Washington Football Recruiting: Top Targets, Positional Needs and Predictions

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Signing day is upon us, Husky fans.

Its getting down to the wire and fans are champing at the bit to reel in a top recruiting class.

There have been a few surprises these past few months and it's not even official yet.

Here is a list of a few key players, their probable destinations, and on which positions the Huskies should be focusing their recruiting attention.

Cyler Miles – QB

Until recently a firm commit to the Huskies, rumors are picking up that Miles is seriously considering USC. In fact, Miles is now listed as a “soft verbal.”

Evidently, probably having to sit behind QB Keith Price is not to his liking.

Momentum seems to favor Miles switching his commitment to the Trojans.

Zach Banner – OT

Offensive Tackle Zach Banner is perhaps the No.1 high school player in the state of Washington.

He would help fill a need along the offensive line, and the Huskies are pushing hard for him.

However, this looks like another close loss to the USC Trojans.

Shaq Thompson – S

This consensus top-25 player had previously committed to California, but with the recent defection of assistant coach Tosh Lupoi to Washington, Shaq has reopened his recruitment.

Even though Oregon is making a late push, don’t be surprised to see Shaq sign with the Dawgs.

Brandon Beaver – CB

Cornerback Brandon Beaver would help fill a position of need for Washington.

He has good size and speed, and we’ll go out on a limb and say that a Beaver will become a Husky.

Jordan Payton – WR

Jordan Payton has been acting like a politician. Whatever school he visits is immediately his favorite.

At various times, he has been enamored with Notre Dame, Michigan, Oklahoma and Cal. However, look for Payton’s final landing spot to be in Seattle.

Defensive Line

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After losing both Senio Kelemete and Alameda Ta’amu (who both are getting rave reviews at the Senior Bowl), the defensive line is in a critical spot.

So far, the Huskies have received five defensive line commits. What is worrying, though, is that none of them are highly rated (4- or 5-star recruits).

Defensive Back

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As was sadly evident in the Alamo Bowl, there’s a need to recruit defensive backs that are fireproof and won’t be toasted.

If they are able to add CB Brandon Beaver, that will be a start in the right direction.

Wide Receiver

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Again, the graduation of players (Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar) has depleted this unit.

Wide receiver recruit Jordan Payton could find himself some early playing time if he were to commit to Washington.

Offensive line

A strong and deep offensive line is important not only for the running game, but for keeping QB Keith Price healthy.

Towering Zach Banner (6’9”) would be a fantastic step in the right direction; unfortunately USC feels the same way.

Kicker

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Not to sound like a broken record, but the Huskies lost both their placekicker and punter to graduation.

While their replacements are already on the roster, you could never recruit enough quality kickers.

Conclusion

It never fails that signing day brings about a couple good surprises.

With the recent edition of recruiting guru Tosh Lupoi, look for the Huskies to pull a few rabbits out of their hat.