Top in-state prospects spurn Huskies

Fresh off having restructured their defensive coaching staff, Washington coaches hit the road to renew the work of adding a few more players.

And with the Feb. 1 letter of intent day approaching, the Huskies will need to get busy to add some luster to a recruiting class of 2012 that has taken some hits.

A year ago, Washington put together an acclaimed class that included the top five players in the state. But similar in-state success is eluding UW this year, as three top recruits – offensive lineman Josh Garnett of Puyallup HS, receiver Cedric Dozier of Lakes and running back KeiVarae Russell of Mariner – have all said they will sign elsewhere.

Dozier has committed to California, Russell to Notre Dame, while Garnett, the son of former Huskies defensive lineman Scott Garnett, has narrowed his list of finalists to Stanford, Michigan and Notre Dame.

Another, offensive lineman Zach Banner of Lakes, is still considering Washington.

As of now, Washington is assured of getting just one of the top five players in the state – Mercer Island quarterback Jeff Lindquist, who committed to UW last spring.

That has had message boards in a tizzy over the inability to land top in-state players, generally regarded as the foundation of Washington’s recruiting success. It has not helped that the class the Huskies have put together so far is ranked 38th nationally by Scout.com and 41st by Rivals.com.