The Husky Haul
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Rounding out Washington football’s 2021 recruiting class

By Roman Tomashoff

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 21: Washington Huskies mascot Harry the Husky dances prior to his team's game against the Boise State Broncos during the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 21: Washington Huskies mascot Harry the Husky dances prior to his team's game against the Boise State Broncos during the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /
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Washington football is picking up steam on the recruiting trail, so let’s take a look at their dream scenario to round out the 2021 class

Washington football has a total of 14 commits in their class, and will probably be taking anywhere from 20-22 players in 2021. In a year full of uncertainty, Jimmy Lake and his staff have a lot to look forward to. Hopefully, we’ll see football be played this fall, and a strong season from the Huskies can make this dream a lot more attainable.

Note: The in-state, five-star prospects J.T Tuimoloau and Emeka Egbuka have both been talked about ad nauseam, and securing both of them is obviously priority one. Their names must be mentioned, but with no confirmations about any rumors on where they might be leaning, we’ll spend the majority of this article focusing on their potential supporting cast.

Tight end

The Huskies currently have two commits at the position, in junior college four-star (per Rivals) Quentin Moore, and three-star Caden Jumper. Jumper is going to be utilized in more of a fullback role, and with the way Washington uses tight ends in the offense, they want to take one more, and it’s going to come down to four-star Brock Bowers, or three-star Shield Taylor.

Bowers, who plays at Napa (Calif.) High School, is rated in the top 50 overall by 247 Sports, and in the top 100 by their Composite ratings. He’s down to either Georgia or Washington and will be flying up to Seattle in late July to visit the city and campus. Since it’s still a recruiting dead period, he won’t be able to meet with the coaching staff in person, and it would be a surprise if quarterback Sam Huard didn’t try to arrange some kind of meeting with Bowers.

Taylor is a little bit outside of Washington’s normal recruiting footprint, coming from Alexandria, Louisiana. The 6’4, 235-pound prospect is rumored to be down to Washington and Stanford, and could potentially be a gateway into a talent-rich state.

Running back

Caleb Berry is the only current commit at the position, and with the graduation of two seniors, Lake and staff should try to take a second player at the position. The only player on the board is Byron Cardwell from Morse (Calif.) High School. Cardwell is an elite athlete, and the complete package at running back. He might remind some Husky fans of redshirt freshman Cam Davis, and would be perfect for Washington’s system.

Inside Linebacker

Just like at running back, there’s only one take at the moment and that’s four-star Will Latu. The only way that changes is if the coaching staff can secure Ethan Calvert. The top 100 prospect per 247 and the Composite is reportedly down to USC, UCLA, and Washington. Calvert would be the best off-ball linebacker prospect the Huskies have pulled in since Shaq Thompson, in rating and in skill. With Ethan’s older brother Josh Calvert on the roster, Washington should have a great chance to land his services.

Defensive back

Washington’s defensive back recruiting has been a bit of an enigma this year. Rumors have it they’re looking to flip a few higher rated players from other schools, but without any confirmation, we won’t name them in this article.

When it comes to uncommitted players, the top targets right now seem are two players from California, cornerback Chance Tucker, and safety Vince Nunley. Tucker looks to be leaning towards Notre Dame, but Washington might up the pressure on him in order to fill needs at the position. Tucker has great ball skills, and is exactly the kind of corner Lake likes to have on the boundary.

Nunley, a rangy safety with excellent length, is another great fit for Lake’s defense. He’s a sleeper prospect, with only two Pac-12 offers, but they’re from the two best defensive teams in the conference. That should say something about Nunley’s skill, and don’t be surprised if he continues to pull in offers.

Trenches (Offensive/defensive line)

While the Huskies are probably done at both positions (outside of Tuimoloau), there’s the possibility for a few more takes.

Along the offensive line, Scott Huff should turn his attention towards the class of 2022. With five elite in-state prospects that already hold offers, unless a prospect like Kingsley Suamataia wants to commit, there’s no reason to take anyone else in this class. The 2022 class has the potential to be better than the 2020 offensive line class (the best in school history), so why waste a scholarship when there are other needs to be filled?

And on the defensive line, the only defensive tackle that could possibly be a take is Tumwater (Wash.) High School’s Jacob Schuster. That might be a stretch, not because of his talent, but because of numbers at the position. On the edge, Logan Fano might be the only other take. Fano, who will probably be a deferred commitment due to a two-year mission, like Jordan Lolohea, is the perfect outside linebacker for defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski.

Only time will tell how the class will sort out, but with a strong start to the season, it’s still well within reach for Washington to finish with a top 10 class.

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