A ranking in the top 25 and a chance to be asserted as a CFP contender aren't the only things on the line when the Washington Huskies face off against the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday afternoon. A wave of highly-touted recruits will be making official gameday visits to Husky Stadium, eager to watch what high-stakes, top-competition football looks like in Seattle.
Program recruiters often save monumental games like this one to invite the high school prospects on the very top of their list, and this one is no different. It's a great opportunity to convince top-level talent that Washington is a place worthy of their services. Especially when a lot of these kids dream of going to the Ohio State's of the world, the chance to beat the Buckeyes in front of them is invaluable to the program's recruiting.
While there will be about 40 recruits invited to the game, here's a look at five of the most important ones to know about.
Kodi Greene: Five-star offensive tackle
Kodi Greene is the highest-rated prospect currently committed to Washington in the class of 2026. The Trinity League OL MVP is one of the top tackles in the country, and currently attends the prestigious Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California.
The Huskies O-line has already been great this season, so Greene should see himself fitting in perfectly with the team's future. Linemen like John Mills and Paki Finau are already making a drastic impact as freshmen.
Will be there go dawgs ☔️ https://t.co/BqVUfHy2tu
— Kodi Greene (@KodiGreene3) September 15, 2025
David Schwerzel: Four-star defensive lineman
The Huskies will also roll out the red carpet for David Schwerzel a homegrown defensive lineman recruit who attends O'Dea High School in Seattle. The No. 2-ranked player in the state for the class of 2026, Schwerzel's appearance at the Ohio State game will be crucial, as he is not yet committed to a school.
In fact, Schwerzel recently decommitted from UCLA after its poor start and firing of head coach DeShaun Foster. With his recruitment back open, Washington has a chance to steal him from a Big Ten foe. He already visited UW on May 30, and 247Sports predicts he will commit, but he will still need to be impressed this Saturday.
Jon Ioane: Four-star defensive lineman
Jon Ioane is another big-time defensive lineman recruit to visit for Saturday's game. Ioane is in the class of 2027, and is uncommitted to a school currently. Coach Jedd Fisch first offered him a scholarship while he was still at Arizona when Ioane was just in eighth grade.
Now, Ioane holds offers from over 20 schools, including Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas Tech, North Carolina, and Colorado. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound athlete from Tustin, California is even said to have enough versaitility to play offensive line, as well.
Rahsjon Duncan: three-star defensive back
Rahsjon Duncan is a defensive back from Oakland, California in the class of 2026 who has been committed to Washington since July, but may be wined and dined more than anyone visiting for the Ohio State game. This is because Ryan Day and the Buckeyes just offered Duncan a scholarship, an obvious ploy to try to flip the Big Ten commit.
Josiah Molden: four-star defensive back
Josiah is the younger brother of former Husky Elijah Molden, who had an outstanding career with the Huskies and is currently playing in the NFL for the Los Angeles Chargers. Josiah has the chance to be even better.
Rated as a four-star recruit and No. 1 player in the state of Oregon for the class of 2027, Molden has offers from dozens of great programs -- most notably Ohio State and Oregon. Just because his brother went to UW, doesn't mean he will, especially because his father, Alex Molden, is in the University of Oregon Hall of Fame and played eight seasons in the NFL.
It should be of the utmost importance for Washington to impress him this weekend in order to keep him on the right side of the Pacific Northwest rivalry.