Huskies Pursue Arizona OT Capable of Handling Adversity
Alex Doost, with his thick beard and a huge frame, looks older than he is.
A 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive tackle for Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Arizona, he's just a junior yet he's already pushed through enough personal adversity to leave his childhood far behind.
Athletically, Doost has been part of a steady rebuild that's vaulted his football team from perennial loser in the Phoenix suburbs to an 8-4 playoff entry this past fall.
More importantly, he's had to face the heartbreak of losing his mother to cancer not quite a year ago, something no teenager should have to go through.
Doost simply soldiers on, forced to find his way without all of his family support in place, left to use his best attributes to make something of himself.
A dozen college football programs recently extended scholarship offers to him. On Monday, the University of Washington joined this group of suitors.
The Arizona Pac-12 schools, the Sun Devils and the Wildcats, are making a strong push for him. Others in pursuit include West Virginia, Michigan State, Oregon State and California.
Doost has been part of a steady overhaul of the Mountain Ridge program led by Doug Modoski, the former Scottsdale Community College coach.
Everyone is more accountable now, more motivated to succeed.
Considered a 3-star recruit, the big tackle has matured as a player at a similar pace to his team. He joined Mountain Ridge as a freshman when it was in the throes of a 16-game losing streak.
Both have been able to dominate at times. This past fall, the Mountain Lions twice beat opponents by scoring 75 or more points.
“I’ve improved with my self confidence,” Doost told Sports360 Arizona before the 2021 season. “Because beforehand, like last season, it was my first varsity year. I was really anxious and nervous. But now that we’ve had a lot more experience, I feel like I’m used to all of that.”
Mountain Ridge workouts appear intense, with Doost and others lifting large amounts of weight in a well-stocked facility. They post intense Saturday agility workouts on social media.
Whoever signs the Mountain Lions tackle eventually should have a ready-made player, especially considering what he's gone through.
“I’m trying not to overthink and just going for it, because that’s how it was really last season — it was just a lot of overthinking," Doost said. "Now it’s just aggression."
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