Washington Football recruits ILB M.J. Tafisi to class of 2018

The Washington Football team defense for 2018 recruits hard-hitting inside linebacker M.J. Tafisi.

That Washington Football class of 2018 is impressive. With so much activity on the offensive side of the ball, the defense is happy with the commitment of inside linebacker M.J. Tafisi to the class. And he is a very good prospect.

Tafisi is old-school. He is a thudder.  A solid impact tackler. The type of linebacker who delivers a solid connection to a ball carrier and who places them on their backside almost immediately.  That ability to sniff out the ball and tackle is a undervalued commodity on the defense.

The Washington Football team offense for the class of 2018 appears to be a solid assemblage. With the recent commitment of offensive guard Sam Taimani, the class has a solid group of highly talent skill players plus a solid bank of linemen.

Defense pieces coming together

On defense, the team seems less complete. Of 18 total commits as of December 18, 2017, the team has seven players committed to the defensive side of the ball. Of that number, Tafisi is the third to join the linebacker ranks of the team.  We featured the commitment of outside linebacker Zion Tupuola-Fetui recently, plus outside linebacker Jack Sirmon out of Brentwood, Tennessee.

Tafisi compliments the group well.  While Sirmon and Tupuola-Fetui set the edge and cover receivers.

is the sledgehammer. He doesn’t just wrap up someone, he crushes them.  With huge running backs making their name and reputation by chewing up big gains in the Pac-12 like Bryce Love, Ronald Jones II, Ryan Nall Jr., and more, the team needs to assure itself of sure-fire tacklers in the front seven.  That is M.J. Tafisi’s wheel house.  And for the future of the Washington defense, he is counted on to deliver those mindblowing tackles for years to come.

Not a well-kept secret

Tafisi is not a “discovery” of the Washington Huskies by any means. He was on the list of more than a dozen NCAA college football programs. Of that group, he had scholarship offers from 11 schools.  So it’s safe to say that Washington was not the only school to talk to the young man from Sandy, Utah.

But it’s plain that he was impressed with the Huskies.  And his arrival is an excellent fit. Paired with the recent commitment of inside linebacker Brandon Kaho, the Huskies have set up the defense for the next three or four seasons.  Some analysts who are highly respected, such as Chris Fetters, are already comparing Tafisi with Azeem Victor.

Next: Washington Football team recruits 4-star OG Sam Taimani

While comparisons may be premature, it signifies the prestige and respect already earned by M.J. Tafisi.  As a new recruit to the Washington Huskies class of 2018, he will be tasked to prove his reputation all over again.  But I am confident he will do just that, one solid tackle at a time.

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