Three-star quarterback EJ Caminong wanted to wait for a special day to announce his commitment to Washington, so the local product of Garfield High School chose his birthday to do so. Part of the class of 2024, Caminong becomes the third recruit to announce his commitment to Washington, joining three-star edge rusher Jaxson Jones from Yuma Catholic (Ariz.) and three-star receiver David Bell from Liberty High School (Nevada).

Caminong credited his relationship with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb as a big reason why he chose Washington. “The coaching plays a big part in my decision,” he said. “I have a really great relationship with Coach Grubb, and the education you can get is second to none.”

“I also really love the culture within the offense, it’s huge for me,” he said. “They all really take pride in it and want to be the face of the team. Also, throwing the ball as many times as possible is really exciting for me as a quarterback.”

The local product also felt the importance of the recruiting staff’s “Loyal to the Soil” campaign and said that he’s already at work making sure some of the top local recruits for the class of 2024 join him in staying home.

“I like to sell the hometown hero vibe because it’s true,” Caminong said. “Being able to stay home and make your mark on the state just means more, and that’s something I want us all to do together. All of those guys kind of gravitate toward me, and I’m going to do everything in my power to keep the top players from Washington at home.”

When asked about who he’s recruiting to stay home, the first name that came up was four-star Federal Way athlete Rashawn Clark. “[Clark] is my top guy,” he said. “He’s one of my best friends, and we talk about playing college ball together all the time, so our recruitment goes hand in hand. I’m also all over my top receiver [three-star Malachi] Durant, because he’s the son of my trainer. I also talk a lot with [four-star O’Dea running back] Jason Brown, because we played little league together, and [four-star O’Dea offensive lineman Isendre] Ahufa too.”

When Caminong originally got his offer from Washington in May of 2022, he said it was a motivational tool for him to continue improving. “I’m definitely having my best season so far,” he said of his junior year at Garfield. “I’m starting to see myself do stuff on the field that I know I was working on throughout the off-season, and it’s an exciting feeling because I know I still have a lot of growing left to do as a player.”

“I know that they’re recruiting me because of my arm strength and ability to read defenses, so I feel like the next steps for me are getting into college shape, and then once I get to school, getting acclimated to the speed of the game is going to be most important,” he said.

Caminong chose Washington over offers from three other Pac-12 schools, Washington State, Oregon State, and Colorado. He’s currently ranked by 247 Sports as the ninth overall player in the state of Washington, and 33rd overall quarterback in the country. The Huskies got an excellent player and leader in Caminong, and as he continues to improve and grow throughout the rest of his junior and into his senior year, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he earned a fourth star.