New Washington Husky commit, defensive back Thaddeus Dixon felt an immediate connection when he met the Washington coaches.  But when he met the players it all changed.

“Being around the players brought me closer,” he Dixon recalled.  “What brought me closer was when I saw the brotherhood.”

He already knew of the Husky’s history of producing great defensive backs.

“It was a great visit,” the 6-1 and a half, 187-pound JuCo transfer said Monday after his commitment.  “I fell in love with everything.”

He was able to to connect with many of the players in his short time there but came away impressed with the work ethic.

“Those boys were out there competing on every play,” he recalled.  “You can tell they care about each other and that they’re trying to make each other better.  They’re firing each other up.”

And he’s looking forward to going up against the receivers from the nation’s number 1 passing offense every day in practice.

“That’s iron sharpening iron right there,” he recalled watching the practice this past weekend.  “It’ll help me get better going against some top notch dudes.”

He witnessed battles that helped elevate each other’s play and he can’t wait to join the fray.

“I feel like I could get after those dudes and they’d get after me,” he said.  “It’s a brotherhood.”

This past season he was able to catch the Huskies in person once this past season.  At that time he had no idea that he’d be suiting up in the purple and gold six months later.

“I was at one game when played UCLA in the Rose Bowl,” the Los Angeles-native recalled.

With several players out with injury and one player opting out, he saw a team with an immediate need in the defensive backfield.  He will have three years to play two but is ready to go now.

“I could fit right in with the scheme,” he said.  “I like how they’re aggressive up front.”

While in Seattle this past weekend there was one person that was constantly in his ear, receivers coach, JaMarcus Shephard.

“That’s my guy,” he said of Washington’s most boisterous coach.  “He was talking a lot of mess when I first met him.  I can tell that I’m going to have some fun with him.”

Dixon appreciated the “mess” that was coming his way from Coach Shep, as he’s known to his players.

“It’s going to really prepare you for the game,” he said.  “It’s fun and all but that stuff is always going on on the field during games.  Everybody has something to say to you in a game and you have to find a way to focus on the game and clear that mess out of your head.”

With his academic issues behind him he will enroll on January 3rd, 2023 as a mid-year transfer.  In doing so he’ll be able to participate in the winter workouts and be ready for Spring Camp.

He gets that a lot of people will look and see that there were no stars after his name coming out of high school, but that’s serves as motivation for him to be prepared the moment when he’s called upon.

“I wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school,” he said.  “I had offers from Wyoming and Oregon State and graduated during pandemic.”

But his transcript left something to be desired but has since rectified his academic standing.

“A few things didn’t transfer so I had to go the juco route,” he said.  “But that put a chip on my shoulder.  I feel like the hard work is making it so that my time is coming.”

That time this winter under strength and conditioning coach Ron McKeefery.

“I also got to meet Coach Mac,” Dixon said.  “I can’t wait to workout with him.”

Dixon said that the players raved about how their bodies were transformed under Coach Mac’s regime and how he had them ready for the season.

“Everyone said that he knows what he’s talking about,” he said.  “They all said ‘trust him and your body will end up looking right’.  Everybody loves that dude and is totally bought in.”

Dixon would love to be with his future teammates in the Alamo Bowl but he has other plans.

“I’ll be packing up my stuff getting ready to leave the crib,” he said.  “Long Beach City College is 25 minutes from my house so I was able to live at home, and have home cooked meals.”

He joked that secretly his mom was probably happy to have an extra year and a half of him at home

“Really, though she’s happy to see me growing,” he said.  “But I’m going to miss my momma’s spaghetti.  It’s the best.  She serves it either some Texas Toast or Garlic Bread and topped with Parmesan Cheese.”