Malik Agbo, Washington Huskies 2022 OL Target, and His Wild Recruiting Journey

The battle for in-state Washington Huskies 2022 OL Target Malik Agbo got heated in the early morning hours of September 1. So did his phone, to the point it malfunctioned.

When the calendar officially flipped to September 1 at midnight, the quiet time in the Agbo house in suburban Seattle ceased to exist.  

In fact, for Malik Agbo, it got a lot louder. 

"My phone starting going off," the offensive lineman and Washington target from Federal Way, Washington, said.  "Not like a minute or two after midnight but like right at midnight."

Ohio State was the first to call. Other calls and texts from contenders came while he was on the phone. 

Colorado, with a new coaching staff, re-offered. Michigan offered. Georgia Tech and Kansas contacted him.

Agbo already has a close relationship with Washington offensive-line coach Scott Huff but he's received a lot more attention from others at Washington — such as its graphic-design department.

"I got a really cool edit from UW," he said. "Out of all of the edits, I think the U-Dub's is the best one."

The "edit" Agbo referred to was of him wearing a crown and the "King Agbo" title.  The moniker is fitting, given that Malik, in his father's native Ghana, means King.

The reference also came from a story by Husky Maven's Tiana Cole, who learned that the offensive tackle is son of an African prince.

But the Christmas morning feel of recruiting quickly lost its luster.

"There were a couple of times where I was getting really tired during the times that the coaches were calling me and contacting me," he said. "At one point I just had to tell them that I would have to get back with them."

But as his recruiting has turned hot, so did his phone. He had to shut it down.

"My phone started glitching and overheating," he said.  "I was like. 'Oh yeah, it's time to turn it off.' "

But that didn't stop schools from reaching out to him.  

"I got messages on Twitter and someone got a hold of my mom's number," he said. "I was like, 'Oh boy.'  It was crazy, but it was fun."

Yet the barrage hasn't altered his workouts or friendships with fellow offensive-line national recruits Josh Connerly from Rainier Beach and Dave Luli from Puyallup.  

"I talk with them on a daily basis," Agbo said.