Washington: Biggest 2026 football recruiting wins

Prep Redzone is prepared to move on from the class of 2026 soon, instead focusing on the future classes of scholarship athletes.   But before we officially turn the page, it's worth looking at the best signings from the state of Washington this cycle, starting with a five-star transfer who still calls Washington home.   Kodi Greene to Washington Huskies   This one is cheating, but only slightly.   Greene, a five-star offensive tackle recruit, transferred from Eastside Catholic (Washington) to Mater Dei (California) between his sophomore and junior seasons.   Frankly, Washington's signing of Greene is made all-the-more impressive by that transfer.   But to fully understand how significant Greene's signing is for the Huskies, we have to look back in time.   In the class of 2022, Rainier Beach five-star offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. signed with the Oregon Ducks - with Washington never truly being in the mix.   So when Greene transferred to Mater Dei, a national power and Oregon recruiting hotbed, and committed to the Ducks, it looked like a repeat of Conerly.   Instead, Washington managed to flip Greene and hang on to him until Signing Day.   The 6-foot-6, 320-pound offensive lineman is the nation's No. 19 player and was the headliner of arguably Washington's best class ever.   The best summation of that progress comes from comparing Conerly's recruitment to Greene's.   Washington's in-state influence has grown significantly in the past few years.    [player_tooltip player_id='402788' first='David' last='Schwerzel'] to Washington Huskies    Washington has dominated in-state recruiting in the past year-plus, and that was on full display in the 2026 recruiting cycle.   Jedd Fisch's program inked three of the top four players in the state, and that doesn't even account for Greene.   In many cases, those commitments came (and stayed) early.   But there was some late drama with O'Dea defensive lineman F.A. Siale.   The 6-foot-4, 260-pound athlete originally committed to UCLA before flipping to Stanford in October.   By late November, it seemed Schwerzel was on the fence about his future with the Cardinal, and he decommitted on December 2.   The next day, he locked in with the Huskies.   [player_tooltip player_id='987161' first='Lance' last='McGee'] to Oregon State Beavers   Sumner (Washington) running back [player_tooltip player_id='987161' first='Lance' last='McGee'] was committed to the Oregon State Beavers for months before reopening his recruitment.    In the end he chose to re-sign with the Beavers.   How significant is that signing?   As a senior, McGee rushed for 2,446 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns, including 650 yards and 11 scores in the semifinals and finals.    After a brutal 2-10 season, Oregon State lacked momentum and the panic button had been hammered by many Beaver fans.   But the program has already shown signs of life under new coach JaMarcus Shephard, and McGee is one of many examples of progress.   [player_tooltip player_id='284217' first='FA' last='Siale'] to Utah Utes   The Utah Utes finished strong on Signing Day, finishing with the No. 3 class in the Big 12 in terms of “average rating per commit.”    Given the rough season from Michigan State, and the firing of coach Jonathan Smith, F.A. Siale re-opened his recruitment.   Despite a push from several schools, the 6-foot-4, 250-pound edge signed with the Utes.   Utah was also able to fend off the Oregon Ducks for Lake Oswego (Oregon) running back LaMarcus Bell.   It was a good finish for the Utes, particularly in the Northwest.    [player_tooltip player_id='1248706' first='Terrance' last='Saryon'] to BYU Cougars    Evergreen athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1248706' first='Terrance' last='Saryon'] collected offers from nearly double-digit schools, including BYU, Cal, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, Washington State and others.   So, when the 5-foot-10, 165-pound playmaker verbally committed to the Washington Huskies in November 2024, it made a lot of sense.   But the BYU Cougars hosted Saryon on an official visit in May and he flipped to the Cougars less than week later.    Despite significant interest along the way, Saryon stayed committed to BYU for months and signed during the early signing period.   It was a major win for the program.    [player_tooltip player_id='1165392' first='Henry' last='Gabalis'] to Arizona Wildcats   Most of the top Washington talent stayed close to home - with the Washington Huskies leading the charge.   But Archbishop Murphy tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1165392' first='Henry' last='Gabalis'] bucked that trend when he committed to the Arizona Wildcats in mid-April.   Despite a summer official visit to Oregon State, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound playmaker stayed true to his pledge and is headed to Tucson.    [player_tooltip player_id='726155' first='Tristan' last='Baker'] to Idaho Vandals   Idaho has done an excellent job recruiting the state of Washington under coach Thomas Ford Jr.   This year, the Vandals signed six players from the state of Washington, including Curtis offensive tackle offensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1349889' first='Kingston' last='Kerkhoff'], and Lakes linebacker Tau Mareko.   But athlete [player_tooltip player_id='726155' first='Tristan' last='Baker'] is an intriguing add - and a good sign for Idaho.   Despite offers from Eastern Washington and Nevada, the Vandals managed to secure the commitment (and signature) of the two-way athlete.   Multiple Idaho signees belong on this list, but Baker carried some serious upside and represents a big win for the Vandals.    [player_tooltip player_id='1354431' first='Jeremiah' last='Nonu'] to Nevada Wolfpack   O'Dea churns out big-time college talent at an accelerated rate, so for Nevada to tap into that program for [player_tooltip player_id='1354431' first='Jeremiah' last='Nonu'] is a big win.   It helps that he's also a rare prospect in the Northwest - a 6-foot-2, 300-pound-plus lineman with upside.   It was a nice “get” for the Wolfpack.   Eastern Washington signs 5   The Eagles signed five in-state prospects.   Sumner cornerback [player_tooltip player_id='726174' first='Israel' last='Nabors'] and Puyallup safety [player_tooltip player_id='1165415' first='Jayden' last='Woodland'] both feel like potential steals for the secondary.   It was a really nice bit of in-state recruiting.

Prep Redzone is prepared to move on from the class of 2026 soon, instead focusing on the future classes of scholarship athletes.