Washington targeting emerging Texas edge rusher Rylan Kennedy to round out 2023 class

SEATTLE — Rylan Kennedy will possible bear in mind Sunday, Nov. 6 for a protracted whereas.

An edge rusher at Mansfield (Texas) Lake Ridge who didn’t play highschool soccer till his senior season, Kennedy however cuts an intriguing athletic profile. He stands at 6-foot-4 and 210 kilos. He performs basketball and is a 6-foot, 6-inch excessive jumper, with a private better of 20 toes, 9.75 inches within the lengthy soar; he needs to leap 6-10 as a senior this spring, noting the college document is 6-11. And regardless of not taking part in soccer since eighth grade, Kennedy posted 61 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 5 sacks as a senior this fall.

His recruitment, although, had been quiet. Missouri Southern, a Division II college, had supplied in September, however that was it — till, that’s, three staffers from California adopted him on Twitter lower than two weeks in the past. Later that day, he was on a Zoom name with outdoors linebackers coach Vic So’oto, who prolonged Kennedy his first Energy 5 scholarship provide.

The day wasn’t over earlier than Courtney Morgan, Washington’s director of participant personnel, added a suggestion from the Huskies to Kennedy’s checklist. Within the days since, Kennedy additionally has reported provides from USC, San Diego State and Auburn. Earlier than Cal reached out, Kennedy mentioned he had despatched movie to colleges with no response.

Throughout an interview final week — at which level Cal and UW had been his solely FBS provides — Kennedy mentioned he knew little in regards to the Huskies earlier than they reached out, however that, “They had been telling me about how they favored my movie and stuff, cherished that I’m explosive, and will actually see me at their college. Additionally they defined how they needed me to come back down there, saying the campus was good and all that.”

He isn’t certain but which visits he’ll take, however Kennedy mentioned he does need to signal through the early December interval.

Kennedy grew up taking part in soccer however stepped away from the sport after eighth grade. He had damaged his arm and hadn’t performed for some time, “And I simply misplaced it, and didn’t need to play anymore, which I sort of regretted.” He centered extra on basketball, however his associates talked him into returning to soccer as a senior. On the time, Kennedy didn’t essentially suppose he was chasing a school scholarship. However his manufacturing instilled perception.

“I’m simply taking part in onerous, working onerous, tackling and stuff,” he mentioned. “I’m discovering out, ‘Oh, I’m tackling five-stars? I’m tackling Texas commits?’ So I used to be like, ‘I can positively do that,’ if I’m going in opposition to the very best of the very best.”

Because the Huskies put the ending touches on their 2023 recruiting class earlier than turning full consideration to 2024 — and people efforts already are nicely underway — you most likely shouldn’t anticipate many fireworks between now and the early signing interval. With 18 prospects dedicated, Washington is sort of completed with its class, contemplating the Huskies have solely 11 scholarship seniors and in addition should maintain spots open for potential additions from the switch portal. Coach Kalen DeBoer mentioned lately there’s nonetheless room so as to add “one to 3” highschool prospects within the class, which at present ranks third within the Pac-12 and No. 28 nationally within the 247Sports Composite.

2023 prospects to look at

That’s what makes the provide to Kennedy fascinating and will inform you one thing in regards to the Huskies’ positional priorities as this class involves an in depth. They’re actually completed at quarterback, operating again, offensive line, linebacker and certain the inside defensive position, although they do have a suggestion out to three-star prospect Tavake Tuikolovatu from Fontana (Calif.) Summit and to three-star Los Angeles (Calif.) Cathedral D-lineman Ashton Sanders. The Huskies have 4 defensive backs dedicated, together with four-star prospects Curley Reed and Vincent Holmes, and are notably excessive on Leroy Bryant, a three-star cornerback from Fairfield (Calif.) Angelo Rodriguez who additionally stars as a receiver and returner. He’ll play cornerback at UW, however Bryant leads Rodriguez with 58 catches for 837 yards and 6 touchdowns, along with three interceptions, together with a pick-six.

The Huskies don’t have a good finish dedicated, and DeBoer has talked about they nonetheless would take the appropriate participant at that place, nevertheless it doesn’t seem they’re actively concerned with any. That leaves two positions to look at as signing day approaches: edge rusher and receiver. The Huskies made a splash by touchdown four-star receiver Rashid Williams from Pittsburg (Calif.) Excessive and in addition picked up an early dedication from three-star prospect Keith Reynolds out of Adelanto (Calif.) Excessive. However the Huskies are also among the many finalists for Taeshaun Lyons, a four-star receiver from Hayward (Calif.) Tennyson, and JeyQuan Smith, a three-star prospect from San Bernardino (Calif.) Cajon who has UW in his prime three together with Oregon and Utah.

Both would offer a pleasant enhance to the category. Lyons is contemporary off a 47-catch, 1,007-yard, 10-touchdown senior season, and Smith ran a ten.63-second 100-meter sprint as a junior final spring. He’s additionally run the 200 in 21.14 — quicker than Rome Odunze’s prime time as a highschool junior, for instance, and that was ok for the Nevada state title.

Smith took an official go to to UW for the season opener in opposition to Kent State, and Lyons took his official go to through the huge June weekend that yielded a number of commitments. Lyons tweeted Wednesday that he’ll make an unofficial go to to Seattle for Saturday’s recreation in opposition to Colorado. He launched a prime eight in October that included UW together with Notre Dame, Oregon, Utah, Arizona State, Michigan State, Penn State and Miami. The No. 263 general prospect within the 2023 class, Lyons has taken solely two official visits — to Washington and Notre Dame.

With four-star prospect Anthony James from Wylie (Texas) East possible projected as an inside defensive lineman, the Huskies have just one dedication from a real edge rusher — Jacob Lane, a neighborhood three-star prospect. That explains the provide to Kennedy, who’s among the many comparatively small variety of gamers to observe over the following few weeks.

There was some thought {that a} robust season would possibly assist with a neighborhood prospect like four-star cornerback Caleb Presley from Seattle Rainier Seaside, who has been dedicated to Oregon since early July. Presley attended UW’s Sept. 17 victory over Michigan State and wore a purple UW sweatshirt whereas standing on the sideline. There was nothing to point, although, that he’s a viable choice for the Huskies at current.

Waiting for 2024

The Huskies have three prospects already dedicated for 2024: three-star edge rusher Jaxson Jones from Yuma (Ariz.) Catholic, three-star receiver Landon Bell from Henderson (Nev.) Liberty and EJ Caminong, a three-star quarterback from Seattle Garfield.

Caminong is the second highschool quarterback to decide to DeBoer at UW, with Lincoln Kienholz set to hitch this system after profitable yet one more state championship at Pierre (S.D.) T.F. Riggs. Caminong first met UW’s coaches at Garfield in February. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb got here to Garfield to look at him work out in Could, and the Huskies supplied Caminong a scholarship the following day.

It was his first provide. Washington State, Colorado and Oregon State have supplied since, however Caminong gave a silent dedication to UW in early October earlier than saying on Oct. 26. He mentioned that after a exercise at UW in the summertime, it began to sink in that, “They need me to be there. They’re actually recruiting me heavy.” Coaches had requested him to commit a few month after they supplied, he mentioned.

Caminong, the No. 435 general prospect in 2024 per the 247Sports Composite, has been taking part in quarterback since he was 6 years previous and acquired critical about coaching for a school future round eighth grade. He received Garfield’s beginning quarterback job as a freshman through the delayed 2020 pandemic season, and has labored carefully with native coach Lavelle Durant — mentor to lots of the state’s prime QB prospects through the years — to refine what he believes is a dynamic ability set.

Listed at 6-2 and 195 kilos, Caminong confirmed vital progress as a junior, and his season highlights present quite a lot of throws with zip and accuracy. He’s additionally cellular sufficient to purchase time for himself and damage defenses together with his legs in the event that they don’t account for it.

“I really feel like I’m a really versatile quarterback,” Caminong mentioned. “I can do something that’s requested of me. I can run the ball, I can throw the ball. I can play throughout the system. But in addition, I’m actually bodily, which I believe is one thing that’s completely different. Quarterbacks these days are taught to keep away from contact, however I actually embrace it. The psychological facet of the sport is one thing I’ve actually grown and acquired higher with.”

He’s a part of one other proficient in-state recruiting class, headlined by four-star operating again Jason Brown from Seattle O’Dea, four-star offensive lineman Isendre “Papa” Ahfua (Caminong’s teammate at Garfield) and Brayden Platt, a nationwide top-100 linebacker from Yelm. Different blue-chip prospects embody cornerback Rahshawn Clark from Federal Method, tight finish Hogan Hansen from Bellevue and security Marquawn McCraney from Highline, coached by former UW operating again Deontae Cooper.

The Huskies have supplied all of these prospects plus three-star operating again Unterrio Latin-Henley from Washington Excessive in Tacoma, three-star security Kyan McDonald from O’Dea, three-star receiver Malachi Durant from Puyallup and three-star offensive lineman Fox Crader from Evergreen in Vancouver. Nonetheless, almost half of UW’s 2024 provides — 49 of 100 — are to prospects in California, an important recruiting floor that produced 10 of the 18 gamers dedicated in UW’s 2023 class.

(Photograph of Kalen DeBoer: Joe Nicholson / USA At this time)