When Chris Petersen got to Washington in December of 2013, his most important task was getting Budda Baker, who originally committed to Oregon before flipping his commitment to his hometown school after Petersen’s arrival. Wylie East’s (Texas) Anthony James could have a similar impact if he decides to commit to Kalen DeBoer’s staff in their first full recruiting cycle.

James, a 6’5, 250-pound defensive end originally committed to Texas A&M, before deciding to withdraw his commitment on May 22nd. Since then, James has set up official visits to Utah, Texas, Auburn, and Washington. The Huskies currently have James’ last visit, which is scheduled to take place on one of the biggest weekends of official visits in recent memory.

While Husky fans are never going to stop clamoring (and rightfully so) to own the state of Washington and work their way out from there, that wish doesn’t look like it’ll be coming true in 2023. However, winning out for James could end up being just as big and important in the long run. Getting the best players in your own state is always a great sign, but for teams on the west coast, flipping a commitment from a highly rated four-star from Texas, who holds offers from every program in the SEC is a bat signal to the rest of the country that Washington is ready to take their recruiting to a different level.

Getting a commitment from James wouldn’t just signify that UW has arrived on the recruiting scene, but it would most likely have a ripple effect on the class of 2023. Joining him on his visit is four-star safety from Mansfield Timberview (Texas) Jordan Sanford, and James is also very close with four-star defensive lineman Trey Wilson, who attends Lakeview Centennial in Texas.

There’s a possibility that a commitment from James could also end up getting DeBoer and company a commitment from Wilson too. These next few weeks of recruiting are going to be huge for Washington, and coming away with two four-stars from Texas would be quite the statement after the struggles the program had in recruiting under Jimmy Lake.