Here's The Guy Who Passed On The Huskies

Rashaun Lavata'i crossed up the recruiting experts by choosing Washington State.

Rashaun Lavata'i has a recruiting moment with JaMarcus Shephard, former UW receivers coach now the Oregon State head man. | OSU

Rashaun Lavata'i is full of surprises.

While often seen with it bunched down or tucked well inside his football helmet, the Curtis High School offensive lineman actually has really long hair.

In fact, he has Weeping Willow follicles that seem to sprout when revealed.

Lavata'i also has a recruiting reputation that continues to grow, too, counter to what some of the analysts first thought.

On Tuesday, the 6-foot-6, 275-pound Tacoma product, considered a more polished player, caught everyone off guard once more by committing to Washington State, choosing the Cougars over Utah, Oregon State and the University of Washington.

It was a big recruiting win for new WSU coach Kirby Moore as he patiently rebuilds the program in the Palouse.

Brandon Huffman of Rivals described Lavata'i as the highest-rated commit to pledge himself to a G6 school, which is a tier below the Power 4 programs.

It's also possible the UW had Lavata'i in a linemen pecking order and wasn't quite ready to commit to him until other decisions played out and he was eager to move forward, but no one is saying that.

Massive win for Kirby Moore and the Cougs, who hosted their first OV, then weathered his trips to Utah and Washington this week as well as Oregon State.

Lavata'i the highest-rated commit to a G6 school now.

Moore's first full class continues to get better... https://t.co/knfV5cg0x1

— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) June 23, 2026

Either way, it wasn't supposed to happen like this, according to expert opinion. Over the past week, more than one recruiting website confidently predicted that Lavata'i was going to choose the Huskies.

Jedd Fisch's UW staff had warmed to him after first appearing to hold Lavata'i in reserve -- not offering him a scholarship until March -- while offensive linemen with bigger names came and went through Seattle during the process.

If he initially was much lower in a pecking order in Montlake, he seemed to move up rather quickly in recent months.

Husky offensive-line coach Michael Switzer visited Lavata'i at home in late May and the lineman took his official visit to the UW on June 15.

🏠➡️Washington State University #ALLGLORYTOGOD!!!!!@KirbMoore @2mattmiller @Coach_Taufalele @JAbercrombie51 @BlairAngulo @BrandonHuffman @Rivals @247Sports @CaliDQ @WSUCougarFB pic.twitter.com/lrKMPojCMZ

— Rashaun Lavata'i (@Rashaun_2) June 23, 2026

Lavata'i made the Huskies and others take second and third looks at his football possibilities, which include a big frame that should be able to handle a lot more weight while paired with an athleticism that became more evident.

He proved to be an integral part of a Curtis team that finished 7-4 and advanced to the 4A state playoffs.

Yet it was his recent camp performances that really enhanced his recruitment and gave him more options.

In May, Lavata'i was named the offensive-line MVP for the Under Armour Next camp held in Phoenix. 

This past month, he was selected as the MVP at the Avery Strong College Showcase held at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.

Others also noticed Lavata'i's potential when UCLA, California and Boise State each came up with late scholarship offers.

Whereas the Huskies might have kept him on hold, and Lavata'i posted about their transparency in explaining the process, the Cougars seemed to make him a priority and got their guy.