Meet the UW Huskies’ 2021 football signees
Washington signed 15 players for the Class of 2021 during the opening day of the early signing period for football on Wednesday.
The class — ranked No. 30 in the country and No. 5 in the Pac-12 — includes players from Washington, California, Texas, Utah, Hawaii and Kansas, as well as Germany. Lake said Wednesday there is a possibility UW could still add to the group.
“There’s definitely a possibility that it could grow,” he said during a Zoom call. “’We’ll have some attrition. We always do, every school does. ... The size of the class. It depends on how many scholarships you have available.”
Here’s a rundown of the class as it currently stands.
Offense
Sam Huard, QB
6-1, 190 - Bellevue, Wash. (Kennedy Catholic)
Lake didn’t mince words when it came to Huard, calling him the “best quarterback in the country.” Huard certainly has a case. 247Sports considers him the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the country and the No. 3 recruit in the state of Washington. In three seasons, he passed for 11,741 yards to rank No. 4 in state history. He led the state in passing yards as both a sophomore and junior and passed for 132 career touchdowns, tied for fifth-most in Washington state high school history. And that was without a senior season. “Guy that’s ultra accurate but has unbelievable leadership traits,” Lake said. “I’ve personally known Sam for a long time now. This guy breathes football. He’s everything that we want in our quarterbacks: accurate, leadership qualities, smart.” While Huard has a famous name — his dad (Damon) and uncle (Brock) both played quarterback at UW — Lake made it clear that’s not why the Huskies wanted him. “He’s a phenomenal football player,” Lake said. “He’s a phenomenal leader. That’s first and foremost.”
Jabez Tinae, WR
6-1, 205 - Seattle, Wash. (Kennedy Catholic)
Tinae played on the same team as Huard, where he was a second-team All-NPSL Mountain Division wide receiver as a junior in 2019. He caught 45 passes for 964 yards and six touchdowns last year. “Electrifying,” Lake said. “”Can play inside, can play outside and plays with a defensive mentality. He’s tough. He’s tough to bring down and has excellent hands.” Tinae was considered the No. 39 receiver in the nation and No. 8 recruit in the state by 247Sports.
Caden Jumper, TE
6-3, 250 - Eatonville, Wash. (Eatonville)
Lake compared Jumper to a player Huskies fans know well: Will Dissly. A former star for UW, Dissly was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. “Caden Jumper needs to come here and work hard, but that’s exactly who he’s going to be,” Lake said. “He’s going to be a great tight end for us. He’s going to mash people in the run game then he’s going to release and he’s going to make some big-time catches in the pass game. This is the player that played both sides of the ball for his high school. You could just see his versatility.” Jumper was named the offensive MVP of the 2A South Puget Sound League Mountain Division as a junior in 2019. He’s considered the No. 66 tight end prospect in the country by ESPN.com.
Quentin Moore, TE
6-5, 245 - Kenmore, Wash. (Inglemoor/Independence (Kan.) CC)
Moore was a first-team All-KingCo Crown Division at Inglemoor as a senior in 2019, catching 38 passes for 547 yards and five touchdowns. He was ranked the No. 14 overall JC prospect in the nation and No. 1 JC tight end by 247Sports. “We play with a bunch of tight ends and we’ll continue to play with tight ends,” Lake said. “We’re extremely excited about two guys from the state of Washington that will be right here playing for the Dawgs.”
Caleb Berry, TB
6-2, 210 - Lufkin, Texas (Lufkin)
Berry rushed for 529 yards and nine touchdowns on 83 carries — an average of 6.4 yards per carry — before suffering a season-ending injury in early November. He’s considered by 247Sports to be the No. 43 running back in the country. “We got a running back out of Texas … that we’re very excited about that also plays our style of football,’’ Lake said.
Owen Prentice, OL
6-3. 290 - Seattle, Wash. (O’Dea)
Lake called Prentice “one of the best offensive linemen in the country.” He helped lead O’Dea to the 3A state championship game three times in three seasons, while compiling a record of 35-4. Prentice is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 118 overall recruit and the No. 7 offensive guard in the country. He’s also considered the No. 4 prospect in the state of Washington. Named to MaxPreps’ Junior All-America first team in 2019, Prentice was also Associated Press 3A all-state as a junior.
Robert Wyrsch, OL
6-7, 285 - Capitola, Calif. (Soquel)
Wyrsch only played one season of varsity football, spending time on the offensive and defensive line, as well as tight end. He earned first-team all-league honors on both the offensive and defensive lines. “Coach Huff has done a phenomenal job of pinpointing guys that play our brand of football here — guys that are tough, nasty and also have really good length,” Lake said.
Defense
Siaosi Finau, DL
6-4, 280 - Maui, Hawai’i (Renton)
Finau has one of the more interesting stories among UW’s recruits. He didn’t have an offer — or even a 247Sports profile — when he committed in late June. Once scouts watched him, he was ranked as the No. 94 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 22 recruit in Washington state. Lake said the Huskies found Finau due to the research the coaching staff does with high school coaches, especially those in the state of Washington. “It was really as simple as a phone call and then a lot of research by our staff to watch the film and comb through the film,” Lake said. “We saw a player that we believe is going to be a big-time player for us and in the Pac-12.” Lake said Finau has the “traits, the size and measurables that you want. Finau served as a captain as a junior in 2019 and was named first-team All-South Puget Sound League 2A on the offensive line. “When you turn on the tape, you see a guy that has twitch, that plays tough, that plays physical,” Lake said. “You guys know me by now. It doesn’t matter if you’re negative three stars or negative 10 stars, when we turn on the tape and do our own grading, this guy was at the top of the charts in our grades.”
Voi Tunuufi, DL
6-2, 270 - South Jordan, Utah (East)
Lake describe the three defensive tackle recruits as “explosive” players “with really good size.” Tunuufi captained East to an 8-5 record and to the semifinals of the state 6A playoffs as a senior in 2020. He finished with 126 tackles and 14 sacks in 2020 and was named to MaxPreps’ 2020 All-Utah first team on the defensive line. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 38 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 8 player in Utah.
Kuao Peihopa, DL
6-3, 300 - Makakilo, Hawai’i (Kamehameha)
Lake said he felt the Huskies recruited “four big-time guys up-front on defense.” Peihopa played offensive and defensive line at Kamehameha for three seasons. He was named honorable mention All-Hawaii Open Division as a junior in 2019 and was selected to play in the Polynesian Bowl. He’s considered by 247Sports to be the No. 48 defensive tackle in the country and No. 4 prospect in Hawaii.
Maurice Heims, OLB
6-6, 245 - Hamburg, Germany (Santa Margarita Catholic)
Lake described Heims as “an excellent pass rusher.” As a junior in 2019, Heims plays defensive end and tight end for Santa Margarita Catholic’s junior varsity team since California high school rules state that international transfers can not play on the varsity in their first season. He moved to the United States from Germany. He’s considered by 247Sports to be the No. 33 weak side defensive end in the country and the No. 47 prospect in California by 247Sports.com
Will Latu, ILB
6-2, 230 - Tacoma, Wash. (Bethel)
Lake called Latu “one of the best linebackers on the West Coast and especially in the state of Washington.” As a junior in 2019, he earned earned Associated Press 3A all-state at linebacker as well as honorable mention all-state at running back. “I think he’s going to be a monster in the middle for us,” Lake said. Latu is rated the No. 15 athlete in the county and No. 9 prospect in the state by 247Sports. “I think the one thing you always want to look for in inside linebackers is an inside linebacker that plays running back,” Lake said. “He knows what the running backs will try to do as they bounce in behind double teams and try to hit the open gap. … He has the perfect measurable for a person that we’re looking for at that inside linebacker position. … But he’s athletic and agile just like a running back so he’s going to be able to match those running back moves.”
Zakhari Spears, CB
6-2, 190 - Los Angeles, Calif. (Loyola)
The UW coaches liked what they saw from Spears’ film, but they wanted to go see him in person. That’s when he impressed Lake the most. “He was all of the hype the coaches told us he was,” Lake said. “Really long. He just had a phenomenal practice. Working hard, defending all the footballs that were coming his way. You could just tell he was a hard worker. He had the length. Film showed that he had the toughness. Loved to throw his pads in there and tackle people. You guys know I love tough football players at every single position and then when it matches up with the measurables — his size, his length, his ball skills.” Spears played three years at cornerback, safety and wide receiver at Loyola. He earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division 4 at cornerback as a junior in 201. 247Sports rated the him No. 29 cornerback in the nation and No. 37 recruit in California.
Dyson McCutcheon, CB
5-11, 175 - Claremont, Calif. (Bishop Amat)
McCutcheon was named to MaxPreps’ 2020 preseason All-California team as an all-purpose player. He was also named first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division I as a junior. “We’re excited about him,” Lake said. ‘He comes from a football family. His dad played in the NFL for years and you can tell he lives and breathes football as well. Hopefully, that’s what you guys see.” He’s ranked by 247Sports as the No. 30 cornerback and No. 39 prospect in California.
Vincent Nunley, S
6-1, 190 - Oakland, Calif. (Freedom)
Lake described Nunley as a “physical safety” with “really good length.” Nunley is ESPN’s No. 97 safety prospect and was named to the San Francisco Chronicle’s All-Metro team following his junior season in 2019. “We’re looking for that — tough, physical guy,” Lake said.’ We think he’s going to be able to come here, he’s going to put some weight on naturally and have that length and also have those ball skills to change the game.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 2:02 PM.
