Inside The Huskies

Running Back From Nation's Capital Has UW Among Finalists

Da'Jon Talley-Rhodes has been a long-time recruiting target for the Huskies.
Dan Raley|
Da'Jon Talley-Rhodes has the UW among his final six.
Da'Jon Talley-Rhodes has the UW among his final six. | Talley-Rhode

Da'Jon Talley-Rhodes could be that rare football recruit who leaves Washington to play for Washington.

With an image of the nation's Capitol building in the background amid a fireworks display, the 6-foot, 215-pound running back posted on social media on Monday his final six college choices: Boston College, Indiana, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin and the UW.

With the Huskies holding their annual Junior Day to advance their recruiting efforts, no one came out of the weekend offering an early commitment.

While it's unclear if he traveled to Montlake or not, Talley-Rhodes was the closest UW target to come to a decision by paring his nearly two-dozen offers down to a workable six.

He plays for St. John's College High School, which is located 22 miles north of the White House, Capitol Building, Washington Monument and all other political trappings.

The Huskies first offered him in 2024 and running-backs coach Scottie Graham has connected with him several times since. He hosted Graham in a home visit in mid-January.

With 4.51-second speed in the 40, Talley-Rhodes rushed for nearlhy 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns for a 6-5 team in the Washington Catholic Athletic Association, which is home to 13 teams. He was named Capital Football Offensive Most Valuable Player of the Year.

He's more of a workhorse back rather than breakaway runner, which fits of the needs of his finaists.

"The strength of my game are patience and vision," he told a podcaster. "While my aggressiveness is often noticed, I believe my patience and vision are key aspects that often go underappreciated."

The year before, he became a starter for the first time for a 6-3 St. John's team and gained roughly 1,300 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.

Talley-Rhodes has said he likely won't have a decision for anyone until the fall sometime, not wanting to rush into anything.

The Huskies currently hold seven commitments as their serious recruiting efforts are just getting started with Junior Day leading into UW spring football practice followed by official visits throughout May and June.

Fisch's staff generally aims for a recruiting class right around 25 players.

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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.

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