UW Target Josh Conerly Sets Date for Long-Overdue College Choice

The Seattle recruit will chose from among six schools, who include Washington.

Josh Conerly Jr., the all-everything Rainier Beach High School offensive tackle who clearly operates on his time clock, will make his long-awaited college decision on Friday, April 8, he announced on social media.

Those sitting on football pins and needles awaiting the final selection:

Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, USC and Washington.

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Conerly is considered the nation's top lineman recruit for the Class of 2023 and the analysts have pegged him as a 5-star prospect.

Kalen DeBoer, newly installed as coach of the Huskies, would consider this a major advance for his program-building should he be able to convince the south-end lineman to stay home and play.

It would not be unlike former UW coach Chris Petersen gaining a commitment from Bellevue High School safety Budda Baker in 2014 against a lot of competition.

Since taking over, DeBoer and his staff have promoted a "Loyal to the Soil" campaign in their marketing effort to keep the better players from leaving. 

Conerly Jr. has explained that he needed to delay his commitment and letter of intent signing past the December and February dates because of personal issues — his mother just gave birth to a new sibling — and he wanted to tour each of the final six schools bidding for him.

Five of his finalists have new coaches, including the UW, with only Michigan's Jim Harbaugh a holdover leader.

With so many big-name recruits recently going elsewhere from the Seattle-Tacoma area, such as edge rusher JT Tuimoloau and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka turning to Ohio State last year, some Husky followers are fearful that Conerly is going elsewhere because he's dragged the process out so long.

Yet only Conerly knows for sure.

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