Huskies flip 2026 Colorado commit with chance to build on major NFL legacy

With spring ball wrapped up, you’d be forgiven for thinking Washington had finalized its 2026 high school recruiting class. However, on Wednesday afternoon, the Huskies added a 26th member to their incoming class of freshmen: Three-star defensive lineman Joseph Peko, who was previously an unsigned member of the Colorado Buffaloes’ most recent recruiting class.

The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Peko was primarily drawn to Colorado by its ties with his father, Domata Peko, a former 15-year NFL veteran who was the Buffaloes’ defensive line coach in 2025. After attending Michigan State, Domata spent his first 11 seasons (2006-2016) with the Cincinnati Bengals, before later playing for the Denver Broncos (2017-18), Baltimore Ravens (2019), and Arizona Cardinals (2020). He retired after playing in 214 games, the 10th-most by a defensive tackle in NFL history.

Domata Peko’s departure from Colorado led to his son’s flip to Washington

Domata became a defensive assistant for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 and was brought on by Colorado the following year. When he was hired to coach the Pittsburgh Steelers in early February–just days before 2026’s National Signing Day–Joseph decided to hold off on officially signing with the Buffaloes. He'd been committed since Dec. 25, 2025.

Now, almost four months after signing day, Peko has made his decision. Although his brother, Domata Peko Jr., remains at Colorado as a 2026 JUCO transfer, Joseph has committed to Washington, where he’ll enroll this summer. He previously visited the Huskies in April and reportedly left Montlake with his mind made up.

“I’m very excited to be a Dawg,” Peko said following his decision. “Colorado was great but when my Pops left CU to coach in the NFL, I had to look around. I was still giving Colorado a hard look but when I visited Washington, I knew that was home.”

Peko, a four-year starter for Westlake Village, Calif.’s Oaks Christian School, is rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN. 247Sports, which gave Peko a grade of 87, ranked him as the nation’s No. 107 defensive lineman and the No. 66 player in California.

He’s now set to join a 2026 Huskies recruiting class which was ranked 12th nationally by 247Sports, thanks in part to a strong haul across the defensive line. Peko’s arrival means the Huskies have five true freshmen on the interior of that line, including four-star breakout candidates Derek Colman-Brusa and J.D. Hill.

Peko will have plenty of competition for early reps, but his presence is still a significant win for the Huskies. Washington lost four interior defenders to ineligibility this offseason, and four more left via the transfer portal. Peko’s not as likely to see early action as Colman-Brusa and Hill are, but he’s another quality depth addition for a Huskies team in need of exactly that.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow