UW notebook: When will Husky football receive bulk of commitments in 2024 class?

SEATTLE – There really is nothing like summer in Seattle.

Particularly for recruits.

In Kalen DeBoer’s first offseason as UW’s coach, 18 prospects from the 2023 class had orally committed by July 14. Incredibly, 13 of the Huskies’ 21 signees took official visits to Washington on the week of June 20, while two more (Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz and defensive lineman Sua Lefotu) committed before eventually landing elsewhere.

But is the recruiting calendar about to change? Starting July 1, prospects will be allowed unlimited official visits, rather than the five that were previously permitted, according to new rules passed Thursday by the NCAA Division I Council. Recruits will be limited to one official visit per school, barring a coaching change.

For the uninformed, “official visits” are campus recruiting trips where the school is allowed to pay for transportation, a two-night stay, meals and “reasonable entertainment” for the athlete and up to two family members. Eliminating visit limits could theoretically result in programs spending more on a larger quantity of official visits or becoming more strategic regarding which recruits receive official invites.

It might also stretch recruitments into the fall or winter as national prospects expand their list of suitors.

“From a recruiting standpoint, we’ll have to figure out how that (rule change) comes into play,” DeBoer said Friday, following UW’s 11th practice of the spring. “Sometimes there’s a strategy, right? When (committed recruits) don’t have any more (official visits left), you’re in a good spot.

“But I don’t think it changes; you still have to recruit till the very end, till they sign on the dotted line. It’s just these guys getting a chance to go see the places and make sure they make a good decision. That, in the end, is what it’s all about.”

As for UW’s 2024 class – which comprises a pair of three-star commits in quarterback EJ Caminong and wide receiver Landon Bell – DeBoer expects another summer swell.

“I think you’ll see a bunch of guys (commit in the summer),” he said. “I don’t know if it’ll be the same number that we had last year. That was a pretty high number. We got on a roll there.

“We’re probably going to continue to be more and more critical of who we bring in. I think the numbers will be less with official visits. But I do expect overall for that time of year to be one where the majority of our guys commit. But I also think we’ll continue to be in it more and more with a few guys here and there, till the very end, December or maybe even February.”

Coming off an 11-2 UW debut, DeBoer’s program might be seen in a different light by prospective recruits this spring and summer. The Husky coach conceded that “the conversations are different. You’re sharing your philosophy and you’re getting to know (recruits) and build relationships, but now we’re speaking with some history, with a staff and what we accomplished, rather than, ‘Here’s what we see us doing.’ There’s a confidence you can have when there’s proof already out there. So those conversations are just a little bit different.

“There’s eye-opening that happens. People are amazed when they come here, what it looks and feels like. The team is one of our greatest recruiters. When the prospects are here, they feel the vibe from our team. Especially now that (the current players) are out here and they’re confident and working together, it goes so far. I think that’s what I hear the most, how much chemistry and family there is, whether it’s the coaches or the players.”

We’ll see, sooner than later, whether that results in another sizzling summer on the recruiting trail.

While an unlimited number of official visits might elongate individual recruitments, it also presents opportunities for a wider swath of athletes to have eye-opening experiences at Washington.

Scrimmage observations

UW completed its second of three April scrimmages Friday, in advance of the Spring Preview on Saturday. Though Friday’s scrimmage was not open to media, DeBoer reported that it comprised roughly 80 plays and a healthy dose of red-zone work. He specifically commended the recent strides of two Husky wide receivers.

“Germie Bernard and Giles Jackson have both really continued to get better, for different reasons,” he said. “Germie’s getting more comfortable in the offense. The ball’s finding him; he’s in the right spots. The quarterbacks trust and believe in him. He’s making the plays he needs to make. Giles has just been really tough to tackle right now, especially in tight confines.”

Both Jackson (a 5-foot-9, 176-pound senior) and Bernard (a 6-1, 207-pound sophomore) will have to earn consistent targets alongside proven receivers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk and Taj Davis this fall.

As for the quarterbacks, Santa Barbara (California) Community College transfer Alex Johnson – who walked on at Washington this offseason – earned third-team work, behind starter Michael Penix Jr. and backup Dylan Morris. As a sophomore at Santa Barbara in 2022, Johnson (6-6, 214) completed 60.1% of his passes and threw for nine touchdowns (plus seven rushing scores) with six interceptions – en route to being named American Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year.

Four-star freshman Austin Mack is expected to assume third-string duties when he arrives this summer.

But Johnson, it seems, is making the most of available reps.

“I was impressed, considering how long he’s been here,” DeBoer said. “He threw the ball accurately, whenever he needed to make those throws, bought some time with his legs, did a nice job.”

Extra points

• DeBoer said, “You kind of know the 1s for the most part” along UW’s offensive line. Left tackle Troy Fautanu, left guard Julius Buelow, center Matteo Mele, right guard Nate Kalepo and right tackle Roger Rosengarten have shared starting snaps through the majority of the spring. Although Buelow – a 6-8, 310-pound junior – left Monday’s practice with an injury, he returned and participated fully Wednesday and Friday. “So we feel good about those five guys up front and what they’re all doing,” DeBoer said.

• Junior Long Beach (California) City College cornerback transfer Thaddeus Dixon had an interception in Friday’s scrimmage, DeBoer said. The 6-1, 190-pound Dixon continues to compete with junior Jabbar Muhammad and sophomores Elijah Jackson and Jaivion Green for UW’s starting cornerback spots.