Washington added a new recruit yesterday, gaining an oral pledge from versatile running back Demetrius Bronson from Kentwood high school in Kent, WA. Not closing the door on other opportunities, Bronson is "95% committed to UW" per the article in the Seattle Times. Bronson is a 5-10, 200lb running back with a reported 4.47 40-yard time, and Scout.com has him rated as a 3-star player.
Why is getting a 3-star player significant? Because it highlights something that has been happening on the recruiting trail after the 2007 class put pen to paper in February. UW is building some serious recruiting momentum up in the northwest, and it's obvious the Huskies are on to something big on their road back to contention.
Want proof? Check out the verbal commitment lists for Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State, and it's pretty clear who is winning the battle. Washington now sports nine verbal commits, tops out of the four northwest schools. Even bigger is the caliber of recruits that Washington is gaining, as three players merit a 4-star rating at this stage of the process. To put that in the proper context, Washington only had four 4-star players, total, in their 2007 class.
Then, compare Oregon's list at this time - five recruits, all of the 3-star variety. Oregon State, four recruits, two with a 3-star rating. And Washington State? Think goose-egg. That's right, Washington State has exactly zero commitments for their upcoming class. WSU head coach Bill Doba has said all along he really hates the early commitment process altogether, but the Cougars have some major ground to try and make up.
What does all this actually mean? Well, one has to always remember that unlike their basketball brethren, there is no early signing period in NCAA football. Commitments given today aren't binding in any way, shape or form, so, it's likely that a few kids will change their minds as time goes on. Some get cold feet, some get swept away by a powerhouse glamour school, etc, etc, etc. And really, nine commitments at this time of year is nice, but it pales in comparison to UCLA's whopping 23 commits, or even USC's 12 commitments filled with 4-and-5 star caliber athletes. UW has a long road to hoe to make up ground on the southern California schools, but when you think of Washington as just a 1-win team from as recently as 2004, this is all about rebuilding a program. You start by beating your neighbors for local talent, and like it or not, it takes time to repair the damage done by the Rick Neuheisel era. Clearly the quality of athletes pledging to UW is on the rise, and that can only make the rest of the NW PAC-10 schools nervous about the future.
