself to all bidders, which was his right.

Instead, the 6-foot-3, 285-pound athlete with massive forearms and an 80-inch wingspan became the first wrestler in the history of Bridgeland High School in Cypress, Texas, to claim a 6A regional championship over the weekend, running his personal mat record to 42-0. 

That's not to say DeBoer's departure to Alabama didn't affect him The Houston-area prospect was in attendance at NRG Stadium for the Huskies' national championship game appearance against Michigan. He was stunned when everything came down four days later.

"Can't believe this," Khan posted on social media on the day of the DeBoer hiring.

Khan, who received nearly two-dozen scholarship offers, certainly could have re-opened his recruiting. USC, Kansas, Baylor, Utah, SMU, Arizona State, Boise State, Memphis and Maryland were among those who pursued him.

In the Huskies' favor, Khan had taken a recruiting trip to Arizona and met with Fisch's staff three weeks before he committed to DeBoer's coaches last summer. So he was familiar with the new guys taking over.

Khan's connection to the Huskies goes back to last April, when he came out for spring football practice and toured the school, and was photographed walking on upper campus with defensive-line coach Inoke Breckterfield. 

After committing, the big Texan returned to Seattle for another visit on the weekend of the UW-Utah football game, so he became deeply invested in the program.

For a 9-2 Bridgeland High football team that qualified for the 6A district playoffs, Khan comes off a senior season in which he collected 29 tackles, which included 8.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks, and he blocked a punt.

While solid up front in recent seasons with players such as Levi Onwuzurike and Tuli Letuligasenoa, the Huskies for a long time have been searching for more of a play-maker coming out of stance, someone who repeatedly throws down opposing quarterbacks and takes sacks away from the edge rushers.

Why not a wrestler from southeast Texas with a big reach, an unbeaten record and an unwavering commitment to the UW.

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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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