Weekend Recruiting Wrap: Huskies Extend Offer to Local TE, Pursuing Several DBs
New Offers
Ryan Otton, younger brother of Washington tight end Cade Otton, received an early offer from the Huskies. This Otton, a sophomore at Tumwater High School in Tumwater, Washington, already carries a 6-foot-6, 225-pound frame.
Given that his big brother is 6-5 and 240 pounds, Ryan Otton has the capability to bulk up to the 250-pound range by the time he enrolls in college in 2022. Many are projecting Ryan as a lock to commit to the UW.
The Huskies are one of 14 schools to offer tight end Jaxon Howard, who is a high school freshman in Minnesota and a member of the class of 2023. Jaxon is the son of Willie Howard, a former Stanford defensive end and the 1999 Morris Trophy winner. The older Howard serves as Jaxon's coach at Robbinsdale Cooper High School in Minneapolis.
Jaxon hasn't been rated yet by any of the recruiting services, but he's a large- frame, multi-sport athlete with an NFL pedigree. His father played for the Minnesota Vikings. The son already stands 6-4 and weighs just over 200 pounds. The Howards are familiar with the West Coast but they haven't indicated a leader in his recruitment.
Making the Cut
Arizona defensive Steven Ortiz Jr. pared his list of schools to five over the weekend and it includes Washington. The f-star defensive back, thought to be leaning to the Huskies, is rated as the 17th defensive back nationally and the fourth-highest DB in the Western region.
Ortiz often references his closeness to UW coach Jimmy Lake and defensive back Will Harris as key factors in his recruitment. He's aware of their ability to develop talent into NFL-ready players.
"Washington has had a lot of great DBs," the 5-11, 170-pound junior from Saguaro High in Scottsdale said recently. "My favorites are probably Budda Baker and Byron Murphy."
Phillip Riley, a Florida defensive back for 2021 with Seattle roots, cut his list down, and it still includes Washington.
Riley's familiarity with the Seattle area extends beyond his roots; he's been a player for Ford Sports Performance's 7-on-7 team from Bellevue, Washington. Florida State once was thought to be the leader for Riley's services, but that's no longer the case.
Denzel Burke, listed as a two-way athlete, is another impressive Arizona recruit from Saguaro High. Burke said he's focusing on 10 of the 22 schools that have offered him. Included are five Pac-12 schools: Washington, Colorado, Arizona State, USC, and Oregon.
Burke has ties to UW quarterback commit Sam Huard; they've been Ford Sports Performance teammates. The Huskies have a pipeline in place to Saguaro High after previously signing cornerback Byron Murphy and incoming freshmen DB Jacobe Covington, and Danny Rivera.
A top 200 player for 2021, Burke demonstrates excellent ball skills and speed on both sides of the ball. Harris, the Husky secondary coach, heads up Burke's recruitment and is pursuing him as a defensive back.
