Inside The Huskies

For UW's Presley, Ain't Nothing But a Local Hound Dawg

The Seattle cornerback helps solidify Kalen DeBoer's program with his talent and his address.

Dan Raley

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You can bring in as many California and Texas football recruits as possible to play for the University of Washington, but, as Kalen DeBoer knows well, you won't totally win over the fan base, won't firmly establish your program, unless the best local players want to be Huskies, too.

So it was with great satisfaction and a certain amount of relief last Wednesday when DeBoer was able to announce that Caleb Presley had signed with the UW rather than Oregon, where he had been committed since July.

Presley, a 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback from Seattle's Rainier Beach High School, a 4-star prospect and considered the state's No. 1 recruit, revealed his decision while DeBoer and the Huskies were at practice preparing for the Alamo Bowl that day. 

It was almost reason to declare a local holiday or simply end the workout early. One would have thought it was Elvis Presley, not Caleb, who had everyone's attention on the center stage.

At least for now, the exodus of homegrown elite players, of which there have been many headed elsewhere in recent seasons, was effectively stemmed with Presley keeping the same 206 zip code as he pursues his college football career.

"I'm proud of him because he just went with what his heart is," DeBoer said, "and knows this is the place he's supposed to be."

For whatever reason, UW football in recent years just wasn't sexy enough to keep ultimate blue-chip players such as  Eastside Catholic edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau (Ohio State), Steilacoom wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State), Rainier Beach offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon) and Lincoln of Tacoma edge rusher Jayden Wayne (Miami) from leaving for far-flung college destinations.

While Jimmy Lake tried hard to be a player's coach, he gave off a certain vibe that wasn't convincing enough and caused the previous headlining players to look elsewhere.

When he took over, DeBoer appeared to be the opposite of Lincoln Riley, the Hollywood hire for USC, and Dan Lanning, who turned his SEC pedigree into Eugene employment. 

There was momentary concern that DeBoer might be a little too conservative for that Pac-12 player who preferred Oregon's endless wardrobe options and various football toys, or USC's come-mix-with-the-pretty-people approach, but DeBoer was just what everyone in Montlake wanted for a coach.

Genuine. Disciplined. Creative. Successful.

 

Nine years ago, Chris Petersen set the tone for his Husky football program-building efforts by flipping highly regarded Bellevue High safety Budda Baker, similarly the state's No. 1 recruit and likewise from Oregon to the UW.

Forty-six years ago, Don James came up with his program-defining signing of Blanchet High running back Joe Steele, who gave Notre Dame a lot of consideration before signing on with the Huskies and becoming the school's all-time leading rusher when he left.

He didn't sign him, but Rick Neuheisel effectively built his UW program around Woodinville High quarterback Marques Tuiososopo, another local guy who would lead the Huskies to a Rose Bowl victory over Purdue and Drew Brees and an 11-1 record and a final No. 3 national ranking.

While bringing in a prolific quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. from Florida by way of Indiana from the transfer portal and hurriedly putting together a solid 10-2 team with mostly inherited players, DeBoer still admitted the missing ingredient for his program was the local elite player who wanted to stay put and set an example for others to follow.

Presley's signature on a national letter of intent for the UW further put the first-year coach's efforts on the map with the local talent pool and helped set the tone for culling future interest.

"I couldn't be more proud of the process he went through to keep everything open in his mind and just to see us for who we are and know that he can make a difference in our program," DeBoer said. "[He could] really change and have a trajectory in his impact in what he can do as far as in showing guys next year and the year after, guys who are local, that, hey, that this is the place to be — that staying home and here at Washington is what you're supposed to do."

Presley was just the third local recruit among the 18 high school players who signed with the Huskies this time, joining Ferndale center Landon Hatchett and Emerald Ridge edge rusher Jacob Lane. That number is expected to grow significantly in the classes ahead.

When the UW takes the field on Dec. 29 against Texas in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, the Huskies will have just five locals in the starting lineup in offensive guards Jaxson Kirkland (Vancouver) and Henry Bainivalu (Sammamish), tight end Devin Culp (Spokane), linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala (Federal Way) and cornerback Mishael Powell (Seattle), all state-produced players. 

Sure, recruiting has become more national in scope, but the local guys still tend to be the backbone, the glue, to doing big things and getting Seattle residents in the seats.

While winning is what matters most for DeBoer and the Huskies moving forward, doing it with the best of the best from the local talent pool makes it all that much sweeter.

"I think our season we had and the excitement that's around our program right now is something that's noticeable," DeBoer said of the Presley signing. "I think in his mind, he knows home is where you can really make a name for yourself and this is how you can leave a legacy."

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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.

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