Washington Football Recruiting: Joe Sanders Surprises, Commits to Huskies

When I went to bed last night, it looked as if there would be no big surprises for Washington. Several important announcements, such as Daeshon Hall and the Robinson Twins making final decisions, but it seemed like it was all out there already. Of course, surprises aren’t usually too easy to predict, and the first out of nowhere commit for Washington is Joe Sanders of LaGrange High School in LaGrange, Georgia.

Sanders is a consensus three-star recruit, but a consensus certainly hasn’t been reached by the various recruiting services on what position he will play in high school. Rivals has him as a defensive end, Scout as a defensive tackle, and ESPN as an offensive tackle. He does seem capable of playing all three at the college level, but for now I think it is safe to assume that he was recruited to play somewhere along the defensive line. Considering his 6’6″ 270-pound frame, it really could be inside or outside.

I believe that Tennessee was believed to be the favorite for Sanders, but it appears that Tosh Lupoi managed to turn him towards Washington on the last possible day, once again showing the value of the ace-recruiting defensive line coach. No matter how it happened, Sanders has great size, something that college football teams can never have enough of.

Note: It now appears that Sanders did not have the grades to play at Washington, and will instead be headed to a Junior College with the hopes of transferring once his grades are better.