UW football recruiting: How early success could lead to big swings to complete 2027 class

Back in December 2025, Washington finished its 2026 recruiting class with a flurry.

The Huskies and coach Jedd Fisch made several last-minute additions - 247Sports composite four-star wide receivers Jordan Clay and Trez Davis, late-rising defensive lineman JD Hill, local defensive prospects David Schwerzel and Ramzak Fruean and Hawaiian tight end Kekua Aumua - to finish the cycle with the No. 13 high school recruiting class in the country. The highest-rated UW class since 1999, when websites began tracking the information.

But to Brandon Huffman, the Rivals national recruiting analyst, the most impressive part of UW's 2026 recruiting class was how early it built the foundation of the class, putting the Huskies in position to take big swings at top prospects during the final few months before the early signing period started.

"When you can have a majority of your class lined up, everything becomes golden," Huffman said in February. "You don't have to just add developmental guys. You can add some key guys. They closed really well with guys I don't think they even thought they were on the radar for."

Washington is in a good position, once again, to have a majority of its 2027 class solidified with nearly six months remaining before the early signing period. The Huskies have 18 players committed, and will host seven recruits during the final weekend before the recruiting dead period begins on June 22, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Seattle Times.

That includes several players at important positions of need.

The Huskies have already landed commitments for every position group, with the exception of specialists. Offensive line and cornerback, however, are the most likely places for UW to target additional reinforcements.

UW offensive line coach Michael Switzer currently has just one player committed to his position group: Reis Russell, a 6-foot-3 1/2-inch, 290-pound center out of Valor Christian High in Colorado. The composite three-star offensive lineman will take his official visit to UW this weekend, making him one of the three Washington commits on campus.

Russell won't be the only offensive lineman in Seattle. A trio of uncommitted offensive linemen - composite four-star prospects DaJohn Yarborough and Gecova Doyal, along with composite three-star recruit Tye Kennedy - will also visit Montlake this weekend. Additionally, UW had local four-star offensive lineman Rashaun Lavata'i on campus for a midweek official visit that started Tuesday.

Yarborough, a 6-5, 340-pound standout at Basha High in Arizona, is the No. 9 player in Arizona and the No. 26 interior offensive lineman. He's taken official visits to Mississippi State, California and Florida State. Washington is Yarborough's final visit before his expected commitment date June 27.

Kennedy, the son of former unanimous All-American and Husky Hall of Fame member Lincoln Kennedy, is the No. 12 player in Arizona and the No. 58 offensive tackle. Tye Kennedy's junior season at Mountain View High in Mesa, Ariz., was limited to just four games because of injury. Listed 6-6, 275 pounds, Tye Kennedy will commit July 1 after choosing between Cal, Arizona State, Michigan, Minnesota, Utah and UW. Lincoln Kennedy will be on campus for his son's official visit, the source told The Times.

Doyal will also commit July 1. The 6-3, 270-pound offensive lineman spent the past season playing with current UW signee Ah Deong Yang at Puyallup High, where they helped the Vikings reach the WIAA Class 4A state semifinals. Doyal is the state's No. 4 player and No. 16 interior offensive lineman.

He's already taken visits to UCLA, Utah and Oregon, but will give his hometown program the final opportunity to impress before his commitment.

Doyal isn't the only local offensive lineman UW hosted this week. Lavata'i, a composite four-star offensive tackle who plays at Curtis Senior High, burst onto the recruiting scene in March after an MVP performance at an Under Armour camp in Arizona, and Washington offered him days later.

The 6-6 1/2-inch, 265-pound Lavata'i has visited Washington State and Utah, and will take a trip to Oregon State during the weekend after returning from Montlake. He's the No. 3 player in Washington and the No. 14 interior offensive lineman.

But the offensive line isn't the only position group of need for UW. The Huskies currently have just two defensive back commits: composite three-star cornerback Maurice Williams, who will also visit UW this weekend, and composite four-star safety Isala Aisa Wily-Ava.

The Huskies have hosted four uncommitted defensive backs during the past four weekends. IMG Academy's Censere Gaylord and Crean Lutheran High's Evan Mack haven't announced any pledges, but Bishop Gorman High's Kamil Loud pledged to join Cal on Monday. Additionally, St. John Bosco High's Jailen Hill canceled an earlier planned trip to UW. He committed to Nebraska on Tuesday.

Washington remains in play for Gaylord and Mack, and has a chance to add Jaden Walk-Green, a Centennial High safety from Corona, Calif., who made 125 tackles and 10 interceptions during his junior season. Walk-Green, a composite four-star prospect, visited UW on June 5 and will announce his commitment Saturday.

UW's final visitors for this weekend include Tre Moore, the composite four-star wide receiver from Pflugerville, Texas, who will make his first trip to campus since committing to the Huskies on June 2. It's his third trip to Seattle. Moore initially visited during the Illinois game in October 2025 and returned during spring practices. Moore is currently UW's highest-rated recruit in the 2027 class.

Washington is also getting a visit from punter Nolan Balke, a 6-2, 205-pound specialist who plays at Casteel High in Queen Creek, Ariz. Projected starter and UW legacy Hunter Green, who transferred to UW from San Diego State during the offseason, only has one season of eligibility remaining, meaning Balke can step into a starting role immediately in 2027. Balke has two scholarship offers, UW and Arizona, where he visited during the past weekend.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 4:50 PM.