In Jake Flores, Huskies Found an O-Lineman Who Plays Every Spot
Before Jake Flores made his commitment to the University of Washington official in early February, he already knew the right fit was to play for Jedd Fisch.
The 6-foot-6, 275-pound offensive lineman from JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California, had visited the school twice before, once in 2021 and again for the Apple Cup last November, and felt comfortable with the resources it provides.
However, once Kalen DeBoer departed the UW to take over as coach at Alabama, Flores was left to hope for a solid replacement to follow in his footsteps. When the talented lineman found out it was Fisch — and Brennan Carroll joining him from Arizona as the offensive coordinator and line coach — it all but sealed his pledge to play for the Huskies.
The former Wildcats coaches were some of the first to recruit and offer the 3-star lineman before football powers Michigan, Tennessee, Texas A&M and others joined the hunt.
“With that staff coming up, it made it perfect,” Flores told Inside the Huskies. “It was definitely a hope that coach Carroll got the OC and OL coaching job, for sure. He’s a personable guy and his philosophies of the O-line, and a student-athlete in general, really connects with what I believe in. So, it was a perfect match.”
Given that Carroll and Fisch prioritized Flores for Arizona, it made sense he would be their first OL commitment in the 2025 recruiting class. There’s one reason in particular why coaches coveted him.
Flores, who is ranked as an interior offensive lineman by 247Sports, has the ability to play all five positions up front. He handled both left and right tackle, was a substitute guard in practice and was considered JSerra Catholic’s emergency center.
As the Fisch staff builds out the rest of the offensive-line class, Flores gives them flexibility to play a number of positions. He also provides a strong foundation for the type of lineman that Carroll seeks: versatile and athletic. Flores prides himself in being all of that.
“Physical, fast and high IQ," he said, describing his game. "I can kind of do it all. I’m comfortable to play wherever the team needs me. It definitely helps to know the whole offense. Our coach says five is one. So, it’s like the whole O-line has to work as one unit for one play to work.”
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