Huskies hot on trail of Colorado lineman

With a clear need for bodies on the offensive line, head coach Steve Sarkisian and Co. are scouring the western half of the country for prospects. One of the best resides in Colorado in Highlands Ranch (CO) Thunderridge High School's Dillon Bonnell. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound tackle already boasts double digits offers from schools like Arizona State, Cal, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oregon State, and Washington.

"Washington is definitely one of the schools that's been recruiting me the hardest. I receive letters every other day if not every day," explained Bonnell. "Kentucky is recruiting me very hard as well, as is Arizona State, Kansas and Nebraska. Stanford is also showing some interest and could offer soon.

"A few schools are looking at me at guard and a few are looking at me at defensive line," said Bonnell. "Washington is recruiting me for tackle, because they think I have very quick feet. I'm also a very strong run blocker and I have great pass protection skills. It doesn't matter where I play, I just want to play.

"I called coach [Dan] Cozzetto earlier this week," said Bonnell. "We talked about how Washington is rebuilding and how they're looking forward to this season. We'll also talked about Washington's academic programs."

So what is Bonnell looking for in a school and who is he favoring?

"Academics are definitely number one," said Bonnell, who holds a 4.0 GPA. "Also, how I feel the staff feels around each other and how they feel about me.

"Washington has a great academic program. Their business school is very good, and they have a lot of things to offer," explained Bonnell. "I really like coach Sark, he's a great motivator. The whole staff has a lot of energy and they work well as a staff. They really seem like they know what they're doing.

"I'm liking quite a few schools, and Washington is definitely up on the top of my list," said Bonnell. "Even though they had a poor season last year, I really feel like they're going to turn it around."

With the Spring evaluation period in full swing, Bonnell is expecting to get a visit from a number of schools, including Washington.

"[Graduate Assistant] Coach [Mike] Anderson is coming to see me," said Bonnell. "I believe coach Cozzetto might be coming out as well at some point, but he's going to have to see how his schedule looks."

Bonnell, who hopes to have a decision made by September, plans on visiting Washington in the coming months, as well as a few other schools.

"There's not a deadline, but I'd like to make a decision by August or September, and I'd like to see all of the schools I can, to make sure I make the right decision," explained Bonnell. "I'm planning on making it to Washington in May or June, and I plan on seeing a few other Pac-10 schools as well."