Finally, 4-Star Wide Receiver Says No To Huskies

Osani Gayles decided to run the short out route rather than go deep.

On Saturday, the 4-star wide receiver from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and originally from Stockton, California, picked nearby Alabama over West Coast entries Stanford and the University of Washington.

It was one of those rare instances in which former Husky head coach Kalen DeBoer and current one Jedd Fisch were finalists for the same player.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Gayles also had kept everyone in Montlake wondering if he was willing to join the UW's star-studded collection of players already accumulated at his position during this particular recruiting cycle.

That group of four includes 6-foot-3, 195-pound Braylon Pope from Sumner, Washington; 6-foot, 175-pound Zerek Sidney from Goodyear, Arizona; 6-foot-3, 205-pound Tre Moore from Plugerville, Texas; and 6-foot-3, 195-pound Dontay Tyson Jr. from Peoria, Arizona.

Each one is rated a 4-star, or blue chip, prospect.

Five of these guys really would have complicated matters while making for an unreal competition, so it probably just wasn't to happen.

Gayles would have added high-end speed to the mix -- 4.43 seconds over 40 yards -- plus the ability to make diving, one-handed catches as shown on his personal highlight reel.

He comes off a junior season at IMG in which he had 20 catches for 492 yards and 5 touchdowns over nine games in what typically is a rush-heavy offense. He also ran the ball five times for 70 yards and a score.

As a freshman and a sophomore for St. Mary's High School in Stockton, he emerged with 43 catches for 756 yards and 6 scores in 2024 while rushing 22 times for 218 yards and 3 TDs.

St. Mary's is located just three miles from Lincoln High School that was home to Jonah Coleman, the Huskies' starting running back for the past two seasons who is now a rookied with the Denver Broncos.

He also passed on Stanford, which would have brought him within 80 miles of his family and his hometown.

The Huskies continue to pursue players from IMG Academy, preivously signing wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright two years ago and cornerback Ksani Jiles this past year.

Vines-Bright became a freshman starter last fall before transferring to his hometown Arizona State, while Jiles as a freshman just went through spring ball with the Huskies.

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