Impact Statement: For Dyson McCutcheon, 'If you're a DB, you want to play for Washington'
When Dyson McCutcheon committed to Washington, it may set in motion a sequence of commitments for the Huskies. He's the second secondary player to pledge to for the class of 2021.
"I expect the Huskies to take four or five DBs this time around," said Trevor Mueller Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated's high school recruiting analyst. "With Zakhari Spears already pledged, the UW is essentially halfway done with its defensive backfield recruiting."
UW has offers out to uncommitted cornerbacks Jaylin Davies from Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, California, Chance Tucker of Crespi High School in Encino, California, and Ishmael Ibraheem from Dallas. Davies will announce his commitment next Friday.
"Seating is limited when it comes to the defensive-back room," Mueller said. "McCutcheon's commitment may have preempted other defensive backs who were favoring Washington."
Texas safety JD Coffey, who will make his announcement on Monday for the 2021 class, is thought to be a University of Texas lean. Fellow Texan Placide Djungu-Sungu of Martin High School in Arlington continues to pull in offers but has UW in his top 5, perhaps his top 2.
McCutcheon is a first-team All-CIF Southern Section player out of Bishop Amat Memorial High School in La Puente, California, where his father was a USA Today All-American in 1994.
Dyson played well in his father's shadow. He was coached at Bishop Amat by his uncle and former UW running back Jason Harris. Dyson's star was on the rise as he received 22 offers, including half of the Pac-12 schools: USC, California, Oregon State, Washington State, Arizona and the Huskies. The UW also beat out Notre Dame and Michigan for his services.
"For Coach Jimmy Lake to reel in a defensive back over USC, where his father was a second-team All-American, and other blue-blood programs, like the Fighting Irish and the Michigan Wolverines, speaks volumes for what Washington has built," Mueller said.
With two and three spots open at the different positions in the Husky secondary for the 2021 recruiting class, McCutcheon's pledge is important.
"Dyson may be a nickleback in many of UW's defensive alignments so it's anybody's guess if he will be used in that fashion," Mueller said. "Washington has yet to receive a commitment for a safety. It's going to be interesting to see how this sets things into motion in recruiting in the West."
The younger McCutcheon's commitment to Washington will continue to stir social-media debate over which university -- UW or USC -- can lay claim to the monogram DBU.
That's defensive-back university.