Washington Huskies

One of the top pass rushers in the Southeast for the 2014 class named a top group on Friday, and it looks like South Carolina has the early lead for Bryson Allen-Williams (Ellenwood, Ga./Cedar Grove).

"Based on the offers I have today here is my top seven in order: South Carolina, Florida, UCLA, USC, Washington, Georgia Tech and Clemson," Allen-Williams said.

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SEATTLE -- Here are five storylines as No. 25 Washington prepares to wrap up Pac-12 play with its annual Apple Cup matchup against Washington State:

1. Proof of progress: With a win Friday, the Huskies will secure their first eight-win season under coach Steve Sarkisian. In fact, it will be the first time Washington has hit eight wins since 2001.

A victory this week and a bowl win to wrap up the season would be the best finish for the program since 2000, when the Huskies went 11-1 and beat Purdue in the Rose Bowl.

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During each break in Tuesday’s practice, Washington coaches would jog over to Austin Joyner (Marysville, Wash./Marysville-Pilchuck) to talk about the prospect of the sophomore one day playing for the program.

Toward the end of practice, Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian pulled the 5-foot-10, 180-pound athlete aside and offered him a scholarship.

“It’s great,” Joyner said. “It’s just good to know I’m capable of playing at the next level and that other people see it, too. It’s not just I think I could be a D-I athlete. Now that I have the first offer, I’ve realized what I’m able to do.”

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Watch List offensive guard Viane Talamaivao (Corona, Calif./Centennial) is becoming one of the more highly recruited big men in the West region for the 2014 class, and the UCLA Bruins made quite a statement in their recruitment of the 6-foot-2, 299-pound lineman this past Saturday.

"It was my first time at the Rose Bowl," Talamaivao said, adding that it was actually his first time at any college football game. "I enjoyed it. It was crazy. The atmosphere was crazy. I was excited for the whole trip, but I didn't realize how big the rivalry was. It was kind of rowdy, man. USC fans and UCLA fans were going at it."

The teams played through some significant rain at times, but Talamaivao said that only added to the atmosphere. As a lineman, he could appreciate the wet and muddy conditions.

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When Steve Sarkisian went to work trying to assemble his first full recruiting class, he made it a point to make his mark in Washington.

The Huskies coach landed three of the four prospects rated blue chips by The Seattle Times: offensive lineman Colin Porter, defensive lineman Sione Potoa’e and safety Chris Young.

At the time, it looked like the only top talent who was going to leave the state was quarterback Jake Heaps, who signed with BYU.

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SEATTLE -- As the scrum started to spread after fans stormed the field following Washington’s 17-13 win over Stanford. As fans finally began working their way toward the CenturyLink Field exits. As the players started to make their way to the locker room, Tosh Lupoi found the three teammates from Bellevue (Wash.).

On the sideline, not far from the section where recruits sit during games, Lupoi bounced up and down, circling Huskies commit Sean Constantine, UCLA commit Myles Jack and 2014 prospect Bishard “Budda” Baker.

As he spun around the teammates, Lupoi said “What are you waiting for?” It was directed at Jack, who continues to be a top target for the Huskies, despite his commitment to UCLA. The addition of Jack would improve an already-strong recruiting class that is ranked No. 19 in the country.

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BELLEVUE, Wash. -- There is a large foyer in recently remodeled Bellevue (Wash.) High School. Large windows on one side of the room frame a courtyard that leads to a set of stairs. On Friday nights, the Bellevue football team’s cleats click on each step as they head toward the field.

Myles Jack sits on the other side of those windows. On the far side of the room there is a large piece of butcher paper taped to the wall. It features Washington’s Class 3A state playoff bracket. Someone has already scribbled “Bellevue” in the spot reserved for the state champion.

In two weeks, that anonymous prediction could come true. If the Wolverines are going to win their fifth straight state title, they will rely on their 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker.

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SEATTLE -- In the middle of a tied game, with Seattle (Wash.) Roosevelt believing it could potentially upset Washington’s top-ranked team in the 4A classification, Nic Sblendorio delivered some doubt.

The 6-foot, 190-pound senior receiver (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline) got behind the Roughriders’ defense and hauled in a precisely placed ball from quarterback Max Browne for a 73-yard scoring strike.

“That just kind of gave them a little bit of doubt in their minds,” Sblendorio said. “It was a good momentum booster.”

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Junior running back Royce Freeman (Imperial, Calif./Imperial) saw his season end this past Friday night, but the 6-foot, 216-pound back could become a very intriguing recruit this offseason. He only recently sent out his highlight tape and didn't attend any school camps this past summer, but college coaches have taken notice. Freeman received his first scholarship offer, from Washington, earlier this month.

"They received information about me when they did their rounds in San Diego," Freeman said of the Huskies. "They watched my film and I called them. They told me they'd like to offer me a scholarship because they think I'm their caliber of player."

Freeman said his tape has also been sent to programs such as Notre Dame, Oregon and UCLA, but he has yet to receive serious interest from any other program. Though once word gets out about the season Freeman just turned in, it would be somewhat shocking if he didn't find himself on the recruiting board of more than a few West region programs.

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AUBURN, Wash. -- Danny Mattingly (Spokane, Wash./Mead) pointed toward his teammate, Langston Ward.

“Langston over there, I was his first friend he ever met when he moved here from New York,” the senior athlete said.

The Notre Dame commit stood in the rain. He couldn’t believe his senior season was finished. He tried to process the Panthers’ 21-7 loss to Auburn in the Class 4A state quarterfinals.

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SEATTLE -- Steve Sarkisian’s speech got through to his players. Washington’s coach described his halftime talk as “tough love.” Whatever he said, it worked.

After being held to a touchdown over the first two quarters, the Huskies erupted for 31 second-half points to pull away from Colorado, 38-3, on the road Saturday.

Washington now has an opportunity to build on its four-game winning streak with a victory Friday at Washington State in the Apple Cup.

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While it seems like Austin Seferian-Jenkins’ career just started, it is never too early to start grooming the sophomore tight end’s heir apparent.

With that in mind, the Huskies received some good news Sunday when senior David Ajamu (Shelton, Wash./Shelton) decided to flip his commitment from Oregon State to Washington.

The 6-foot-5, 231-pound tight end became the 19^th member of the Huskies’ 2013 recruiting class and continued the program’s recent push to bring in local prospects.

The Huskies also offered a pair of local seniors opportunities this week, inviting safety Mason Stone (Mountlake Terrace, Wash./Mountlake Terrace) and receiver Ryan Turman (Bellevue, Wash./Interlake) to join the program as preferred walk-ons next season. Turman already has accepted Washington's invitation.

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David Ajamu (Shelton, Wash./Shelton) called it the toughest decision of his life.

After receiving an offer from Washington before the Huskies’ win over Utah at CenturyLink Field two weeks ago, the 6-foot-5, 231-pound tight end spent the game wondering what it would be like to be Austin Seferian-Jenkins’ understudy.

Ajamu continued thinking about it throughout the week before deciding Sunday the best fit for his future was with Washington, not Oregon State. Ajamu, who committed to the Beavers in August, alerted the coaching staffs at both programs that he was flipping his verbal to the Huskies.

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