Inside The Huskies

DeBoer Welcomes 8 New Faces, Says Twins Will Be Special Players

He described Armon and Jayvon Parker as extremely strong.

Dan Raley

Kalen DeBoer delivered twins. 

As he discussed his roster additions on the second signing day — four high school players and four portal transfers — new University of Washington football coach Kalen DeBoer spoke highly about all of them. 

Yet his matching defensive tackles, siblings Armon and Jayvon Parker from Dearborn, Michigan, seemed bring out the most  enthusiasm from DeBoer on a day where college coaches all over America found no shortage of superlatives is sizing up their new players.

Asked about the Parkers not being heavily recruited, DeBoer acknowledged that the brothers' insistence on going somewhere as a package deal might have kept schools from offering them.

DeBoer described them as recruits who were under the radar throughout the process, loyal when others tried to coax them away from their Fordson High School and later the UW, and extremely strong guys with plenty of athleticism.

They're not quite identical. While both top out at 6-foot-3, Armon weighs in at 284 pounds, Jayvon at 296. 

"We were all in from the get-go," he said. "There's no doubt in my mind they're going to be special players." 

The Parkers were newly signed Huskies joined by fellow high school recruits in safety Tristan Dunn from Sumner, Washington, and cornerback Jaivion Green from Houston. 

DeBoer said he found Dunn's name on his desk practically before anyone else's when he took over in December, and his staff convinced the defensive back to flip from his Arizona State commitment.

"This guy is violent," the coach said of the 6-foot-4, 188-pounder. "Fierce competitor. Super long. His highlight film was a lot of fun to watch."

DeBoer welcomed portal transfers in Pittsburgh linebacker Cam Bright, New Mexico running back Aaron Dumas, Arizona State wide receiver Junior Alexander and Idaho State punter Kevin Ryan.

Overall, that gives him 15 new players since he replaced Jimmy Lake as coach.

DeBoer said Bright runs extremely well, will be a natural leader after serving as a team captain for the Panthers and will be used as an inside linebacker. 

He mentioned previously trying to recruit Dumas coming out of high school and how the Texan had a big game, 143 yards rushing, against his Fresno State team.

DeBoer marveled at Alexander's local receiving productivity and his built-in relationships with high school teammates turned Huskies in Sam Huard and Jabez Tinae.

He added a four-year starting punter in Ryan, whose 45.6-yard average on his FCS Big Sky team would have ranked him among the top 20 at the Division I level.

Moving forward, DeBoer said spring practice will cover nearly all of April, which is a later date for him. Yet he and his staff need time to install the offense and continue to size up the returning personnel.

He said a lot of back-up players who pulled game snaps don't have much footage to peruse.

Asked about the possibility of two-time All-Pac-12 offensive tackle Jaxson Kirkland returning to the Huskies rather than turning pro after having ankle surgery, DeBoer said there was nothing to confirm yet.

He said the hybrid Husky position his coaches will install, which will be manned by an athletic safety or physical cornerback, would fit someone such as returning safety Dominque Hampton or the uncoming Dunn.  

Most of all, DeBoer seemed satisfied with the way things have gone since he took over, of hosting 150 recruits over the previous weekend, of how the veterans have responded to three weeks of winter workouts.

"The mindset, the buy-in, I'm fired up about the direction we're going," he said.

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Husky Maven stories as soon as they’re published.

Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.

Find Husky Maven on Facebook by searching: Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated

Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven

Published
Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

Home/Recruiting