Huskies Fulfill Need for Speed with Commitment from Swift LB
Legendary coach Don James came to a conclusion in the late 1980s that he had to have a lot more speed if his University of Washington football teams were going to win big.
He had his recruiters spread out all over Southern California and they came up with players such as linebackers Chico Fraley and Jaime Fields, cornerback Dana Hall and safety Tommie Smith, all guys who could get out and move.
They ran all the way to a national championship.
Which brings us to 2022 and the beginning of the Kalen DeBoer coaching era at the UW. Elite speed is mandatory. Fast feet are much preferred for an attacking style of defense that's been promised.
On Saturday, the Huskies gained a commitment from linebacker Jordan Whitney of Pacifica High School in Oxnard, California, a player who doubles as a sprinter on the track team.
Whitney checks all the boxes with speed. He won the 100-yard dash in 11.24 seconds and ran the 200- and 4x100-yard relays in Pacifica meets.
He offered his commitment to the UW just hours after safety Vincent Holmes, a 4.4-second 40-yard dash man from San Jacinto High School in San Jacinto, made his pledge to DeBoer's staff.
In these pair of extra-swift players, futuristic Husky defenses just got a lot faster.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Whitney becomes the UW's 10th commitment overall for the class of 2023, the sixth from California and the fourth of the weekend.
He joins other Californians in fellow linebacker Deven Bryant, running back Tybo Rogers, wide receivers Rashid Williams and Keith Reynolds, and safety Vincent Holmes; edge rusher Anthony James II and cornerback Diesel Gordon, both from Texas; Colorado offensive tackle Zach Henning; and edge rusher Jacob Lane from Washington.
Whitney also had offers from USC, California, Arizona, Washington State, Boise State, Fresno State and others.
He finished with 89 tackles during his junior season, including 6 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks, for a 6-5 team.
Whitney had a long-term recruiting connection with William Inge, the Husky co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, one dating back to Inge's previous coaching stop.
“I have a good relationship with coach Inge," Whitney told 247Sports. "He actually offered me when he was at Fresno State and then re-offered me right when he got to Washington. I’m really comfortable with him."
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