Restoring South Dakota Connection, Sioux Falls Edge Commits to UW
It appears the connection between the state of South Dakota and the University of Washington football team, shut off earlier in the week with the Big Ten poaching of a touted Pierre quarterback, has been restored with a commitment from a Sioux Falls edge rusher.
On Friday, 6-foot-5, 250-pound redshirt freshman Zach Durfee from the University of Sioux Falls — Kalen DeBoer's alma mater and first head-coaching stop — announced he will transfer to the UW after a highly productive NCAA Division II season that led him to seek a higher level of competition.
A Minnesota native, Durfee was a terror with 11.5 sacks in 11 games for Sioux Falls, earning first-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honors (NSIC). He finished with 28 tackles for his 8-3 team, with 17 going for tackles for loss.
Durfee, who has three seasons of eligibility remaining, chose the UW over Minnesota, Iowa State, North Dakota State and North Dakota.
His commitment comes three days after 4-star quarterback Lincoln Kienholz of T.F. Riggs High in Pierre flipped his UW commitment to Ohio State, causing great consternation within the program and the fan base.
Durfee will sign his national letter of intent next Wednesday, along with at least 17 committed high school players.
A so-called late-bloomer, Durfee was a high school quarterback who had to stir up recruiting interest in himself, and did so by writing a letter to Sioux Falls.
The coaching staff saw a tight end in the big-body athlete, but once it got him on campus realized his quickness was better suited for edge rusher. He redshirted during the 2021 season to learn the position.
And now Durfee is headed to the UW and the Pac-12 to see how he measures up, joining a fellow Sioux Falls football product in DeBoer.
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