Kalen DeBoer, Washington Huskies.
February 2 was Kalen DeBoer’s first National Signing Day as the Washington Huskies head football coach. He landed some good prospects that will help the team get back into the upper echelon of the Pac-12. But even with 13 players committed to UW, there is much more work left to do.
Here is a look at the Washington Huskies 2022 recruiting class.
The Huskies signed twin brothers Arvon and Jayvon Parker from Dearborn, Michigan, to the 2022 class on February 2. They both will likely redshirt in 2022. The Parker brothers are listed as 6’4″ and approximately 270-pounds. At this point, both will play at defensive tackle though if they can add a little more bulk, up one or both could play nose tackle.
DeBoer flipped Tristan Dunn, a four-star safety from Sumner High School. The defensive back was originally was going to sign with Arizona State decided to stay home and attend Washington.
Speaking of safeties, Demario King signed with UW just before Christmas. King is from Cerritos Community College (California), where he made second-team All-Conference last season. A move to linebacker may be in the cards for him. Another defensive back headed to the Washington Huskies is Jaivion Green from Houston, Texas. The Huskies also landed three-star defensive end Lance Holtzclaw out of Mesa, Arizona.
The Huskies picked up an important transfer for the defense. Cameron Bright, an outside linebacker from the University of Pittsburgh, should help shore up a shaky defense. Last year he had 53 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and one forced fumble for the Panthers.
The Washington Huskies originally signed six players on December 15, 2021; however, one dropped out. Germie Bernard, a highly regarded wide receiver from Las Vegas, Nevada, asked to be let out of his commitment to UW. He is now headed to Michigan State. How much of an impact a new head coach or the departure of wide receivers coach Junior Adams to Oregon made in his decision is unknown. Maybe the young man simply changed his mind.
Fellow wide receiver Denzel Boston locally of Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, a four-star recruit, decided to stay in the area, signing with his hometown Washington Huskies. He joins a very talented group of UW receivers. A pair of incoming transfers could make an impact next season for the Washington Huskies offense. As a freshman at New Mexico in 2021, running back Aaron Dumas rushed 136 times for 658 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Meanwhile, receiver Lonyatta Alexander comes in from Arizona State.
The Huskies signed four-star tight end Ryan Otton out of Tumwater, Washington. He’s the brother of Husky tight end Cade Otton, who is expected to be an NFL Draft pick in April. Another four-star signing was 6’2″ 275-pound offensive lineman Parker Brailsford from Scottsdale, Arizona.
Josh Conerly Jr, an offensive lineman out of Rainier Beach in Seattle, is still the top recruit in Washington. He hasn’t decided on where he will play his college ball yet and doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to do so. Connerly’s preferred destination is the University of Texas, and now Oklahoma is hot on his trail as well. The Huskies’ offensive line needs an upgrade, and he would be a huge help. Last year the Huskies quarterbacks were sacked 23 times. Adding Connerly would make DeBoer’s first Washington Huskies recruiting class a success.
Near the end of the day, Washington signed kicker/punter Kevin Ryan from Idaho State University. Last year, Ryan only had two games that he averaged less than 43.25 yards punting. That makes him an excellent candidate to replace Race Porter, a second-team All-Pac-12 punter last season. As an added bonus, Ryan also connected on 48 of 51 PAT attempts for his career.
Ryan was the eighth addition on signing day, bringing Washington’s total to 13. The Huskies’ goal is to land 17 players at the very least, so there are four players to go.
So far, most of the ranking services don’t think much of the Washington Huskies 2022 recruiting class. UW ranks 10th or 11th in the Pac-12 and in the upper 60s to 70s nationally. The coaching staff has their work cut out for them if they are going to raise these players up to the high standards set by Huskies teams of the past.
There is also time to improve the group of incoming recruits. Washington has scholarships available to offer, and high-profile players like Connerly are still available, as are players in the transfer portal. But the number is low and diminishing by the day.
What do you think of the Washington Huskies 2022 recruiting class? Let us know in the comments section below.