Inside The Huskies

4-Star DL Commit Makes Big Impact In State Playoffs

Future Washington edge Dominic Kirks has come on strong in the Ohio playoffs.
Roman Tomashoff|
4-Star DL Commit Makes Big Impact In State Playoffs
4-Star DL Commit Makes Big Impact In State Playoffs

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Washington Huskies

The Washington football team landed a big commitment at the end of June from 4-star defensive lineman Dominic Kirks, who picked the Huskies over offers from Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Kentucky and others. 

Recruiting director Courtney Morgan and the rest of Washington's coaching staff have emphasized recruiting high-caliber defensive linemen in the 2024 class and the Ohio High School Athletic Association playoffs have helped Kirks prove why he was such a big target for the Huskies.

With just over a month before the early signing period opens, the product of Riverside High School in Painesville, Ohio, helped carry his team to the third round of the playoffs before being eliminated by Archbishop Hoban High School. During Riverside's second-round game, he recorded 3 sacks in a 42-30 win over Twinsburg High School.

Kirks has continued to demonstrate the skills that led the 247 Sports Composite to rank him as the 13th-best player in Ohio, but other schools have also taken notice of the Washington commit.

After taking an unofficial visit to Ohio State in October, both Maryland and USC extended offers to the four-star prospect.

Along with Kirks, coach Kalen DeBoer's recruiting class holds four other defensive-line commits who are full of potential. Headlined by edge rusher Noah Carter, who is rated as the nation's 95th overall recruit, the Huskies are in line for a massive infusion of talent up front.

Washington is projected to lose all four starters along the defensive line after this season and, with his recent production, Kirks has proved that he could be in consideration to get on the field as a true freshman.

Edge rushers coach Eric Schmidt has discussed the potential of early playing time with multiple recruits and the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Kirks would fit in physically right away at the college level.

As DeBoer's coaching staff continues to try to pull players from the heart of Big Ten country, Kirks could be a prime example for the Huskies to point to as they continue developing a pipeline to Montlake.

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Roman Tomashoff
ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios. 

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