Washington is set to host its second big official visit weekend of the summer. Beginning this weekend on June 21st, there are slated to be 14 recruits on campus for their official visits, with another making his visit on Wednesday. The group is highlighted by the top two in-state players who are both listed as four-stars. Also visiting Washington is a player who has already committed to the Huskies. This weekend marks the final significant official visit weekend of the summer for Washington. Here are the players scheduled to be in attendance.
Top In-State Targets
Zaydrius Rainey-Sale
The top player in the state committed to Washington just a few days before Kalen DeBoer’s departure in January. But the coaching change led to Zaydrius Rainey-Sale’s decommitment four days later. Fast-forward five months, and Washington is back in the running for the talented defender. Rainey-Sale had 65 tackles and four sacks as a junior at Bethel High School in Spanaway, Washington. He played tight end on the offensive side of the ball, catching four touchdowns with over 200 receiving yards.
Rainey-Sale competed in the Under Armour Next Football Camp in April of this year in Seattle. There, he earned an invitation to the Under Armour All-American Game that will be held in January. The Washington native also competed in the Avery Strong College Showcase at the beginning of June. Rainey-Sale earned Overall MVP at the event. This four-star linebacker is a priority target for Jedd Fisch and staff, and they’ll have a chance to make their pitch this weekend. He has narrowed his final schools to three including Washington, Florida State, and UCLA. Rainey-Sale is set to announce his commitment on July 1st.
Jonathan Epperson
The second local four-star is linebacker Jonathan Epperson. He’s being recruited as a linebacker everywhere but can drop back into safety coverage. Epperson is a versatile defender at Auburn Riverside High School where he had 31 tackles and three tackles for loss as a junior. Epperson also carried the ball 33 times at running back, scoring two touchdowns on the year. The Auburn, Washington native is the second-ranked player in the state according to 247Sports, and a top 16 athlete nationally. Epperson competed in the Avery Strong College Showcase in early June with Rainey-Sale. He earned MVP at linebacker after his performance at the Seattle, Washington event.
Epperson’s recruiting calendar lists him on official visits to both Washington and Arkansas this weekend. At this point, it’s unclear if the Washington visit is happening, but he did make an unofficial visit earlier this Spring. He’s also being targeted by Arizona and California.
Top-Rated Three-Stars
Interior offensive lineman Darius Afalava has narrowed his selection to four programs. He’ll choose between Michigan State, Utah, Oklahoma, and Washington. His Washington visit is the last of his four finalists, giving Fisch and staff the final push at his recruitment. He has played in 40 games at Skyridge High School in Lehi, Utah, including snaps at defensive line. Afalava is listed at 6’-5” and 320 pounds.
In the secondary, Washington is hosting cornerback LaRue Zamorano and safety Rylon Dillard-Allen. Zamorano is a top 50 player in the state of California and is listed at 6’-2”. He fits that mold of the new-age, lengthier cornerback that the Washington staff is after. Zamorano has listed Washington among his final seven schools which also includes Oregon, Penn State, USC, and Michigan State among others. Dillard-Allen is a speedy safety who has posted multiple sub-11-second 100-meter dash times in high school. He gathered 101 total tackles and four interceptions over his last two years at Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe High Schools in Arizona. The three-star safety will commit on July 27th to one of Washington, Texas A&M, Alabama, or UCLA.
Committed Players on Washington Official Visits
There are two players slated to be on campus this weekend who have already announced where they’ll be playing college football. One of whom is Julian McMahan at running back. The three-star from Monte Vista High School in Danville, California announced his commitment to Washington in March of this year. Last season he rushed for over 1,100 yards and scored 16 touchdowns on the ground while adding three through the air. McMahan is 6’-2” and close to 200 pounds in the backfield. He’s a top-60 running back in the class of 2025.
Josiah Hammond committed to Kansas on July 16th as a three-star defensive lineman. He had to sit out his sophomore season at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma due to transfer rules. But as a junior, Hammond accumulated 45 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and a couple of sacks. As of now, the defensive lineman and Jayhawk commit is slated to visit Montlake this weekend.
The Fastest Player in the State
Washington is set to host D’Aryhian Clemons on an official visit this weekend, who was clocked with a 4.38-second 40-yard dash time at the National Preps Camp two months ago. That laser-verified time makes him one of if not the fastest recruit in the state of Washington. Clemons attends Spanaway Lake High School in Spanaway, Washington. He plays both sides of the ball and is listed as an athlete on the recruiting sites. Clemons has rushed for 14 touchdowns with over 1,600 yards on the ground through three years. He also has two interceptions and 35 tackles as a defensive back.
Other Official Visits for Washington
At tight end, Baron Naone is the top player in the state of Oregon and is a high three-star according to the 247Sports Composite. Naone also plays on the defensive line where he is just as talented. The top player in Oregon has made three official visits this summer including Arizona State, Oregon State, and Cal. Washington is his final scheduled visit. The number eight player in Oregon, Dominic Macon, is also scheduled to visit Washington this weekend. The defensive lineman participated at Washington’s Top Dawg camp last weekend where he was one of the stand-out performers. Macon received an offer following the showing. He’s slated to attend Oregon’s camp this weekend so his visit is still up in the air, but Washington is interested.
Aiden Manutai is the number three player from Hawaii and will have visited schools including Tennessee, Nebraska, and Cal prior to his official visit to Washington this weekend. The three-star safety is set to commit on July 12th. Safety Donovan Robinson decommitted from Virginia earlier this month. The Illinois native has received interest from Washington, Missouri, and Minnesota, and he’s scheduled to be on Montlake this weekend. At Loyola Academy, he tallied 34 tackles as a junior with an interception.
Washington will also be hosting 6’-8” and 368-pound offensive tackle Elijah Vaikona. The Huskies offered him back in April, and USC extended an offer his way just a few days ago. Vaikona visited Southern California last weekend, and he’ll be at Washington this weekend. The Huskies will also have a Wednesday visitor ahead of the weekend in Deji Ajose from Oakland, California. He’s a three-star athlete who plays both wide receiver and defensive back at Bishop O’Dowd High School. Ajose caught three touchdowns as a junior while recording 21 tackles and two sacks.
