UW builds for future

SEATTLE – After a 4-9 season and an off-season full of questions, the Washington football program was more than ready to celebrate something positive.

With a recent past full of losses, the Huskies were happy to look into what they hope will be a brighter future – one they hope will be built in part on the class of high school players the Huskies signed on Wednesday.

For Tyrone Willingham, whose job status was in question following his third straight losing season, the 26-player class is a major victory for a program in need of some good news.

Scout.com ranked Washington’s class as the 14th best in the country, and No. 3 in the Pac-10 behind UCLA and USC. Rivals.com was slightly less impressed, but still ranked the Huskies No. 25 nationally and fifth in the conference.

“We’re pleased with the class that we’ve added, a class of 26 players,” Willingham said. “I believe it covers almost the full spectrum of our football team. It’s good solid class and hopefully it helps us be three and four years from now a better football team.”

It’s a class with marquee names as well as a class that will provide depth at almost every position. The 26 players consist of two quarterbacks, four running backs, four receivers, four offensive linemen, one tight end, four defensive linemen, three cornerbacks, two safeties and two linebackers.