Why Joshua Lair Spurned Schools in Home State for UW

Before Joshua Lair took his official Washington visit last weekend while the Huskies played their Pac-12 opener against California, he knew where he was going to play his college football

He just needed his mother, Auketria Manor, to see the school for herself.

“To be honest, I already had an idea where I was going, which was Washington,” Lair said.

On Monday, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound safety from Fort Bend Marshall High School near Houston chose the Huskies over a pair of Lone Star state programs, Baylor and Texas, following that UW official visit with his mother in tow.

Lair, rated as a high 3-star prospect by recruiting services 247Sports and On3, made his first trip to Seattle back in April with his uncle accompanying him and it counted as an unofficial visit.

That laid the foundation for UW co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell, cornerbacks coach Julius Brown and coach Kalen DeBoer to strengthen an already tight personal connection with the talented defensive back.

“All three of those guys — coach Juice, coach Morrell and coach DeBoer — they’re all intentional,” Lair said. “And I like intentional people because I’m intentional. So it only feels right. They kept it real from the jump and just stayed in touch on a regular basis.”

In June, four schools were scheduled to host Lair for an official visit: Baylor, LSU, Texas and UW.

All except the Huskies ended up getting the hard-hitting safety on campus. At the time, Lair felt he already had seen all the schools he needed before making his commitment. The consensus was he would likely stay in the state of Texas, but as time went on no decision came to fruition.

Morrell kept in contact with Lair and the two scheduled an official visit for the defensive back when UW hosted Tulsa. For family reasons, the safety's trip had to be rescheduled for the game against Cal.

With the Huskies beating the Golden Bears 59-32 on a wet night at Husky Stadium, Lair saw everything he needed to see to be sure it was meant for him to spend the next four years in Seattle.

“One thing that stood out was the fans — the fan base is insane,” Lair said. “The people are different. I love it. Just the way the defense is set up, I can see myself fitting in that scheme and help me get to the next level.”

Lair is expected to come in and play both strong safety and the Husky nickelback position for Morrell and the defensive staff.

As a junior at Ford Bend Marshall, Lair finished with 54 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions.

“I would say physical, explosive, a student of the game,” he said of his style of play. “I feel like great players watch film and that translates to the game. So a player that watches film helps you grow on the field. Ballhawk, as well. I love to get the ball.”

UW forced a season-high three interceptions in the 27-point victory over Cal as a precursor of what’s to come when Lair joins the secondary, which includes sophomore cornerback Jaivion Green, another former Houston-area product.

Overall, Lair received 28 scholarship offers that included Southeastern Conference powers Arkansas, Florida and Texas A&M, along with Oregon and Utah from the Pac-12.

To spurn those schools from his home state and choose to play all the way out on the West Coast wasn’t a decision Lair took lightly.

“I was confident in my decision,” he said. “But, yeah, I most definitely knew people were surprised like, ‘Wow, you really chose Washington over Texas and other schools?’ But, hey, I felt comfortable at Washington. I felt Washington is where I could see myself developing as a player and a young man.”

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