How High is Washington's Recruiting Ceiling?
When Kalen DeBoer took over as Washington's head football coach, one of the biggest questions was how he would fare on the recruiting trail. After his first full cycle in 2023, he seems to have answered a lot of those questions.
Between flipping four-star cornerback Caleb Presley away from Oregon, getting four-star defensive lineman Anthony James from Texas, and pulling four-star cornerback Curley Reed out of Louisiana, he proved he can land some big fish. From the early unofficial visit reports swirling following Junior Days held by the staff in January, the Huskies are primed for a huge class in 2024.
Granted unofficial visits in January will not by any means translate to an elite recruiting class, but the relationships director of player personnel Courtney Morgan and the rest of the coaching staff are cultivating with some of the country's top prospects are crucial.
Starting with one of the nation's top players, Morgan and Co. have done an impressive job building a relationship with five-star defensive lineman David Stone. The staff offered him during his unofficial visit and it seems the weekend left quite an impression on the product of Florida's IMG Academy. Since his visit, Stone has stated his intentions to return in the spring for another unofficial and once again over the summer for an official.
While it feels like it would be nothing short of a miracle at this point if Stone ends up at Washington, the relationship the staff was able to build with him in such a short time speaks volumes about what this class can hold. The backbone of this (and every) class should be built in the states of Washington and California, and it appears the Huskies are doing very well in both so far.
The staff found early success in California when they landed a commitment from four-star 2024 quarterback Austin Mack, and are looking to add to it. Mack has since reclassified to join the Huskies in 2023, but fans should expect the Huskies to pull in a strong contingent of California prospects.
Rumors are swirling that the Huskies are in good position with multiple four-star prospects, including offensive tackle Paki Finau, athlete Emmett Mosley, cornerback Dakoda Fields, and athlete Aaron Butler. Butler visited at the same time as Mack, and like Stone, has stated his intentions to return to campus in the summer for an official visit.
Now onto the state of Washington. The Huskies are firmly in the mix for four-star prospects running back Jason Brown, athlete Rahshawn Clark, linebacker Brayden Platt, defensive backs Marquawn McCraney and Kyan McDonald, along with three-star wide receiver Malachi Durant.
After reeling commitments from three-star quarterback E.J. Caminong and three-star athlete Landon Bell, Washington has some solid building blocks for the foundation of their class. So realistically, what's the ceiling for a Husky recruiting class under Kalen DeBoer?
Sources have said that returns from the January visits have been nothing short of glowing. After what the staff proved they could do on official visits in June of 2022, to quote Michael Jordan, the ceiling is the roof for the Huskies.
With the resources DeBoer has committed to recruiting, the floor feels like a top 25-30 class, which is what he was able to pull in in 2023. At its ceiling, it's safe to assume the staff can pull in a class that ranks somewhere between 10 and 12 nationally, which could quickly put the Huskies back over the coveted 50 percdnt blue chip ratio.
DeBoer has leveled up the Husky program on every front in just one season and has the ability to continue to do so. If he can bring recruiting to its ceiling, he has the chance to create a dynasty on Montlake.
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