Washington has become known for producing tight ends to the next level. The Huskies were one of only two Pac-12 offenses to have two players at the position finish in the top 10 in targets in 2019.
On Thursday, UW secured its fourth verbal commitment in the 2021 class from three-star Eatonville High School tight end Caden Jumper. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 245-pounds, Jumper is more than just a traditional tight end.
As a junior Jumper switched to playing quarterback for the Cruisers after spending his first two years in high school as a versatile offensive weapon. Prior to the coaching change during this offseason– at both head coach and tight end – UW had the three-star athlete on the board.
Once Jimmy Lake assumed the head coaching position in December and Derham Cato was announced as the new TE coach, Jumper began to grow his relationship with coach coaches.
Tuesday the Huskies came calling with his third scholarship offer. UW joined Army and UC Davies as the schools on his list and, after a conversation with his parents and two days to let the opportunity marinate, Jumper made the decision to stay home.
“The opportunity that I have at UDub is insane,” Jumper told TheDawgReport.com Thursday evening. “It’s really hard to go find a place like UDub that has such great academics and a great football program that utilizes the type of position that they offered me.
“They’re probably one of the best if not the best tight end school in the country. So I just sat down with my dad and we looked at everything. We looked at everything that would fit for me and we started checking off boxes. It was pretty much a perfect fit.”
Cato has recruited Jumper as an H-back, hybrid tight end in a similar mold that Cade Otton and Jack Westover were used in last season.
Otton finished with the sixth most targets among Pac-12 TE’s in 2019 with 40, second on the team behind Hunter Bryant who finished with the second most targets in the conference, 80.
UW was the only offense to produce two tight ends who finished in the top six in targets at the position among players from the conference. That fact, along with other similar positive stats for the Huskies made the decision a no-brainer.
“I feel like that was a really outstanding thing that caught my eye. That I’d be producing for the team,” Jumper said of the TE usage appeal at UW. “I’d do whatever the team asks of me. But when I’m being utilized that much that’s how I put out for the team.”
The other major selling point for Jumper at Washington was the academic appeal. The three-star recruit is enrolled in running start while at Eatonville, which will allow him to finish high school with his associates degree.
Jumper plans to major in business in college. With the ability to already have a head start in the classroom and attain a degree from UW made his decision that much easier.
“Academically they’re a great school. It’s one of the top schools to get into and they have some of the greatest academics in the entire country. So when I had the opportunity – it’s always academics first. You always want to go to a school with great academics.”
The Huskies moved up from No. 39 to No. 32 in the Rivals’ team rankings for the 2021 class with the addition of Jumper.
UW now has fourth commitments for this years’ cycle; four-star Burien (Wash.) Kennedy Catholic quarterback Sam Huard; three-star Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola cornerback Zakhari Spears and three-star Honolulu (Hi.) Kamehameha defensive tackle Kuao Peihopa.
