Monday Recruiting Musings: Huskies' Offensive Needs Are Spelled Out Here
With so many highly-touted football prospects in Washington state, someone stands to benefit.
Understanding this, Washington Huskies coach Jimmy Lake has made 25 scholarship offers to skill-position players. Just one is a quarterback, Sam Huard of Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien, Washington. Huard is the son of former Huskies and NFL quarterback Damon Huard.
The younger Huard is the No. 1-rated quarterback in the country, and 11th-ranked player in the country, according to 247Sports. He's also the third-highest rated player in Washington.
"Right now, Washington is a hotbed for QB talent," said Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated's Kaila Olin. "Currently, the Huskies have two scholarship quarterbacks, Jacob Sirmon and Dylan Morris, both of whom are from the state of Washington."
Olin notes that while Washington added Ethan Garbers, a Californian from Corona del Mar High and the No. 4 quarterback in the nation for the 2020 recruiting class, the Huskies still need to sign a topflight QB for 2021.
Of the UW's 24 other offers to offensive-skill recruits, Lake has handed out 20 have to receivers. Olin says Steilacoom's Emeka Egbuka is a must-get talent.
"The UW signed two very talented receivers in Jalen McMillan and Rome Odunze (No. 12 and 39 nationally) in 2020 and I expect it to add at least two receivers," Olin said. "But Egbuka may prove to be a generational talent in the way that Reggie Williams was twenty years ago."
Egbuka, the top-ranked receiver in the 2021 cycle, is thought to be a Washington lean. Also in play for UW receivers coach Junior Adams is the nation's No. 3 receiver Tony Franklin of Menlo-Atherton in California.
"Washington needs to keep Egbuka at home," Olin says.
Our recruiting analyst says Franklin would a tremendous addition to this class and form an unbeatable duo, but other local players familiar to Huard would help, too.
"Franklin could be the guy that puts Washington's offense over the top," she said. "But Huard's Kennedy teammates Jabez Tinae and Junior Alexander are extremely talented."
With Salvon Ahmed leaving for the NFL the Huskies need to add a running back and have sent out four offers -- none to Washington state prospects. Olin says it may become a wait-and-see approach for the running-back position to be filled, but it's a must.
"Lake said that he wants to have an offense that's aggressive," Olin said. "That will include a highly touted running back."
With running back in the "need" category, Olin said that the Huskies may need to cast a wider net.
The Huskies, with Dwayne Washington, Lavon Coleman, Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed in recent seasons, continue to churn out NFL talent under the tutelage of running-backs coach Keith Bhonapha.
"UW is an attractive destination for running backs," Olin says.
Washington appears to be in the conversation for the services of San Diego tailback Byron Cardwell, Olin said, adding, "They will have to go toe-to-toe with the likes of LSU, Penn State, Cal and USC, who are known to produce NFL-caliber running backs."
Another position that the UW uses as a feeder to the NFL is tight end. Lake has sent out 10 offers but none to Washington state prospects.
"With the transition of tight-end coaches from Jordan Paopao to Derham Cato, it's unclear if the Huskies will utilize that position the same way," Olin said. "With the degree of success the Huskies had with Will Dissley, Drew Sample and Hunter Bryant, and UW being historically recognized as 'Tight End U,' I expect the Huskies to land a top prospect."
Olin said Lake may pursue just one tight end for the 2021 class. Of the 10 offers extended by UW, two of the players already have committed elsewhere.
The top tight end on the board is Brock Bowers, who sports offers from the so-called blue-blood programs of Notre Dame, LSU, USC, Georgia and Penn State.
"Lake says he knows Chris Petersen's recipe," Olin said. "Petersen built the foundation and we'll see over the next few months, once the Coronavirus situation is clearer, if Lake's more aggressive way produces some immediate returns on the recruiting trail."