For years Washington was known as either QB-U or TE-U. However, the new pride of Washington has become its defensive backfield. Names like Budda Baker, Taylor Rapp, Trent McDuffie, Sidney Jones, Byron Murphy, Kevin King, Kyler Gordon, Jordan Miller, JoJo Macintosh, Myles Bryant and many others dot NFL rosters. More appear on CFL, XFL, and probably USFL lineups.
This is part 1 of 2 RealDawg.com’s look at defensive back recruiting for the class of 2024. Sure, it’s the middle of February and anything can and will happen, but as it sits right now, the Washington Huskies are positioned to have one of its best defensive back recruiting classes.
“University of Washington over the past 8-10 years have benefited from extremely versatile and academically sound defensive back players,” one NFL scout said. “That stems from the fact that the defensive back coaches under Jimmy Lake and Will Harris would teach them a multitude of defensive schemes and techniques.”
He continued.
“Those players understand 26+ different coverage concepts and over time they have the ability to roll in and out of those coverages. Over the years UW has recruited great ‘man corners’ who have excelled in the many off coverage techniques. A UW defensive back is extremely smart, understands a multitude of concepts, plays within the dynamics of the defensive schemes, can run with anyone and historically excel in one-to-one tackling,” he said. “UW is building upon those competencies under Coach Brown.”
Defensive back coach Julius Brown’s first go-round will be hard to beat. First, he hauled in two 4-stars in Vincent Homes and Curley Reed plus 3-star Diesel Gordon. But he wasn’t done. Then he flipped 4-star Caleb Presley from Oregon. On paper that class matches up quite well against any other DB recruiting class in the last 10 years.
In 2019 UW inked three four-star DBs Trent McDuffie, Asa Turner, and Kamren Fabiculanan as well as 3-star Cam Williams. McDuffie already has a Super Bowl ring.
The previous year UW pulled in Julius Irvin and Kyler Gordon, both 4-stars and 3-star Dom Hampton.
It would be hard to beat the 2017 class that featured Brandon McKinney, Keith Taylor, and Elijah Molten—all 4-stars. That class also had 3-star receiver Alex Cook who turned into a stalwart once he switched to over to being a defender.
On paper the 2016 class is good but not mind-blowing with two 4-star and two 3-star signees— until you see the names: Byron Murphy, Taylor Rapp. The latter being the lowest-rated of the 4 scholarship signees that included Isaiah Gilcrist and Kentrell Love. It doesn’t include 1309th-rated player in the country who walked-on, Myles Bryant.
3-stars Ezekiel Turner and Jordan Miller signed although 4-star Austin Joyner was the highest-rated DB signed in 2015. He medically retired in 2018 but is now playing ball in Canada for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders.
That takes us 10 years back to the highest-rated DB of them all, Mr. Budda Baker. JoJo Mackintosh and Sidney Jones, and Darren Gardenhire were all 3-stars who joined Baker in the 2014 signing class. On paper, not bad. On the field, program-trajectory altering.
More than just about any other program, between 2014 and 2022 Washington found guys that the Chris Petersen staff felt they could develop.
Having spoken with several 2024 defensive back prospects about where their recruiting stands, virtually all had Washington in their top 5–or higher.
Numbers-wise, currently, UW has offered 16 cornerbacks and 12 safeties. According to RealDawg.com’s lead high school recruiting analyst, the profile of a new Washington defensive back isn’t much different than under Jimmy Lake.
“On the outside Washington looks to escort the receiver out of bounds using the line as another defender. They have safeties over top to help inside, but can get exposed if the receiver stays in play and they stay inbounds down the sideline,” he said. “With the players that Washington is recruiting for the 2024 class they have the skills to go stride for stride with receivers–guys who are coverage first and run support second.”
We’ll look at the defensive back prospects in part 2.
