Class of 2022: Oregon Recruit Wants to Follow Oversized Uncle to Washington
Andrew Savaiinaea of The Dalles, Oregon, recently participated in the National Preps Collegiate Showcase and was selected as the defensive-line most valuable player.
The Class of 2022 recruit is just now getting his name out there.
He'd like to get the attention of the University of Washington talent scouts.
That shouldn't be all that hard.
He can just name-drop James Atoe.
The former Husky offensive lineman.
At 6-foot-7, one of the biggest Huskies ever.
Oh yeah, Atoe is his uncle.
"That would be a dream," Savaiinaea said. "I went to a handful of games when I was younger and my uncle played for the Huskies."
Atoe played at Washington from 2010-2014. In his senior year, he was listed by NFL.com as the third biggest player in college football at the time.
"He's a big human being," Savaiinaea joked.
Years ago, Atoe took his nephew on a tour of the UW and it left an impression.
"He walked me around the campus and Husky Stadium when I was younger," Savaiinaea said. "It would be a dream to play there."
In 2019, Savaiinaea attended the UW summer football camp and earned tight-end position group MVP.
However, since Jordan Paopao was replaced by Derham Cato as the Husky position coach, he hasn't heard from the UW but hopes that will change. The attention coming his way is increasing.
"Right now, I'm hearing from USC, Oregon State, Washington State, Utah, Boise State and a few other schools," he said.
At 6-4 and 277 pounds, he impressed scouts with how well he moves for someone his size. His weight gain has been rapid. He still has a long way to go to catch a former UW lineman he knows.
"Last time I weighed, I was 255 pounds," he said. "I can't believe that I added 22 pounds in a short amount of time — but I'm still 100 pounds lighter than my uncle James!"