Impact Statement: By Adding Jabez Tinae, Big Pieces Are Coming Together for UW
College football success often is measured by what the Southeastern Conference does. The formula calls for more size, more speed.
Nationally, there is talk that Washington has been building a future defensive front that is "SEC big." Now it appears the Husky offense is being constructed in a similar manner.
Last Thursday, the UW received a commitment from three-star running back Caleb Berry of Lufkin, Texas. What jumps out at you is his size, his Derrick Henry and SEC-type measurements: 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds.
"That's not hype or putting pressure on a kid who is a few months away from starting his senior year," said Trevor Mueller, Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated recruiting analyst, of the Henry reference. "It's just to give people an idea of the frame that the Huskies will be working with."
To complement the big-bodied back from Texas, the Huskies on Sunday added another receiver who is 6-1 or taller in Kennedy Catholic's four-star Jabez Tinae.
By the time Tinea catches his first pass, the entire receiving room could be 6-1 or taller. In the UW's 2020 recruiting class, the Huskies averaged just shy of 6-3 per player in height:
- Jalen McMillan, 6-2, 182 pounds
- Rome Odunze, 6-3, 205 pounds
- Sawyer Racanelli 6-3, 208 pounds
The remaining primary targets for Junior Adams' 2021 receiving class are all six-foot-plus, as well:
- Troy Franklin 6-3
- Junior Alexander 6-1
- Emeka Egbuka 6-1
It won't be easy for Adams to reel in any of those top-flight receivers. Franklin is from Menlo-Atherton High in California and currently committed to Oregon. In a normal year, when the UW could have campus visits, Franklin might be in play more.
However, one factor leans in Washington's favor. On the 7-on-7 circuit, Franklin will constantly have his teammates in his ear. He plays for the Ford Sports Performance 7-on-7 team alongside three Husky commits: Kennedy Catholic QB Sam Huard, Bethel High School linebacker Will Latu and Tinae.
The relationship between Huard and Tinae likely is very strong with Junior Alexander, who is a Kennedy Catholic and FSP teammate. Huard is on record as saying he will continue to work on pulling both Franklin and Alexander to Montlake.
In his tweet below, Latu went one step further by calling out all in-state prospects to play for the Huskies:
Huard is also working on Egbuka, who is proving to be nearly as elusive off of the field as he is on it. The Steilacoom High wide receiver is considered by some as the top receiver in the country and the No. 2 player in Washington state. He has cut his offer sheet from 35 down to four: Ohio State, Oklahoma, Clemson and Washington.
Using Huard, Latu, and now Tinae as a foundation, the Huskies will work toward adding critical pieces for building a national championship contender. If they can get Emeka to stay home, it will go a long way to getting national recruits to stay home for years to come. That would be the ultimate impact statement.
