Despite welcoming 19 new Huskies on early signing day, UW might not be done

SEATTLE – “Signing day” should not be singular.

Because Washington might not be done.

As the sun rose over Seattle on Wednesday, the National Letters of Intent came rolling in, with 15 high school seniors signing with the second-ranked Huskies. That included a quartet of four-star signees, according to 247Sports – quarterback Dermaricus “MarMar” Davis, edge Noah Carter, defensive tackle Ratumana Bulabalavu and offensive lineman Paki Finau.

UW announced the additions of four transfer portal players, as well: four-star Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers, four-star Montana State defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez, four-star San Diego State offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi and three-star Vanderbilt linebacker Ethan Barr.

In all, it’s a 19-player Husky haul.

It’s also incomplete.

When asked how many more players – prep or portal – could eventually join the class, UW coach Kalen DeBoer said: “A few. I wouldn’t expect it to be more than five, but we have a few more slots we would hope to fill, and a few more that we anticipate being filled and being able to announce.”

The Huskies have two committed players – one prep, one portal – the program did not introduce Wednesday. The addition of Arizona State senior edge B.J. Green (who tallied 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks in 12 games this fall) should become official with minimal drama in the coming days.

As for four-star prep defensive lineman Dominic Kirks?

That’s more of a guessing game.

The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Kirks has been committed to Washington since June, but he declined to sign Wednesday. There has been speculation that the Painesville, Ohio, product received late recruiting interest from Ohio State, which might induce a fateful flip.

Of course, Kirks – the No. 40 defensive lineman in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports – has until the early signing window closes on Friday to decide.

But whether it’s Kirks or a transfer target, UW’s defense – which loses starting defensive linemen Tuli Letuligasenoa and Ulumoo Ale and edges Bralen Trice, Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Sekai Asoau-Afoa this winter – could use more reinforcements up front.

“I think there will possibly be more (defensive line/edge additions),” DeBoer said. “I think we’re in a good place right now, but we know everything starts up front on both sides of the ball. So we’ll continue to really be selective, and I think that’s what we’ve done over the last couple years with the portal. We don’t just bring in anyone and everyone. Over the last two years, there have been guys that have come onto campus, and in the end, it just didn’t feel like the right fit and the perfect timing.”

Likewise, UW will see if Aaron Butler is a fit in the next few days. The four-star wide receiver (and former USC and Colorado commit) also declined to sign, while weighing options at Washington, Arizona and Texas. He could wait until as late as Friday to decide, according to a report by 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins.

UW failed to sign a single player from Washington for the first time in the history of 247Sports’ database, which dates back to 1999. The Huskies did offer a dozen in-state prospects and briefly held a commitment from three-star Garfield quarterback (and eventual Cal signee) EJ Caminong.

But UW’s current prep class is comprised of nine players from California, three from Texas, two from Arizona, one from Oregon … and none from Washington.

“We want kids from Washington, and we know there’s great football that’s being played here,” DeBoer said. “There are guys we’ll continue to recruit and grow relationships with. We’ll make sure there’s always an emphasis, and we’ll always want to pursue that.”

Three-star safety Paul Mencke Jr. – who flipped his commitment from Duke to Washington on Wednesday – was born in Tacoma and raised in Pullman, before eventually settling in Cibolo, Texas. His father, Paul Mencke, played football and basketball at WSU.

For DeBoer, proximity is important.

But talent, character and commitment matter more.

“I think our staff does an amazing job of identifying talent,” DeBoer said when asked about outside programs attempting to flip UW commits. “So what happens is we get to the fall of their senior year, and all of a sudden [UW commits are] showing out on the football field like many of these guys did, on a higher level than maybe most expected. Then [other coaches] take notice, like, ‘Whoa, that’s a pretty good football player.’

“So again, today is a big day because you’ve got guys that you identified, that you have a lot of excitement for, that are very talented, and they stayed true to their commitment. So we’re excited about that. But it’s an ongoing process.”

Hence, the plea to pluralize signing days.