Inside The Huskies

Presley Flips Commitment to Join Newly Signed UW Football Players

Letters of intent began arriving in Seattle shortly after 5 a.m.
Dan Raley|
Presley Flips Commitment to Join Newly Signed UW Football Players
Presley Flips Commitment to Join Newly Signed UW Football Players

In this story:

Washington Huskies

The national letters of intent and self-created introductory videos from officially signed University of Washington football recruits began arriving shortly after 5 a.m. PT.

Well before most residents of our snow-laden city attempted to challenge the conditions and navigate the freeway traffic on their way to work, the next wave of UW players began sending in their paperwork and celebrating the moment with their friends and families.

It's an upbeat day for college football programs all over the country, but still annually a strange exercise in adding manpower. 

Every player is a can't-miss recruit and every class has championship potential. The only negatives that turn up in this process are when someone flips late on a school and the talented, teenaged kid suddenly becomes a pariah in they eyes of fans rather than a savior — see South Dakota quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, an Ohio State, not UW, signee.

Otherwise, it's a time for celebration for the Huskies, though it's still not quite like the good old days when coaches, fans and donors would retire to some hotel conference room and run recruit video long into the night.

Not unexpected, 4-star cornerback Caleb Presley from Seattle's Rainier Beach High School flipped his commitment from Oregon to Washington, giving the Huskies another defender in their biggest position of need and a local guy.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Presley had committed to Oregon in early July, at the time picking the Ducks over Alabama, UCLA, Michigan State, Texas A&M and Washington.

For the UW, similar to what's expected of him on the football field, the day began with Texas edge rusher Anthony James getting there first with his signed letter.

Considered by many to be the prize of Kalen DeBoer's first full-fledged recruiting class, the 6-foot-5, 265-pound player from Wylie, Texas, seemed very reserved and professorial as he wore glasses and spoke softly into the camera, telling everyone he's coachable.

What the fans wanted to hear was something a little more tangible, such as UW line coach Scott Huff's following James observation, "He has a body that's close to college ready."

Wide receiver Rashid Williams, a 4-star wide receiver from Pittsburg, California, was much more animated, sitting in a room full of trophies, while delivering the following message.

"I'm a big-time playmaker and a huge leader on the green," Williams said excitedly. "My best attribute has to be my hands."

For fun-loving personalities, Williams and new center Landon Hatchett from Ferndale, Washington, should become college roommates once they report to Montlake.

Hatchett spoke directly to Husky fans while seated on a couch at home next to the family dog, one that was badly misidentified here as a mutt. Hatchett's hound actually is a purebred Australian Shepherd, he readily pointed out on social media during his busy sign-day activities, and we stand corrected. Give that dog a scholarship.

Football-wise, this Hatchett clearly appears to be a purebred in what he does.

"He's a natural center, which is rare," Huff said of his second Hatchett, the younger brother of offensive guard Geirean.

The long-locked Hatchett's own personal message to his followers: "I think I'll bring a lot of joy to the locker room."

Equally zany is Zach Henning, a 6-foot-6, 275-pound guard or tackle from Aurora, Colorado, who spoke to the fans from an outdoor table with a plate of pancakes in front of him.  

"When I get there, you can expect the forecast to be cloudy with a chance of pancakes," he said. "So get that syrup ready."

From Lake Charlies, Louisiana, cornerback Curley "Lockdown" Reed spoke with a hint of his southern drawl and words the UW fans everywhere wanted to hear, "I'm long and I'm rangy. I'm able to cover. I have speed."

Echoing that comment was linebacker Jordan Whitney form Oxnard, California, who said, "My best attribute as a player is definitely my speed. I play at a fast pace for all four quarters."

Size was evident as much as swiftness with this group, especially when looking over the massive body of 6-foot-8, 270-pound Soane Faasolo, who comes to the UW from Menlo, California.

Here was Huff's observation of this oversized and still growing future Husky, referencing the UW's strength coach in connection with Faasolo:

"At first sight, Soane blocks the sun. He has an enormous frame. After Coach [Ron] McKeefery gets his hands on him, he could be scary."

Equally impressive size-wise is Elishah Jackett, a 6-foot-7, 280-pound offensive lineman from Orange, California, prompting this comment from Huff, "If you want to draw a prototype offensive tackle frame, Elishah would fit the mold."

Edge rusher Jacob Lane from Puyallup, Washington, is one of just two Washington-grown recruits joining the Huskies this time alongside young Hatchett.

"My best attribute has to be my high motor and being able to finish through every play," Lane said, "or my speed off the edge."

Making it a position priority, the Huskies are bringing in no fewer than five cornerbacks, four from the high school ranks and one from California's junior-college level, at least unless one of them becomes a safety, which is always possible. 

Transfer Thaddeus Dixon, a late addition corner from Long Beach City College, offered this assessment of himself: "My best attribute is my football IQ and the ability to take a No. 1 receiver out of the game."

He'll compete with Leroy Bryant, a high school cornerback from Fairfield, California, who brings a little flair to the game.

"He loves to compete and he's exciting with the ball in his hands," UW corners coach Juice Brown said.  

A second Texas recruit is a defensive-back candidate and the UW recruit with the best name coming in: Diesel Gordon from Arlington.

Chuck Morrell, UW co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, had this to say about his gasoline-themed recruit: "Diesel is very polished for a high school football player. He has effortless and smooth-movement skills."

Gordon, with a Christmas tree in the background, shared how he's been motivated to succeed in football by those at the dinner table.

"Growing up in a family of four boys, everything's been a competition," he said.

Huff, who welcomes five new offensive linemen to the program, spoke about the football newness surrounding 6-foot-6, 307-pound Kahlee Tafai from Lawndale, California.

"He just started playing offensive line and is another high-ceiling offensive lineman. Like the other linemen in his class, he possesses that ability to be great."

Running back Tybo Rogers from Bakersfield, California was among one of the earliest to submit his scholarship paperwork and promised the following, "Something you can expect from me is a player who's never going to quit."

Two time zones away, Elinneus Davis, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive lineman from Moorhead, Minnesota, sat at a table and signed his LOI, surrounded by his family members. He looked extra thick, sort of like another Tuli Letuligasenoa only taller.

"I believe my best attribute is my hands and feet because they're very important for a defensive lineman," he said.

One of the later LOI arrivals belonged to linebacker Deven Bryant, whose paperwork showed up around 11:30 a.m., though his social media video was taken much earlier in the darkness of Southern California.

"Fans can expect a guy who loves to play football, loves making plays and loves making his teammates better," said Bryant, who comes off a CIF state open championship for the St. John Bosco football powerhouse.

Wide receiver/athlete Keith Reynolds from the High Desert in Adelanto, California, is possibly the fastest player among these UW recruits and very well could end up on either side of the ball. He was the one guy to utter what everyone else was thinking.

"I want to go pro," he said succinctly. 

(This story will continue to update with players' and coaches' comments.) 

HUSKY 2023 SIGNEES (Updating)

Germie Bernard, WR, 6-0, 200, Henderson, Nev. (Michigan State)

Ralen Goforth, LB, 6-2, 225, Long Beach, Calif. (USC)

Deven Bryant, LB, 6-0, 216, Bellflower, Calif. (St. John Bosco)

Leroy Bryant, CB, 6-0, 175, Fairfield, Calif. (Rodriguez)

Elinneus Davis, DL, 6-3, 295, Moorhead, Minn. (Moorhead)

Thaddeus, Dixon, CB, 6-0, 187, La Mirada, Calif. (Long Beach City College)

Soane Faasolo, OL, 6-8, 270, Menlo, Calif. (Menlo-Atherton)

Ralen Goforth, LB, 6-2, 225, Long Beach, Calif. (USC)

Diesel Gordon, CB, 6-1, 179, Arlington, Texas (Sequin)

Landon Hatchett, OL, 6-3, 292, Ferndale, Wash. (Ferndale)

Vincent Holmes, S, 6-1, 175, San Jacinto, Calif. (San Jacinto)

Zach Henning, OL, 6-6, 275, Aurora, Colo. (Grandview)

Elishah Jackett, OL, 6-7, 280, Orange, Calif. (El Modena)

Anthony James II, ER, 6-5, 265, Wylie, Texas (East Wylie)

Jacob Lane, ER, 6-5, 230, Puyallup, Wash. (Emerald Ridge)

Caleb Presley, CB, 6-0, 180, Seattle, Wash. (Rainier Beach)

Curley Reed, CB, 6-1, 180, Lake Charles, La. (Lake Charles)

Keith Reynolds, WR, 5-9, 170, Adelanto, Calif. (Adelanto)

Tybo Rogers, RB, 5-11, 180, Bakersfield, Calif. (Bakersfield)

Kahlee Tafai, OL, 6-6, 307, Lawndale, Calif. (Leuzinger)

Jordan Whitney, LB, 6-2, 215, Oxnard, Calif. (Pacifica)

Rashid Williams, WR, 6-2, 185, Pittsburg, Calif. (Pittsburg)

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.

Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.

Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12

Follow Dan Raley of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @DanRaley1 or @UWFanNation or @DanRaley3

Have a question, direct message me on Facebook or Twitter.

Published
Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

Home/Recruiting