Huskies Move to Re-offer Elite Local Corners
New University of Washington coach Kalen DeBoer never had a chance to coach elite Husky cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Trent McDuffie, but he made sure to salute their greatness when he came in and they passed him in the hall on their way to the NFL.
One sure way for him to overcome that coaching near-miss would be to obtain commitments and sign the next generation of intriguing corners, Caleb Presley and Jasiah Wagoner.
Each of these guys hail from the class of 2023 and are exceptionally fast, 4-star rated, consequently heavily recruited and undeniably local. It's hard to say who's better.
This week, DeBoer wisely had his coaching staff re-offer Spanaway Lake High's Wagoner and, a day later, his guys made another scholarship proposal to Rainier Beach's Presley.
These cornerbacks, one hailing from the Tacoma area and the other from Seattle, previously held offers from the Jimmy Lake staff, which is now scattered from coast to coast.
DeBoer's guys obviously have done their homework as they've looked over the local talent pool and rushed to re-establish recruiting relationships left frayed by the Husky coaching change.
In Presley, recruiters see a 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back, slightly heavier than Wagoner, who's both physical and athletic. He's put on 30 pounds during his time in high school.
He also has the knack for sharing the huddle with recruits who are even more publicized than him.
He began his high school football career at Eastside Catholic, where the then-sophomore last year teamed with 5-star edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau, now at Ohio State.
This past fall, Presley counted 5-star offensive lineman Josh Conerly as a Rainier Beach teammate. A class of 2022 recruit, Conerly recently pared his 30-plus offers to six, which includes the UW.
As for Presley, he currently holds 27 scholarship proposals, with the leaders possibly Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oregon, USC and Washington, though he hasn't publicly narrowed his list.
If the offensive-minded DeBoer could somehow land Presley and Wagoner, he might become known as more of a defensive coach.
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