Washington football makes top six for in-state superstar

PULLMAN, WA - NOVEMBER 23: Andre Baccellia #5 of the Washington Huskies carries the ball against Darrien Molton #3 of the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Martin Stadium during the 111th Apple Cup on November 23, 2018 in Pullman, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)
PULLMAN, WA - NOVEMBER 23: Andre Baccellia #5 of the Washington Huskies carries the ball against Darrien Molton #3 of the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Martin Stadium during the 111th Apple Cup on November 23, 2018 in Pullman, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)

Washington football has made the top six for one of their top targets in the state, now they have one mission, close.

Washington football has been awaiting the top six of Eastside Catholic (Wash.) running back Sam Adams II for a long time, and it looks like they’ve made the cut. Landing the commitment of one of the nation’s top running backs won’t be an easy task for them, so how do they stack up against the competition?

Let’s look at the rest of the schools in Adams’ top six, of which there are notably no other Pac-12 teams: there’s the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Gators, Penn State Nittany Lions, Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Texas A&M Aggies. These are all top-tier schools, and UW’s true competition for all the high profile recruits they want to help them win a national championship. Now there’s one pressing question…

Can the Huskies close the deal?

First, let’s review who we’re talking about here. Adams is probably the most complete running back in this class, who just so happens to be in UW’s backyard. He averaged close to 10 yards a carry during his junior season, and we can’t forget about his pass-catching ability, which is what truly sets him apart from everyone else in this class. His route running ability and soft hands were amazing to watch during his time over the 7on7 circuit with Ford Sports Performance.

The schools Washington will have to recruit against have some strong traditions when it comes to their running backs, from Ezekiel Elliott to Derrick Henry, Mark Ingram, and Saquon Barkley just to name a few. And don’t forget that Adams is an A&M legacy, his father played defensive tackle for the Aggies before being a top ten draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 1994.

The Huskies definitely have a real chance to land Adams, who has a great opportunity to be the next in a line of hometown heroes at running back. He has the potential to be better than Myles Gaskin and Bishop Sankey, and the Husky coaching staff could definitely get him drafted in the first round.

Washington is going to need a true bell-cow back, and getting to play in front of your family and friends at home every weekend while leading your hometown team to a national championship seems like a pretty sweet deal.