Shaq Thompson to Washington: What He Brings to the Table for the Huskies

Shaq Thompson committed to the Washington Huskies relatively quietly on Twitter yesterday, but he will make a lot more noise on the football field.

The 6'2", 210-pound defensive back is one of the best players to commit to the school in a long time.

He is the best in the country at either cornerback or safety, and according to Scout.com he is the No. 3 overall prospect in the nation.

What makes Thompson so good is his overall athleticism. The California native played both running back and wide receiver in high school and probably could have played either at the college level. On the defensive side, he will still have the same speed and agility to be able to cover even the best offensive players.

This type of skill will immediately help a Washington defense that was terrible last season.

Despite going 7-6, the Huskies were 108th in the nation by giving up 35.9 points per game last season. The pass defense was especially to blame. Only four FBS teams gave up more than Washington's 283.8 yards per game through the air.

The ineptitude was on full display for the entire nation during a 67-56 loss to Baylor in the Alamo Bowl.

With Thompson, the team will fill its biggest hole and it could lead to a lot more victories in Seattle.

The better news for Washington fans is that the star-recruit is already helping the team before he even puts on a uniform.

Coach Steve Sarkisian hired a great recruiter from Cal in Tosh Lupoi, which many believe was the main reason that the defensive back changed his commitment. However, the best recruiter for the Huskies now is Thompson.

By making his decision before National Signing Day, other players that were considering Washington can now see that they would be playing with a tremendous talent.

Even if these players are not close enough friends to pick up a phone, just seeing that the school is making moves towards winning will help seal the deal for a lot of mid-level to top prospects.

For the Washington Huskies, Thompson not only has the skill to be a game-changer on the field, but he can also be a program-changer.