Inside The Huskies

Top 2028 Quarterback Recruit Has UW Among Final Choices

Jayden Wade plans to reveal his college destination on Nov.16.
Dan Raley|
IMG Academy's Jayden Wade (7) looks to pass against Mandarin High in Jacksonville, Florida.
IMG Academy's Jayden Wade (7) looks to pass against Mandarin High in Jacksonville, Florida. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dreaming big, the University of Washington football team has emerged among the finalists for 5-star 2028 quarterback Jayden Wade, who will choose his college destination on Sunday, November 16, according to recruiting website Rivals.

Seven schools have a chance at him in this football lottery: Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and Washington. Kirby Smart's Bulldogs have been projected by more than one site as the favorite to gain his services.

The lanky 6-foot-3, 190-pound Wade from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, is considered the No. 1 quarterback and the No. 5 player nationally in his class.

Nearly a year ago, the Huskies signed an IMG player in wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright, who no doubt must have caught a few passes from this then-freshman quarterback, at least in practice.

For his blend of size and speed, Wade is receiving all sorts of high-end hyperbole from the different recruiting sites.

One called him a potential all-time great, another a surefire NFL player and he's not even done with his sophomore high schhool season.

Through eight games, Wade has completed 64 of 104 passes for 1,214 yards and 17 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions, and he's run for 3 scores.

IMG Academy's Jayden Wade holds a media day practice in August.
IMG Academy's Jayden Wade holds a media day practice in August. | Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Originally from Carson, California, which is home to Husky starting linebacker Deven Bryant, Wade took varsity snaps as an eighth-grader in 2023. He played in eight games and started one outing for IMG last year. Now he's the main guy.

He moved from football-rich Southern California to this private Florida boarding school that currently has the No. 3 ranked high school team in the nation.

"IMG and their staff does such a great job developing their players, creating a environment to get better and compete against top teams every years," Wade told Trojans Wire. "The quarterback success of guys like Shea Patterson, Kellen Mood and JJ McCarthy is just a testament to that."

He received his first college football offer when he was in seventh grade, had 10 when his freshman season began last year and currently holds 28 in his 247sports recruiting profile.

The Huskies were never described as a serious contender for the young quarterback in the periodic recruiting updates until he set the date for his decision and revealed his final list of suitors to Rivals, with the late UW inclusion might have surprised some.

No matter what he decides, Wade will still have two high school seasons remaining, providing he doesn't reclassify.

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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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