Recruiting USC DT commit to visit University of Washington Football Team

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Head coach Chris Petersen of the Washington Huskies reacts during the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Head coach Chris Petersen of the Washington Huskies reacts during the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Turnabout is fair play. USC DT commit Tuli Letuligasenoa announced that he will visit the University of Washington Football Team despite committing to the USC Trojans

The 2017 recruiting class for the Washington Football team took a major hit when the team lost the commitment of 5-star defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu as he flipped to the USC Trojans.  And no Washington Huskies fan has forgotten, nor forgiven, the USC Trojans since.

Now the shoe is on the other foot.  Defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa did not sign his National Letter of Intent during the signing period of December 20-22.  Instead, he has continued to consider his options. Hopefully, he recognizes the unique opportunity awaiting a player of his talents on the Washington Football team. As a matter of fact, he plans to visit UW to see for himself.

Uh Oh on DT

The Washington football team is losing DT Vita Vea to the NFL, as he is projected as a first round selection. And they need defensive linemen in a big way. They had recruited DT Tommy Togiai hard, but lost out to Ohio State. Now the team has a miraculous chance to attract a very talented defensive tackle.  Even last season, the team recovered somewhat at the loss of Tuipulotu by immediately recruiting 260 pound defensive end Ali Gaye.  The skillset of Tuli Letuligasenoa is custom made for the needs of the Washington Huskies.

Still, there is only one way to interpret the news today.  This is huge. So what could be driving this?

USC defensive line coach Kenechi Udeze is interviewing with the San Francisco 49ers. That changes everything.

No room at USC inn, plenty of space running with the Pack

USC has three commitments in 2018, plus five defensive tackles on the roster. While there is no doubt that Tuli Letuligasenoa can earn his playing time on any NCAA roster, the fact remains that the Trojans are well stocked at the position. They have five defensive tackles on the roster, plus three incoming in 2018.

Unfortunately, who they will be coached by is now completely up in the air.

Meanwhile, the Washington Football team has a pattern of shipping quality interior defensive linemen to the NFL. And with the departure of Vea, they will have huge shoes to fill in both minutes and impact. Letuligasenoa projects very well in that role. Let’s hope for the best.  The class of 2018 is very special indeed.  Flipping DT Letuligasenoa would be an incredible coup de’ grace.

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