Sir, Yes Sir: Inside the UW Recruitment of a Nevada DT

After a string of bad news involving games, the Huskies got back on track with a commitment they kept under wraps.

Shortly after the loss to Stanford, Ikaika Malloe walked into his boss' office.

Holding the phone out to Jimmy Lake, the University of Washington's defensive-line coach said, "I got some good news for you."

Lake needed something uplifting at that moment.

The Oregon game was in jeopardy.

The Pac-12 championship match-up was in doubt .

A bowl game didn't look good either.

Shortly after the Huskies lost 24-21 to Stanford, Malloe began texting back and forth with Sir Mells, a run-stuffing defensive tackle from Nevada.

The texts became a FaceTime call.

The two chatted for a few minutes when Malloe decided Lake should share in it. In the Husky coach's office, Malloe showed him Sir Mells on his phone.

"I saw a smile come to his face," Mells said. "Then I said, 'Coach, I'm in. I'm a Dawg!' "

Mells couldn't wait any longer to tell the coaches of his plans because he felt he was a Husky at heart after he visited in November.

"Man, I love the University of Washington," he said. "I'd have gone there on a bowling scholarship if they'd offered me that. I guarantee if they had, I'd be at the bowling alley bright and early."

At 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, Mells somewhat resembles a bowling ball after helping Liberty High School in Henderson, a Las Vegas suburb, claim its first Nevada state championship in 2019.

All the same time, Mells asked the coaches if they could hold off to make his decision public so he could have his commitment video finished.  

Mells' pledge did not exactly stay a well-kept secret.

"I responded to a post by coach Malloe and said, 'my future coach,' and that pretty much let everyone know I was a Husky," he said.

Mells' recruiting seemed to move rather quickly after he and two teammates visited Seattle in the middle of November.

The defensive lineman received the UW offer on November 26 and committed on December 19.

With his academics in order, Mells will wrap up his academics at Liberty next fall and enroll at Washington for the 2022 winter quarter.

Which is more good news for Lake.