High school football recruiting: Here’s how Washington’s 2022, 2023 classes are shaping up
Yesterday, we took a look at the 2021 high school football recruiting class in Washington. For years, we’ve written about that class and the players in it, wondering if it’s the most talented class the state has ever seen.
With three players from the state ranked in the top 10 nationally in 247sports.com composite rankings, we believe the answer is yes, it is.
It’s the type of class that is likely a once-in-a-generation type class, though with the Pacific Northwest firmly on the national recruiting radar these days, we should see more talented classes in years to come.
The 2022 class doesn’t have the big-name stars that 2021 did, with Kennedy Catholic quarterback Sam Huard, Steilacoom receiver Emeka Egbuka and Eastside Catholic defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau all top-tier national recruits. But what it lacks in truly elite national talent, it makes up for in depth, especially in the trenches.
“It may not be as strong at the top end, but I love the depth in this class,” said Brandon Huffman, national recruiting editor for 247sports. “A lot of these guys have emerged in their freshman year, sophomore year.”
Six-foot-5, 270-pound Rainier Beach offensive tackle Josh Conerly, considered a 4-star recruit, headlines the class, followed by Union receiver Tobias Merriweather and Eastside Catholic linebacker Dishawn Misa, in the second and third spots, respectively.
Conerly initially wanted to play on the defensive line at Beach, but made the change to offensive line during his sophomore season. Lined up against Colorado Buffaloes signee Jason Harrison — a 6-foot-7, 220-pound defensive end from from Higley High in Gilbert, Arizona in a 57-30 on Sept. 13 last year — Conerly impressed Huffman.
“Conerly pretty much stonewalled him the entire night,” Huffman said. “I walked away from that game saying to myself, ‘That’s the best 2022 kid in the state of Washington.’”
Conerly holds 20 offers, including Alabama, Washington, California, USC and Oregon.
The first South Sound product on the list is Tumwater tight end Ryan Otton, younger brother of current UW tight end Cade Otton. Ryan, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound prospect, was part of the T-Birds 2019 Class 2A state championship team. So how does he stack up to his big brother?
“I think he’s a better prospect as a pure tight end at the same stage as Cade,” Huffman said. “Ryan is bigger and stronger at the same age. Can he block, can he move, can he catch passes? Yes, he checks all the boxes. He’s such a well-rounded tight end. He reminds of the tight ends Stanford has gotten over the past 10 years, that can really do a little bit of everything.”
Sumner’s Tristan Dunn has shot up the list to No. 5, thanks to a strong offseason in 7on7 competitions. Dunn, who played safety for Keith Ross’ Spartans, projects as an outside linebacker in college, according to Huffman. That’s not to say he was playing out of position at Sumner.
“If Keith Ross puts you in a spot, that’s your best spot for Sumner,” Huffman said. “But with his length, size, ball skills, he’s probably more of an outside backer in college, because he can cover. … Getting to see him drop into pass coverage, there’s a lot of upside there.”
Todd Beamer’s Malik Agbo, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound tackle who was a member of The News Tribune’s 2019 All-Area team as a sophomore, checks in at No. 6. He’s been a highly-touted recruit since he was a freshman. Kennedy Catholic corner Kieran Collins comes in at No. 7, while Puyallup offensive lineman Dave Iuli, who missed his sophomore season to injury, checks in at No. 8.
Huffman said it was challenging to rate Iuli with no sophomore film to work with. But the 6-foot-5, 330-pounder could be poised for a big junior season.
“We didn’t necessarily knock him, but we couldn’t move him up because there was no context,” Huffman said. “But I’ve seen him this summer. He looks fantastic, he’s so strong, there’s no bad weight there. He’s a big dude. He’s the kind of guy that if he’s healthy this spring, he should be dominant.”
Tight end Chance Bogan, who transferred from Wilson to Lincoln, comes in at No. 9 and is considered a three-star recruit. He holds offers from Washington, Arizona State, Colorado, Tennessee and others. With Julien Simon announcing he’ll forgo his senior season to enroll early at USC, Bogan could be poised for an even larger role in the Abes’ offense this season.
“He’s really going to have that opportunity,” Huffman said. “(Sophomore quarterback Gabarri Johnson) can throw, (Lincoln coach Masaki Matsumoto) wants to throw.”
Lincoln well represented in 2023 class
Already, Lincoln has two four-star prospects in the 2023 class, with 6-foot-5, 224-pound defensive end Jayden Wayne grabbing the top spot in the state in the class. He’s considered the No. 17 sophomore prospect in the country. Teammate Gabarri Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound dual-threat quarterback, takes the second spot, while Spanaway Lake corner Jasiah Wagoner, another four-star prospect, takes the third and final spot on the list.
“(Wayne) has all the makings of a big-time tight end,” Huffman said. “There’s a lot of upside, he’s a multi-sport athlete. … He’s not quite there yet in terms of what he’s capable of doing, but he has all the makings of it, as he develops more of a defensive-end mindset.”
Johnson played behind Lincoln senior QB Caden Filer last season, playing sparingly at quarterback but taking some reps at other positions. He appeared in 10 games for the Abes as a freshman, completing 9-of-15 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown, averaging 14.1 yards per attempt through the air.
What he lacks in varsity, in-game experience, Johnson has made up for in 7on7 competitions. It reminds Huffman of when he gave a 4-star ranking to Mount Si QB Clay Millen before he played a season as the team’s starting quarterback.
“You saw enough with (Millen) in 7on7, that you could tell he has the makings of a future star,” Huffman said. “With Gabarri, it’s the same thing. … As a dual-threat guy, when I saw him in 7on7, watch how he throws, his demeanor, the only thing he’s missing is reps.”
With Spanaway Lake’s Wagoner, Huffman is a believer.
“I love this kid,” Huffman said. “His ball skills are incredible. He had four picks last year. He can run. His big thing — he’s got a little bit of swagger to him. He’s not super big, but he plays big. He’s willing to take on top receivers. As he gets bigger — he still looks like a 14-year-old freshman — he’s got the ability to be an elite cover guy.”
