Washington Huskies

PAC 12

Washington Huskies: Arizona State Sun Devils

Damien Mama (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco) made himself invisible to college coaches for a short time this spring, which isn’t an easy thing for a 6-foot-4, 352-pound recruit -- as well as the No. 68 player overall and No. 3 offensive guard in the country -- to do.


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Recruiting Pitches: Pac-12

May, 10, 2013
May 10
7:34
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Inspired by Florida's "#ComePlayWRFortheJoker" campaign, our recruiting writers looked at other ways schools can sell themselves on the trail. Here's a look at recruiting pitches for the Pac-12:

Arizona Wildcats
What they're selling: Rich Rodriguez's offensive system worked wonders at West Virginia and introduced the nation to Denard Robinson at Michigan. In 2012, the explosive offense scored at least 34 points in 10 of the Wildcats' 13 games.
What they're missing: The Wildcats don't have the Territorial Cup, which went to Arizona State following a 41-34 victory last season. If Arizona is going to climb the Pac-12 ranks, it'll need to win at home and lock up local talent over the Sun Devils.

Arizona State Sun Devils
What they're selling: There's a new attitude at Arizona State, as Todd Graham took the Sun Devils from the most penalized team in the country to one of the least penalized in just one year. Installing that discipline and accountability has been a major selling point for recruits signing up to play with Graham.
What they're missing: The Sun Devils won their final three games of the season for the first time in more than three decades, but losses to UCLA and USC leave them looking up at the Pac-12 South leaders in the battle for national prominence.

California Golden Bears
What they're selling: One of the top public universities in the world, Cal will always be able to pitch its strong academics to recruiting. The new facilities and revamped California Memorial Stadium will help accentuate the package with a pretty bow.
What they're missing: Coach Sonny Dykes has recent Pac-12 experience, but his three years at Louisiana Tech took him completely out of the minds of West region recruits. In-state recruits, essential to Cal's recruiting success, are unfamiliar with what Dykes' systems look like in game action, although the Golden Bears will have a chance to make several statements this fall.

Colorado Buffaloes
What they're selling: The Buffaloes need playmakers at a multitude of position on both sides of the ball. Playing time and the ability to make an instant impact are certainly on the table for Colorado recruits.
What they're missing: Colorado was two points away from a winless season in 2012 and has very little on-field momentum heading into 2013. The Buffs have just four wins in two years in the Pac-12, and until that changes, it'll be difficult to win significant recruiting battles.

Oregon Ducks
What they're selling: The noisy uniforms and noisier Autzen Stadium provide the flash, but there is plenty of substance in the fast-paced offense the Ducks run. It's unlikely that will slow down under new coach Mark Helfrich.
What they're missing: Mostly obviously, they're missing Chip Kelly, which has left a slight cloud over how the program might change direction or continue unaltered under the new staff. But the possibility of looming NCAA sanctions means the Ducks can't sell completely smooth sailing to recruits in this class.

Oregon State Beavers
What they're selling: The Beavers can sell credibility, not just on the field, but with the coaching staff as well. Mike Riley and his staff have proven they can win in Corvallis and year after year, the Beavers' coach comes across as incredibly genuine to recruits.
What they're missing: In state, Oregon State is the decided underdog when it comes to flash and national appeal. The Beavers aren't often referred to as a "dream school" by recruits, so there is rarely a sure-fire commitment for coaches when they go out of state.

Stanford Cardinal
What they're selling: Arguably no school in the country has the combination of academics and athletics of Stanford. When you're recruiting student-athletes, that's a good place to start.
What they're missing: Despite the recent success, Stanford is never going to be able to put together the game-day atmosphere of some of its Pac-12 competition, including Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.

UCLA Bruins
What they're selling: Jim Mora's staff has Southern California buzzing about the new direction UCLA is headed. That's a good thing for the Bruins, who have climbed out of the shadow of USC.
What they're missing: The Bruins had a chance to completely pass USC, but dropped their final three games of the season. There is still a question about whether they've jumped the Trojans for good and until that is settled on the field this season, the Trojans will likely get the benefit of the doubt, regionally and nationally.

USC Trojans
What they're selling: No Pac-12 program can fall back on tradition like USC. And now with the John McKay Center, old school meets new school in a much-needed facility upgrade.
What they're missing: Rumblings about Lane Kiffin's job security began after a 10-point loss to UCLA, grew louder after a loss to Notre Dame and became deafening after a Sun Bowl loss to Georgia Tech. Despite athletic director Pat Haden throwing his full support behind the coach, recruits and their families are having difficulty believing Kiffin and his staff are there for the long haul.

Utah Utes
What they're selling: Offensively, there is plenty of intrigue as to how co-offensive coordinators Dennis Erickson and Brian Johnson direct the attack. Overall, there is still the memory of what Utah was able to accomplish as a BCS spoiler in 2008, and Kyle Whittingham hopes to spark some of that magic in the Pac-12.
What they're missing: In two years, the Utes are below .500 in the Pac-12 and missed out on a bowl game last season. At this point, it's still an uphill climb in terms of convincing recruits they can cause an upheaval in the conference standings.

Washington Huskies
What they're selling: It's tough to find a coaching staff with more energy on the field or recruiting trail, starting with head coach Steve Sarkisian and moving to every assistant coach on the staff. It's a young group that relates incredibly well to recruits.
What they're missing: The Huskies have yet to win eight games in Sarkisian's three years in Seattle, so hitting that number would be a big step toward proving there is some growing on-field momentum.

Washington State Cougars
What they're selling: Mike Leach is still one of the most interesting personalities in college football, and despite some stumbles in his first year at Washington State, recruits are still interested to see what the Cougars can do this fall in his second year.
What they're missing: The Cougars need wins and they need them now. Washington State hasn't posted a winning record since 2003 and when it comes to on-field performance, it simply can't compete with a majority of Pac-12 teams.

RB Richard continues his hot spring 

April, 24, 2013
Apr 24
11:22
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Several California tailbacks have pulled away from the pack as the top running back targets in the state and Demario Richard (Palmdale, Calif./Palmdale) is using a very strong spring to join them.

After picking up an offer from Oregon earlier this month, Richard added another big Pac-12 offer on Wednesday morning, when he spoke with Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian.


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One of the top players in northern California, and one of the top linebackers on the West Coast is finally starting to gain some traction on the recruiting trail. Linebacker Michael Lazarus (Berkeley, Calif./Berkeley) recently picked up his second Pac-12 offer.


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The 2015 quarterback class in California is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory, and Tyler Hilinski (Upland, Calif./Upland) is well on his way to putting himself in the middle of that conversation.

The 6-foot-3 quarterback led his team to the finals of the Gamebreaker Classis this past weekend, as he put together a terrific performance on the second day. In a tournament filled with 2015 talent, Hilinski stood out as one of the most productive underclassmen in attendance.


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Petaluma (Calif.) Casa Grande High School was a must-stop location for college coaches last season, as Elijah Qualls wowed onlookers with his ability to play defensive tackle and running back. Qualls eventually signed with Washington, but the attention he earned last spring helped shed some light on John Porchivina, who could be asked to pick up some of the slack left by Qualls' departure.


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For ESPN Watch List athlete Christian McCaffrey (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Valor Christian), there’s literally no such thing as an off day. Spring break is included.


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Alex Weber (Pasco, Wash./Chiawana) likes to stay busy.

But, with the training and academic schedule the junior linebacker has set for himself, he takes busy to a new level.


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It's possible that few players helped their stock more than Tyler Whiley (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral) during this past weekend's NLA 7-on-7 tournament in Las Vegas.


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2014 ATH Curran hopes patience pays off 

February, 25, 2013
Feb 25
9:48
AM PT
When asked to describe where he is at in the recruiting process, Keenan Curran (Federal Way, Wash./Federal Way) said he is “patiently waiting” for things to pick up.

“I just have to remember to be patient and still work and get better, because you can always get better,” he said. “It’s hard, but at the end of the day, you have to sit and realize it will come. You’ve just got to be patient and wait for it.”


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Williams has plenty of Pac-12 interest 

February, 13, 2013
Feb 13
5:46
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Los Angeles Dorsey is no stranger to producing FBS talent, and in the 2014 recruiting class, the Dons could have one of the top safeties in the state in David Williams.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound safety is hearing from Pac-12 programs Arizona State, Colorado, Washington and Washington State the most at this point, and plans to take a closer look at each during the offseason.

This past weekend, Williams took an official visit to Washington for the Huskies' junior day.


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Vista Murrieta (Calif.) won't have Su'a Cravens leading its defense this fall, but the Broncos have plenty of firepower left on that side of the ball, particularly when it comes to rushing the passer.

Outside linebackers Greg Hoyd and Tyler Cook already hold scholarship offers, while hybrid OLB/DE Curtis Bolton seems to be on the verge of landing his first.


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Oregon DE Humphreys has two on top 

February, 11, 2013
Feb 11
11:06
AM PT
Hailing from a school that has produced three U.S. Army All-Americans along the defensive line since the 2008 class, DE Connor Humphreys (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic) is looking to make a name for himself as he follows in the path of former Rams' defensive linemen Myles Wade, Brennan Scarlett and current Duck Alex Balducci.


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Washington added a fourth linebacker to its 2013 class Wednesday with Keishawn Bierria (Harbor City, Calif./Narbonne) committing to the Huskies on signing day.

The three-star prospect, who was high school teammates with early enrollee Troy Williams, picked Washington over Oregon State and Arizona State.

Bierria was in Seattle over the weekend for his official visit. Washington coach Steve Sarkisian offered him a scholarship early in the trip and that made an impression.

“I felt like I was more of a priority to the team, and that’s huge,” Bierria said after his trip. “Usually, when a school comes in late, they don’t consider you much of a need.”

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior is the 23rd member of the Huskies’ current class, the 13th recruit from California to commit to a college career in Seattle.

What is the impact of Bierria's decision?


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Keishawn Bierria (Harbor City, Calif./Narbonne) was sitting down to dinner with the other official visitors taking a trip to Seattle the weekend before signing day when Steve Sarkisian walked in.


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