Santa Margarita HS (CA) 6-6, 241 lb. OLB Maurice Heims actually made his decision to commit to Washington on Tuesday; he and his mother were both on a Zoom call.
Heims was in California, and his mother in Germany.
“He was talking to my mom”, Heims said, “She wanted to make 100% sure I’d have everything I need to succeed.”
For Heims, this commitment has been made on something of a leap of faith; he had hoped to get up to Seattle before making anything final, hence, the virtual tour.
“I actually took two”, he said of the online tour, “One was just me and one was actually with my family — so I got to see all the facilities, the campus, everything I needed to see.”
At the end of the day, Heims wanted to choose a school that checked off two boxes: “Football and academics”, he said, but one other box is also checked, and that’s the coach he’ll be playing for.
“Coach K is a super good guy and I know he’ll be a good mentor and father-figure”, Heims explained, “He was pumped when I told him.”
What are the Huskies getting with this young man from Germany?
He played soccer for eight years in his hometown and even was recruited for a national team, but he has caught a lot of eyes in the states from Power Five recruiters and yet he was forced to play on the junior varsity squad this past season.
This was because of the transfer issues once he arrived in America, “I played a half a season in Germany”, Heims said.
For having not played a lot of football, Heims plays physical and relentless. With his size, length, and agility his upside is huge. And he’s looking to get right into the action and create contact.
Coach K knows what he’s doing as well in terms of developing players to the next level.
Heims was looking for a place to call “home”, and he’s told us several times that Seattle — with all its green surroundings — reminds him of Hamburg and felt like a place that he could definitely call home.
“I’m super comfortable with (my decision)”, he explained, “I’ve been thinking about it every since I got that offer. Washington gave me a lot of love and attention, and those similarities to home made me feel even more comfortable.”
Heims said he and his family talked a long time about this, and they gave him their complete blessing.
Heims will go to varsity this season, and will continue to go forward on a student visa.
