Washington can win in Texas \u2026 by winning in Texas.<\/p>\n
Granted, the Lone Star State has never been UW’s most critical recruiting ground. But if we include a pair of soon-to-be signees in four-star defensive lineman Anthony James and three-star defensive back Diesel Gordon, 13 Texas products have up at Washington in the last wound 10 cycles \u2026 and nine since 2020.<\/p>\n
That haul has included both hits and misses. The Huskies hit the jackpot in 2016, signing four-star Allen defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike and three-star Lovejoy wide receiver Aaron Fuller. Onwuzurike, of course, produced 95 tackles with 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 39 games \u2014 before being drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round in 2021. Fuller added 159 catches, 2,051 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in four productive seasons in Seattle.<\/p>\n
UW has also nabbed a pair of contributing Texas products from the transfer portal in wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk (15 games, 43 catches, 763 receiving yards, 7 TD at UW) and running back Will Nixon (89 rushing yards, 4.2 yards per carry, 2 TD in 2021).<\/p>\n
But of UW’s five Texas signees in the last three cycles, three have already transferred \u2014 outside linebacker Cooper McDonald (San Diego State) and running backs Emeka Megwa (Oklahoma) and Caleb Berry (Incarnate Word).<\/p>\n
So, as No. 12 Washington (10-2) prepares to meet No. 20 Texas (8-4) in San Antonio, what role does that state play in UW’s recruiting agenda?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you lay out what our plan was going in, Washington as well as California is where it starts,\u201d said UW coach Kalen DeBoer. \u201cThat’s something that historically has led to great success. When we look at the best teams ever in our program, that’s where it started.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I also know that there’s been a foundation that’s been laid with the recruitment of Texas, and that’s why we have a lot of guys on our team (from Texas). We’ve continued to do that. We’ve continued to go there as a staff. It’s one of those other out-of-the-footprint states that we’ve really focused on. So it does mean a lot.\u201d <\/p>\n
Indeed, UW has offered seven Texas recruits in the 2024 class \u2014 behind California (49), Washington (11) and Arizona (10).<\/p>\n
But don’t mistake a modest offer total for a lack of investment or interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s going to keep being an intriguing area where they’ll pull players from,\u201d said 247Sports national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman. \u201cI don’t think they’re going to put nearly the time and energy (into recruiting Texas) that maybe a Colorado or an Arizona or an Arizona State would, because I think Washington will still live and die on the West Coast.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut when you look at a guy like Ja’Lynn Polk, you see a guy who can come in here and make an impact like he did. I think they’re going to be very selective, very picky with who they get. They’ll still go down there, but they’re going to go after the top-end guys now instead of cherry-picking the second- and third-tier guys. They’re going to go into Texas for guys they know there’s a mutual interest in. They’re not going to chase butterflies they’re not going to get.\u201d<\/p>\n
UW’s 2023 class \u2014 including Texan tandem James and Gordon \u2014 is currently ranked 26th<\/sup> in the nation by 247Sports, with early signing day approaching on Dec. 21.<\/p>\n Thus far in the 2024 cycle, UW has extended Texas offers to four-star running back Taylor Tatum, four-star wide receiver Zion Kearney, four-star corner Mario Buford, four-star defensive lineman (and Texas A&M commit) Dealyn Evans, three-star corner Rodney Bimage, three-star safety Landyn Cleveland and three-star linebacker Davhon Keys.<\/p>\n Like Huffman said, UW isn’t in the business of chasing butterflies.<\/p>\n And it would help if the Huskies beat Texas in the Alamo Bowl.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s going to give them that exposure down there,\u201d Huffman said this week. \u201cYou talk to a kid in Texas that is looking at the Pac-12 and he’s probably going to look at Oregon. He’s probably going to look at USC. But now, the flagship university is playing (UW) in the state of Texas, and now maybe that moves the needle a lot more with those guys. Maybe the kid happens to go to a practice and he watches them work out in preparation for the Alamo Bowl. You can’t put a price tag on that.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s going to be a highly rated game. It’s going to be on in a lot of households. Texas can be 8-4, they can be 6-6, they can be 4-8 and they can be 10-2: people are going to tune in.\u201d<\/p>\n Many will tune in to see the Longhorns.<\/p>\n But Washington may win in more ways than one.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don’t want to play in a bowl before Christmas against a (Group of Five) school. You want to play in a bowl where you’re playing a name brand,\u201d Huffman said. \u201cAnd that’s what this game gives them \u2014 a name brand in a prime-time category in a state you’re really trying to make inroads with.\u201d<\/p>\n 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n Four-star DL Anthony James (verbal commit)<\/p>\n Three-star CB Diesel Gordon (verbal commit)<\/p>\n 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n Three-star CB Jaivion Green \u2014 9 games, 5 tackles, 1 pass breakup<\/p>\n Three-star RB Will Nixon (Nebraska transfer) \u2014 11 games, 89 rushing yards, 4.2 yards per carry, 2 TD, 66 receiving yards<\/p>\n 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n Four-star RB Emeka Megwa \u2014 0 games (transferred to Oklahoma in 2022)<\/p>\n Three-star RB Caleb Berry \u2014 0 games (transferred to Incarnate Word in 2022)<\/p>\n Three-star WR Ja’Lynn Polk (Texas Tech transfer) \u2014 15 games, 43 catches, 763 receiving yards, 7 TD<\/p>\n 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n Three-star RB Jay’Veon Sunday \u2014 five games, 29 rushing yards, 3.2 yards per carry<\/p>\n Three-star LB Cooper McDonald \u2014 15 games, 28 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks (transferred to San Diego State in 2022)<\/p>\n 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n Three-star OL Victor Curne \u2014 26 games, 16 starts at right tackle<\/p>\n 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n Four-star DL Levi Onwuzurike \u2014 39 games, 95 tackles, 16 TFL, 7 sacks (2019 All-Pac-12 first team, second-round draft pick)<\/p>\n Three-star WR Aaron Fuller \u2014 54 games, 159 catches, 2,051 receiving yards, 13 TDs<\/p>\n 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n Three-star edge Myles Rice \u2014 15 games, 5 tackles, 1 TFL<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Washington can win in Texas \u2026 by winning in Texas. Granted, the Lone Star State has never been UW’s most critical recruiting ground. But if we include a pair of soon-to-be signees in four-star defensive lineman Anthony James and three-star defensive back Diesel Gordon, 13 Texas products have up at Washington in the last wound …<\/p>\nUW signees\/transfers from Texas since 2014<\/strong><\/h3>\n