UW Rising Stars Camp Participants Brave Heat, Slippery Turf to Show Skills

Record heat and the new Husky Stadium surface presented challenges to the attending football recruits.

With the triple-digit weather and a slippery new turf presenting challenges, University of Washington recruiting targets and hopefuls pushed through it to earn various position MVPs at the Huskies' Rising Stars football camp, most notably David Wells.  

A wide receiver from Lakes High School in Lakewood, Washington, Wells didn't seem all that bothered by the conditions as he turned in one of the the fastest times with an unofficial 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash. 

Wells, a rising junior, doesn't have an offer yet from the Huskies, but he performed well and earned an MVP reward at his position.

His 40 time was noteworthy because the newly installed Husky Stadium turf presented footing challenges for many players, causing them to slip during drills and leading to slower than normal sprint times.

Rahshawn Clark, a wide receiver and defensive back is a rising sophomore from Life Christian Academy in Tacoma, Washington, with multiple Pac-12 offers, had a good showing by running a 4.68 in the 40. The 6-foot, 180-pound pass-catcher showed fluidity in adjusting to several off-target deep balls.  

Jasiah Wagoner, a 2023 defensive back from Spanaway Lake High in Spanaway, Washington, earned a defensive-back MVP reward.  Receiving a UW offer earlier this year, he used the camp to continue to show he'll be part of the next wave of top defensive backs coming from the state.   

Recently offered Husky running-back target Jason Brown from Seattle's O'Dea High and the class of 2024 is a rising sophomore who took the heat in stride and used the afternoon to refine some of his techniques. He likewise received MVP honors.

Jayden Limar, a rising junior from Lake Stevens High in Lake Stevens, Washington, and the class of 2023, took home running-back MVP recognition, too. Limar showed an attractive burst and flashed his pass-receiving skills. He impressed throughout the day with his versatility in the drills.

Receiver Denzel Boston from Emerald Ridge in Puyallup, Washington, made the best of his time in the sun, coming away with a receiver MVP award. He caught several end-zone fades, including a one-hander with a defender draped all over him.  

Boston also supplied the camp play of the day. On an out route with a defender jumping it, he caught a deflected pass that would have been a clean interception and had an impressive toe-tap reception on the sideline.

Tight end Bronte Gallo, originally from British Columbia, had the longest journey of any participant to attend the UW camp. With no high school football season in Canada to get his name out to recruiters, he transferred to a school in Clearwater, Florida. 

Traveling to Seattle, Gallo attended other football camps in Georgia, Virginia, Ohio and Indiana along the way. He earned a tight-end MVP at the UW.