Kalen DeBoer and his staff just hit a grand slam. Ahead of the biggest recruiting weekend in recent memory, Washington just got the biggest shot in the arm it possibly could’ve. One of the best players in the county, four-star edge rusher Anthony James out of Wylie East in Texas, announced his commitment to Washington on Friday afternoon.

James, a one-time Texas A&M commit, holds offers from all over the country, including Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, and Florida. Currently rated as the 54th overall player in the country by 247 Sports, there’s a good chance he ends up as the crown jewel of DeBoer’s first full recruiting class.

As a player, James is one of the most college-ready prospects in the class of 2023, and playing time as a true freshman was definitely one of the reasons he ended up announcing his commitment to Washington.

“It blew my mind, the players, the coaches, the people, the scenery,” James said in an interview with Realdawg.com after an unofficial visit to Washington in the spring. “Most kids don’t know what’s out there (in Seattle).”

A lot of credit for this commitment needs to be given to Washington’s director of player personnel Courtney Morgan. It was James’ relationship with Morgan that got him to take an unofficial visit to Washington in the first place, and the staff deserves a lot of credit for closing James and sealing the deal.

Now, the expectations are going to remain high with this coaching staff, as they’ve proven they can recruit the best players in the country from outside of Washington’s normal recruiting footprint. With James announcing his commitment as his official visit gets underway, he should be an excellent peer recruiter, and it shouldn’t be a surprise if DeBoer ends up “Woofing” numerous times over the course of the weekend, and into the last week of June.