Meet the 19 Newly Signed UW Football Players
Recruiting signing day for college football teams such as the University of Washington is a lot like a candy store giveaway. Everything tastes so sweet and you tend to eat way too much.
With that in mind, Husky coach Kalen DeBoer, who actually admits to having lost 35 pounds since last summer, on Wednesday sat down and addressed his 15 high school signees and another four from the transfer portal.
News flash, they're all great.
"It's a combination of just bringing in elite talent," DeBoer said. "I think the athleticism, there are certain things we were focused on, especially with certain positions. It might be length, athleticism, production, guys who can get on the field sooner than later."
The UW coach said his staff could sign up to five more high schoolers and/or transfers over the next few days, with compliance paperwork holding up a few at the moment. There was no word on whether HS edge rusher Dominic Kirks from Painesville, Ohio, or Arizona State defensive tackle B.J. Green, both previously committed, would be joining the Huskies.
The prize of these 19 UW newcomers would be former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers, who will be entrusted with replacing the Huskies' Heisman Trophy runner-up in Michael Penix Jr. The UW is hoping for a seamless transfer of the position.
"They've got a lot of experience, a lot of yards, a lot of checks that they've made, a lot of big moments," the coach said of the two QBs. "There's probably more similarities than there are differences. I think similarities are being a very accurate passer."
DeBoer broke down the appeal to each of the 19 players, which we'll list here in alphabetical order, with updated dimensions and a coach's comment attached to each:
THE NEW 19 HUSKIES
Davit Boyajyan, OT, 6-5, 294, Clovis North HS, Clovis, Calif. — DeBoer told how he lived a few blocks from Boyajyan when he coached at Fresno State and how this lineman is a late bloomer. Comment: "He's a big, massive human. The guy has a quick first step."
Ratumana Bulabalavu, ER, 6-4, 285, Army and Navy Academy, Carlsbad, Calif. — This San Diego-area prospect had 19 sacks as a senior and has the potential to be very disruptive. Comment: "With his length, his change of direction as a big guy, a range with some good weight on him, I think the sky's limit for him."
Noah Carter, ER, 6-4, 228, Centennial HS, Peoria, Ariz. — The Arizona Defensive Player of the Year had 11 sacks, plus he caught 8 TD passes and returned 2 punts for scores. Comment: "With Noah, seeing him return punts for touchdowns and catching fades as a wide receiver, he's an elite player all the way around."
Dermaricus Davis, QB, 6-5, 187, Etiwanda HS, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. — Bringing height comparable to UW freshman QB Austin Mack, Davis threw for 2,618 yards and 25 scores and ran for another 7 TDs. Comment: "I love what he does with his arm strength, his arm talent, his accuracy."
Decker DeGraaf, TE, 6-3, 230, Glendora HS, Glendora, Calif. — As a senior, he caught passes for 993 yards and 11 touchdowns. Comment: "He can go over the middle, he's really tough and he posted some really huge numbers. He's a guy who's used to being super productive."
Paki Finau, OT, 6-5, 253, Oak Hills HS, Hesperia, Calif. — He was the first commitment for this UW class and was the point guy in helping his high school team rush for 2,694 yards this past season. Comment: "He got to know Troy Fautanu over the course of the winter and the spring, and he kind of looked at him as a guy who 'I can be that guy.' "
Khmori House, LB, 6-0, 187, St. John Bosco HS, Bellflower, Calif. — He teamed with current UW freshman Deven Bryant as Bosco linebackers in 2022 and had 72 tackles this past season. Comment: "He's just extremely athletic and played at a high level against great talent his entire career. He comes from a winning culture."
Elias Johnson, CB, 6-1, 155, Jesuit HS, Portland, Ore. — The cornerback had 47 tackles and 6 pass break-ups while scoring on 5 receiving TDs, two punt returns and a kickoff runback. Comment: "He's bring some length and some things even in their return game where he's explosive, too."
Omar Khan, DT, 6-3, 285, Bridgeland HS, Cypress, Texas — He's a unanimous all-district player in 6A Texas football who had 29 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks this season. Comment: "I feel like moving into the Big Ten these are the guys you absolutely want on the football field."
Joshua Lair, S, 6-1, 178, Fort Bend Marshall HS, Missouri City, Texas — The hard-hitting safety had 52 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, for a team that advanced to the Texas 5A playoffs. Comment: Josh is just a missile coming downhill. He loves to come down and attack, not just the passing game but the line of scrimmage."
Paul Mencke Jr., S, 6-2, 180, Samuel Clemens HS, Schertz, Texas — He flipped from Duke, which underwent a coaching change, and is the son of a former WSU quarterback and wide receiver. Comment: "He can see the quarterback and anticipate and he gets those first steps where he can really run."
Jason Robinson, WR, 5-10, 160, San Juan Hills HS, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. — The speedy SoCal pass-catcher caught 68 passes for 900 yards and 9 TDs for a team that made it to the CIF Southern Section Division 3 semis. Comment: "He lives and breathes the game. He made his announcement at one of our dinners, as one of the first to commit that weekend, and he had a well-written speech."
Peyton Waters, S, 6-2, 170, Birmingham HS, Van Nuys, Calif. — A talented two-way player, he caught 79 passes for 1,248 yards and 17 TDs, but the Huskies will use him at safety, where he had 64 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a blocked field goal. Comment: "He's scored touchdowns in a lot of different ways for his football team."
Keona Wilhite, DT, 6-5, 240, Salpointe Catholic HS, Tucson, Ariz. — A very active player, he finished with 60 tackles for 18.5 tackles for loss and 8 sacks, plus he returned an interception 74 yards for a score. Comment: "He has extreme length, a motor that doesn't stop in just getting after people and he plays physical."
Justice Williams, WR, 6-4, 195, Oaks Christian School, Westlake Village, Calif. — He had 36 catches for 462 yards and 4 scores as a senior, 54 for 910 and 10 TDs as a junior. His father Roland Williams was an NFL tight end who won Super Bowl XXXIV with the Los Angeles Rams. Comment: "He's so gifted with what he does with the ball in his hands. He's so smooth."
PORTAL TRANSFERS
Drew Azzopardi, OT, 6-7, 315, San Diego State, Pacifica, Calif. — Initially backing up ex-Husky Myles Murao at San Diego State, he started the final six games as a redshirt freshman. Comment: "He's just a big, big man who moves extremely well and I can't wait to have him here this offseason and he'll be able to grow in our program."
Ethan Barr, LB, 6-3, 245, Vanderbilt, Flower Mound, Texas — He started 39 of 45 games and was a two-time captain for the SEC Commodores. Comment: "He's just a big, long linebacker and, with a couple of guys now graduating in our program, we felt the need to bring in one who can help us."
Will Rogers, QB, 6-2, 215, Mississippi State, Brandon, Miss. — A 40-game starter in 43 SEC outings, he passed for 12,315 yards and 94 touchdowns, and became the first conference QB to complete more than 1,000 passes (1,264). Comment: "He's a guy who knows the game and isn't going to walk into a stadium and be overwhelmed. He's extremely accurate as a passer."
Sebastian Valdez, DT, 6-3, 284, Montana State, Spring Valley, Calif. — He was an All-Big Sky second-team selection after picking up 40 tackles, 8.5 TFLs and 5 sacks, and an all-conference first-teamer in 2022. Comment: "We're excited about what Sebastian's role can be. We need him to step on the football field and be an impact player for us right away. He understands that."
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