Huskies lose crystal-balled defensive lineman Zane Rowe to their most bitter rival

The Washington Huskies have had a strong start to their high school recruiting efforts this offseason, and their 2027 recruiting class is ranked No. 4 nationally by 247Sports as a result of several early commitments. Four-star defensive lineman Zane Rowe would have been Washington’s highest-rated addition, but the former Oklahoma Sooners commit spurned the Huskies on Friday when he announced that he was flipping his commitment to the Oregon Ducks.

Rowe, who stands 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, is rated one of the nation’s top 100 players by both 247Sports (No. 93) and Rivals (No. 100). His decision to side with the Ducks will surely sting some Huskies fans, who had good reason to be confident ahead of Rowe’s scheduled commitment.

Zane Rowe was heavily favored to end up a Husky. Instead, he committed to the Ducks.

Rowe’s decision was a major surprise, as he’d been expected by both 247Sports and Rivals to land with the Huskies after decommitting from the Sooners on Jan. 6, 2026. On March 9, 247Sports’ staff logged a ‘crystal ball’ projection–with a high confidence rating of 7/10–that Rowe would commit to Washington.

The Rivals site told a similar tale. Washington was named the new leader in Rowe’s recruitment (surpassing Oklahoma) on March 1 by national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman, who rated his prediction a 60/100 in terms of confidence. Prior to Rowe’s commitment, Rivals’ site reported that Washington held a 72.6% chance of landing him, that Oklahoma was in second place at 9.6%, and that Oregon was a massive underdog with odds at less than 1%.

Things seemed to be falling further into place for the Huskies after a successful ‘Dawghouse Weekend.’ Rowe was one of around 30 high schoolers, mostly juniors from the upcoming class of 2027, to visit the University of Washington last weekend. The Huskies have already earned a commitment from linebacker Isaiah Leilua since then, and the positive comments Rowe gave following his visit were another indication that he could soon follow suit.

“What stood out was how detailed everything was — from the nutrition, training and how detailed the coaches are when they coach their players,” Rowe said to SeaTown Sports after the experience.

Why Rowe chose Oregon over Washington, Oklahoma, and North Carolina

Washington may have been favored to land Rowe following Dawghouse Weekend, but Oregon pulled off a surprising heist after hosting the Denton, Texas native for a visit on Wednesday. That visit, which he’d had scheduled since at least February and was the last before his scheduled commitment, seems to have been a decisive one, as Rowe chose Oregon over Washington, Oklahoma, and North Carolina two days later. 

He’d held a scholarship offer from the Ducks since June 2023, but committed to Oklahoma one month after receiving an offer from the Sooners in March 2024. The Huskies and Tarheels both offered Rowe scholarships in May 2025. 

"It was a really hard, stressful decision," Rowe said to 247Sports’ Tom Loy following his announcement. "It's just something about Oregon. When I stepped on campus, it felt special. The moment I landed on that airplane, I could feel it in my spirit." 

Rowe went on to explain that his goal is to be a future No. 1 overall pick, and that he believes Oregon head coach Dan Lanning–who coached Travon Walker at Georgia–has what it takes to make that happen.

Rowe has played mostly edge rusher for John H. Guyer High School, where he tallied 72 total tackles, 26 tackles for loss, eight sacks, 14 pass deflections, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and a blocked field goal as a junior in 2025. 

He’s currently ranked the No. 1 defensive end in Texas by 247Sports. However, many analysts believe his large frame gives him the potential to bulk up towards 300 pounds if Oregon's coaches decide to move him to defensive tackle. 

Rowe’s commitment is Oregon’s sixth of the 2027 cycle, and gives them the nation’s eighth-best class at this early date. Oregon is still four spots below Washington on 247Sports’ list, but that’s likely because Washington currently has eight commits to Oregon’s six. Four of Oregon’s six commitments come from four-star prospects, and the Ducks’ players hold an average player rating (89.50) which is two points higher than the Huskies’ (87.50).

If the Huskies want to stay ahead of the Ducks as this year’s recruiting action progresses, they’ll need to land more commitments, especially from blue-chip prospects. Thankfully, the high-profile turnout at Dawghouse Weekend means Washington could get exactly that in the coming days. Keep reading The Husky Haul to stay up to date on Huskies recruiting and more.