Washington Football Recruiting Roundup
Washington football lost on Kyle Ford during the All-American Bowl on Saturday, but losing out on him and other five-stars isn’t that big of an issue.
Washington football was in the running for five-star receiver Kyle Ford, and five-star athlete Bru McCoy, who both committed to USC during the Army All-American Bowl on Saturday. Husky Twitter was in a panic after the game, saying that Washington doesn’t have the allure for some of these highly rated recruits. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Washington has some of the best facilities in the country and is an incredible academic program. It’s hard to deny Chris Petersen’s impact as a recruiter, just look at the major improvements in recruiting classes and high profile recruits since he was given the job.
As for recruiting McCoy and Ford in particular, the Huskies had to go up against the incredible in-state (more like in their backyard) recruiting power that is USC. The Trojans provide another historic program, along with a great education, an expansive alumni network and it is, with respect to the Huskies, an NFL factory.
Not only that, both of these kids are from Southern California. Sure, the Huskies have shown themselves to be a strong recruiter in the state of California, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s tough for any player to leave sunny Southern California, where they are able to play in front of their family and friends every weekend.
It takes time to become a national recruiting power, and for the high standards they hold to give out an offer, they do a great job pulling in a highly rated class. Over the next few years, they still have the opportunity to pull in a bunch of five-star recruits. I
How many offers have Power 5 schools made for the 2019 recruiting class? The total offer counts as of this weekend, according to 247. pic.twitter.com/cKJaJaVjUs
— Max Olson (@max_olson) December 18, 2018
There aren’t any problems with the way the Huskies are recruiting. In fact, the argument can be made that this was their most successful year after pulling in top players like Faatui Tuitele and Jacob Bandes, who are both rated inside the top 50 overall recruits. Laiatu Latu is another big-time recruit, and someone who’s due for a big jump in the final recruiting rankings in February.
A source I talked to said if Laiatu Latu isn't a five star, then there shouldn't be five stars...And I've been covering recruiting for almost 20 years.
— Ruth Robbins-Dahlin (@RJRobbinsDahlin) December 19, 2018
Yes, the Huskies do need to get their hands on some of these guys if they want a real shot to establish themselves as a national power, but it’s a slow process. It could start with Sav’ell Smalls in 2020. Or it could start with one of these highly rated freshmen coming in for 2019. Recruiting is a process, so give it time Husky fans. This is still just the beginning of something great.