Washington Huskies Football: 2022 recruiting class – December update
A new era in Montlake, but recruiting never stops. With a week left before the signing period begins, here is your Washington Huskies recruiting update.
Things have changed considerably since our last look at the Washington Huskies 2022 recruiting class. Head Coach Jimmy Lake and Offensive Coordinator John Donovan are out, and a new era begins.
Monday, the Huskies announced the hiring of Kalen DeBoer from Fresno State to be their next head coach. Not only will DeBoer have to assemble a coaching staff, but he also has to look at the players that have committed to Washington as well as those who are considering UW.
The early recruiting signing day is December 15. He has from then until National Signing Day on February 2, 2022, to complete the next freshman recruiting class.
Last month the Huskies had ten commits in the 2022 class. But, this month shows only nine. Wide receiver TJ Hall wasn’t on the committed list but didn’t announce that he de-committed either. Monday’s announcement of DeBoer as the new head coach may make a big difference for Hall since the receiver hails from Fresno, California. Like the other recruits, it will depend on whether Hall is the type of player DeBoer wants on his team.
DeBoer is known as an offensive coach. It made sense for Washington AD Jen Cohen to hire DeBoer. Last year the Huskies’ biggest weakness was their offense. Of UW’s nine commitments, eight are from offensive players. Lance Holtzclaw, a DE from Mesa, Arizona, is the only defensive player committed to Washington so far.
Still available – defense
Of the 22 scholarship offers Washington sent out, 11 of them went to defensive players. Only two remain that haven’t committed elsewhere. The first is defensive tackle Dejon Roney out of Etiwanda, California. The four-star recruit indicated, on his Twitter account, he will make his decision soon.
Eastside Catholic High School’s Dishawn Misa is the other. It will take a big sales job from DeBoer to sign him. Misa likes three other Pac-12 schools, UCLA, Colorado, and Utah, plus Boise State.
Going after #1
Offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., a five-star recruit and number one in Washington from Rainier Beach High School, said he won’t decide until February. Washington and Oregon top his list. However, a visit to Michigan, when the Huskies played there in September, moved the Wolverines to his shortlist.
When setting up the new coaching staff, signing the top in-state prospect should be the new staff’s number one priority. DeBoer hired Courtney Morgan from Michigan to be the Huskies Director of Player Personnel. That could make a huge difference in Conerly’s recruitment.
Still available – offense
Washington sent an offer to OT Earnest Greene III from Bellflower, California. Greene is a hard sell since he has two of the top teams in the country, Alabama and Georgia, on his list.
Another player with offers from Alabama and Washington is Las Vegas running back Jovantae Barnes. Oklahoma is also in the mix, but Lincoln Riley’s move from the Sooners to USC may change that.
Malik Agbo, a tackle from Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, is also undecided. He’s looking at the south, too, with Texas, Oklahoma, Auburn, and Miami as his top four choices.
DeBoer may have some players he was recruiting at Fresno that he would like to come to Washington. Then there is the transfer portal (which will see several departures as well as additions) and JUCO players.
Stay with Pacific Northwest Sports as Washington Huskies’ recruiting heats up, leading up to the signing period. Go Dawgs!