Multiple Transfer Portal Targets Will Visit UW This Week

Washington's coaching staff will attempt to close multiple prospects before the early signing period opens.
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The Washington Huskies haven't secured a transfer portal commitment from any prospects yet but will look to change that this week.

Multiple official visitors from the transfer portal are expected to arrive on campus this week, with Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers the biggest name. According to On3's Pete Nakos, Rogers will take his official visit to Washington over the weekend.

But the quarterback isn't the only visitor the Washington coaching staff will host, and apparently not the only former Mississippi State player.

Running back Jo’Quavious Marks, a 3,108-yard, 27-TD career rusher, while previously splitting time with Bulldogs runner turned Husky Dillon Johnson, likewise is expected to visit Seattle, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The Huskies are aggressively looking to add defensive-line help and expect former North Carolina State defensive tackle C.J. Clark to arrive this week. Clark is down to Miami and Washington, but the fact he's now taking his visit to Seattle is a good sign for defensive-line coach Inoke Breckterfield, who has some ground to make up.

"Miami is in a great spot, at the head of my chart," Clark said in an interview with On3's CaneSport

Washington has struggled to close on its top defensive-line targets so far, losing Vanderbilt transfer Nate Clifton to USC. 

A commitment from an experienced defensive tackle of Clark's caliber would be considerable progress. Clark finished his career at NC State with 72 tackles and 4 sacks, and would be a big piece of the rotation in his final year of college football.

Wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard also is expected to host former Notre Dame wide receiver Tobias Merriweather this week. With all three Husky starting receivers likely entering their names in the NFL draft, Merriweather could be asked to play a significant role in the Washington offense moving forward.

The coaching staff expects an exodus of UW football talent between the season's end and the NFL draft, so closing on potential impact players for the 2024 season is vital for the continued success of the program. 

While coach Kalen DeBoer has done a solid job of building the roster to sustain early UW success, the Huskies in moving to the Big Ten will need help from experienced newcomers to bridge the gap to younger members on the roster.


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Roman Tomashoff
ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios.