Finding QB Recruit Remains Priority for UW as Candidates Narrow
The priority for this University of Washington football recruiting class, as is usually the case, is finding the next Husky quarterback.
The player who will follow Sam Huard in the line of program progression.
The guy who will stamp himself officially as Kalen DeBoer's original hand-picked UW offensive leader.
A sense of urgency for finding this person is not the issue here because the transfer portal can always fill in a sudden position gap.
Rather the play for the Huskies is to settle on a young quarterback and use his reputation and potential to get others to rally around him and want to come to Montlake, as well.
At this point, 6-foot-4, 195-pound Californian Aidan Chiles is out, having committed to Oregon State, which leaves a pair of Midwest candidates in 6-foot-3, 185-pound South Dakota recruit Lincoln Kienholz or 6-foot-2, 190-pound Kansas prospect Avery Johnson.
Kienholz, in particular, has a unique connection to all things Husky football right now.
He hails from DeBoer's home state, which would provide a sense of comfort to each party involved in forming a coach-quarterback relationship if it comes to be.
Lincoln Kienholz looks a receiver for T.F. Riggs High in Pierre, South Dakota.
Kienholz
DeBoer grew up in Millbank, on the South Dakota-Minnesota border, which is some 235 miles east of the state capital and centrally located Pierre, where Kienholz resides and plays for T. F. Riggs High School. He takes snaps for the Governors, imagine that.
While some might question South Dakota's level of competition — after all, Kienholz threw 8 touchdown passes in a 61-7 over Huron High and a career 5,678 yards and 158 TDs with his senior season to come — others will point to his list of college finalists for validation.
He's narrowed his choices to Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and North Dakota State, all college programs that have produced modern-day NFL quarterbacks in Jake Locker, Russell Wilson, Josh Allen, Carson Wentz and Trey Lance. The Pac-12, Big Ten, Mountain West and FCS all want him.
Avery Johnson, at right, visited the UW.
UW
Behind Door No. 2 is Johnson, a long-haired kid and gifted athlete. Just last season for Maize High School in the Wichita suburbs, he passed for 2,550 yards and 20 touchdowns and ran for 1,080 yards and 22 scores.
His leading pursuers are believed to be Kansas State, Virginia, Oregon and Washington, with the local Big 12 school possibly the leader.
Johnson recently visited the UW and afterward an overly enthusiastic writer in his recruitment world, where hyperbole often knows no bounds among those who monitor the activity, breathlessly reported how the Husky visit "knocked the socks off" the quarterback.
Maybe if DeBoer can come up with a new pair of socks for the kid from the Jayhawk state it will improve his chances of landing Johnson.
Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Husky FanNation stories as soon as they’re published.
Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.
Find Husky FanNation on Facebook by searching: Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated
Follow Dan Raley of Husky FanNation on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven