In what has become the first major recruiting week for Kalen DeBoer at Washington, the Huskies added to their haul this week by picking up a commitment from one of the top targets on the board. Elishah Jackett has continued to have UW among his top contenders, and an unofficial visit in the spring helped propel the program up his list.
Sunday, the high three-star offensive tackle prospect from Southern California made the call and committed to the Huskies over a final group that included UCLA, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Cal. The decision from the 6-foot-7 lineman came at the end of an official visit to Seattle capping a busy month for Jackett.
He ultimately made official visits to Cal and UCLA before making his decision. Jackett's announcement actually comes ahead ahead of schedule. He originally planned to hold off on making a commitment to a school until his birthday in August.
UW's success with offensive linemen has grabbed Jackett's attention throughout the process, and has been a big part of his interest in the Huskies.
"They really put O-linemen out," Jackett said this spring about UW. "They're a big O-line team with coach Huff."
Offensive line coach Scott Huff has been able to build some momentum this week after adding both Jackett and Colorado offensive lineman Zachary Henning. Both prospects are at least 6-foot-6 adding some size to the group up front.
Jackett has built a strong relationship with Huff throughout the process, and that played an important part in Washington's pursuit of the California offensive lineman. UW's entire staff left its mark on Jackett as well.
"I love the coaches over there, great coaches," he said. " ... They're looking for me in the long run. They're expecting NFL. So, expecting to produce me, make me maximize my potential and then put me out."
UW hosted Jackett on an unofficial visit earlier in the year, and that gave him a different perspective of the program as it allowed him to see something different than what he has known in Southern California.
"I don't know if you've seen the view, but I've never seen something like that before," he said. "Eagles flying in the back. I'm not really a big rain guy, but it's something I could adjust to."
Jackett trimmed his list of options down to five schools last month eliminating programs such as USC, Texas, Arizona State, Arizona and San Diego State among others. Though he unofficially visited both Ole Miss and Texas A&M, it became clear over the last month that his focus would be on the three Pac-12 schools on his short list.
UCLA and Cal certainly made a good impression, but the opportunity to play at Washington ultimately became too strong leading to his decision Sunday.
The Huskies now have the 30th-ranked class in the 2023 recruiting cycle according to Rivals and are just five points behind Oregon for the fourth spot in the Pac-12 rankings. Jackett is the 11th commitment for UW so far this cycle.
