Huskies Welcome 25 New Players, Could Add a Couple More

Kalen DeBoer's staff goes heavy on cornerbacks, finding four new ones.

A year ago, when Kalen DeBoer sat down to discuss his first University of Washington football recruiting class, he unveiled five names. That was it.

He talked in great detail about wide receivers Germie Bernard and Denzel Boston, tight end Ryan Otton, edge rusher Lance Holtzclaw and offensive guard Parker Brailsford, all players initially recruited by Jimmy Lake's departed staff.

DeBoer, on the job for just a couple weeks back then, had hired two assistant coaches and a recruiting coordinator.

What a difference a solid year of showing off a remade program, glowing 10-2 season, Alamo Bowl invitation against Texas and the nation's leading passing attack can make.

On Wednesday, DeBoer revealed a 25-player group of high school, portal transfer and junior-college signees, a collection of new faces so great he had to summarize by position groups rather than speak about each newcomer individually — and suggested it could grow by two more.

The Husky coach welcomed 18 high school players and another seven transfers, including a very late portal addition in Arizona State back-up running back Daniyel Ngata, whose brother Ariel previously was once an inside linebacker for the Huskies.

Considering what happened to the UW over the course of the season, with deep balls continually flying over players' heads for touchdowns, DeBoer's staff went cornerback heavy. The Huskies picked up three from the high school ranks in Caleb Presley, Curley Reed and Leroy Bryant, plus a California junior-college addition in Thaddeus Dixon.

"That's a phenomenal group," DeBoer said. "I can't be more excited about that group."

Considered the state's No. 1 prospect, Presley flipped his commitment from Oregon to the UW, stemming the flow at least for now of top Washington players going elsewhere.

"It's a really cool thing for him to stay home," DeBoer said.

The Huskies brought in five defensive backs in all, counting safeties Vincent Holmes and Diesel Gordon, and could add one more.

The breakdown was 14 new defensive players, 11 of the offense.

As many as a dozen will be involved in spring practice, too. 

The Huskies picked up five new offensive linemen, a group that DeBoer said compares favorably to the high-end players he inherited.

He picked up three wide receivers, including Bernard, who signed last year, traveled to Seattle to enroll early and asked for his scholarship release once receivers coach Junior Adams left for Oregon and the Nevada pass catcher played his freshman year at Michigan State.

DeBoer said Bernard left after getting caught up in the coaching changes, but always liked the UW, and was even more so when saw what the offense did for the wide receivers. 

Another receiver, Taeshaun Lyons from Hayward, California, was a late commit but didn't sign yesterday. There's no indication he won't.

Ngata is one of two ASU players to leave the desert for the UW following the Sun Devils coaching change, joining edge rusher/down lineman Joe Moore III in Montlake. A full-service back, he rushed 136 times for 689 yards and 6 touchdowns, scoring one of them in his team's 45-38 win over the Huskies. He also casught 9 passes for 54 yards and returned 18 kickoffs for 411 yards, including a 58-yarder against Utah.

DeBoer credited edge rusher Anthony James II from Wylie, Texas, with helping jumpstart this recruiting class, with his commitment really opening doors for UW recruiters. The coach said James, who will arrive in Seattle in a few weeks to get started, is capable of playing both edge and interior line, but it's a matter of how much weight he can play at.

One position the Huskies didn't fulfill was quarterback. They had a new one in South Dakota's Lincoln Kienholz, but he flipped to Ohio State in the process, so the UW went without one this cycle.

They have three on the roster in starter Michael Penix Jr. and his back-ups in Dylan Morris and Sam Huard, with the latter two not offering any indications they're thinking of leaving. 

"I think we're comfortable with three," DeBoer said. "I'd be more comfortable with four. But we don't need to just take a quarterback."

While the Huskies need to meet the 85-player scholarship limit, DeBoer said his team is close and expects further roster attrition.

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HUSKY 2023 SIGNEES

Germie Bernard, WR, 6-0, 200, Henderson, Nev. (Michigan State)

Deven Bryant, LB, 6-0, 216, Bellflower, Calif. (St. John Bosco)

Leroy Bryant, CB, 6-0, 175, Fairfield, Calif. (Rodriguez)

Josh Cuevas, TE, 6-6, 245, Los Angeles, Calif. (Cal Poly)

Elinneus Davis, DL, 6-3, 295, Moorhead, Minn. (Moorhead)

Thaddeus, Dixon, CB, 6-0, 187, La Mirada, Calif. (Long Beach City College)

Zach Durfee, ER, 6-6, 255, Dawson, Minn. (University of Sioux Falls)

Soane Faasolo, OL, 6-8, 270, Menlo, Calif. (Menlo-Atherton)

Ralen Goforth, LB, 6-2, 225, Long Beach, Calif. (USC)

Diesel Gordon, S, 6-1, 179, Arlington, Texas (Sequin)

Landon Hatchett, OL, 6-3, 292, Ferndale, Wash. (Ferndale)

Vincent Holmes, S, 6-1, 175, San Jacinto, Calif. (San Jacinto)

Zach Henning, OL, 6-6, 275, Aurora, Colo. (Grandview)

Elishah Jackett, OL, 6-7, 280, Orange, Calif. (El Modena)

Anthony James II, ER, 6-5, 265, Wylie, Texas (East Wylie)

Jacob Lane, ER, 6-5, 230, Puyallup, Wash. (Emerald Ridge)

Joe Moore III, LB, 6-3, 245, St. Louis, Mo. (Arizona State)

Daniyel Ngata, RB, 5-9, 200, Reno, Nev. (Arizona State)

Caleb Presley, CB, 6-0, 180, Seattle, Wash. (Rainier Beach)

Curley Reed, CB, 6-1, 180, Lake Charles, La. (Lake Charles)

Keith Reynolds, WR, 5-9, 170, Adelanto, Calif. (Adelanto)

Tybo Rogers, RB, 5-11, 180, Bakersfield, Calif. (Bakersfield)

Kahlee Tafai, OL, 6-6, 307, Lawndale, Calif. (Leuzinger)

Jordan Whitney, LB, 6-2, 215, Oxnard, Calif. (Pacifica)

Rashid Williams, WR, 6-2, 185, Pittsburg, Calif. (Pittsburg)

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