Inside The Huskies

Unable to Make Inroads with Huskies, Caleb Presley Enters Transfer Portal

The cornerback came to Washington as a recruiting headliner but played in just one game.

Dan Raley

Redshirt freshman cornerback Caleb Presley slaps hands with fans.
Redshirt freshman cornerback Caleb Presley slaps hands with fans. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Twenty-eight months ago, Kalen DeBoer was at practice, preparing his University of Washington football team for the Alamo Bowl and a game against Texas, when the coach learned that cornerback Caleb Presley had committed to the Huskies.

It was a giddy moment for him and his staff.

This was big news for Husky program for three reasons: 1) Presley was a local kid from Rainier Beach High School; 2) he was a 4-star recruit and ranked by some as the best player in the state; and 3) he was a late flip from Oregon.

Holding a news conference later that December day to discuss his newly signed 2023 recruits, DeBoer spoke in a glowing manner about the impact Presley surely would have on the Huskies long term -- as the prominent guy who stayed home.

"He can make a difference in our program ... in showing what he can do, that this is the place to be, that staying home at Washington is what you're supposed to do," said DeBoer, who's now the Alabama coach.

On Saturday, Presley entered the transfer portal and moved on from the UW after he was unable to compete for a meaningful role and played in just one game over two seasons in Montlake.

It was almost shocking how it didn't work out between Presley, with all of his accolades, and his hometown school.

With projected starting corners Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock limited in their spring practice time because of injury or surgery, Presley actually had taken quite a few snaps with the No. 1 defense through eight practices, so it wasn't like he was buried in the rotation.

However, Presley seemed to lack the necessary quickness that would have enabled him to move forward with the Huskies.

He came in with Leroy Bryant and Curley Reed as 2023 cornerbacks and only Bryant remains. Reed transferred to Louisiana this past winter.

Asked about Presley, UW coach Jedd Fisch, as he is wont to do with departing players, kept his comments brief.

"I don't really want to talk about guys going, who's in the portal," he said. "We wish Caleb the best. I think that's just a decision he felt was best for him and his future."

To get the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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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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