With three more on Monday, the total number of commitments has risen to six since Washington’s official visits wrapped up last weekend. Six commitments in less than 24 hours to be exact. On Monday, Washington locked down the number one player from the state of Oregon, and the second-ranked player from the state of Washington. The Huskies also gained the fifth-ranked home-state player on Monday. As the commitments stack up, here’s a look at the three newest Husky pledges.
Baron Naone – TE
Jedd Fisch and the Washington staff went into the rival territory and picked up the commitment of four-star Baron Naone. The nation’s 16th-rated tight end picked the Huskies over Oregon State and California, among others. Naone is the top player in Oregon and had once been committed to Oregon State before decommitting in late 2023. His options opened back up and the new staff at Washington remained interested. Naone is now a member of its 2025 class.
One of the attributes that make Naone valuable in the recruiting cycle is his ability to be a blocker on offense. In a pro-style offense such as Washington’s, a solid blocking tight end is critical to success. Naone’s tape shows a player who excels at engaging with defenders to create lanes for receivers on screens and running backs out of the backfield. Defensively, he lines up at the EDGE where his explosiveness is a big advantage against opposing offensive lines. Naone drives through the lineman, creating havoc in the backfield. The Oregon native is being recruited as a tight end, but those skills on the other side of the ball can translate. Whether it be blocking, or using his size to get open and maintain leverage against coverage defenders, Naone has the skill set to develop into an impactful pass-catcher for Washington.
Jonathan Epperson – ATH
Another four-star made his commitment to Washington on Monday in local product Jonathan Epperson. The Auburn, Washington native is the number 14 athlete in the nation, and the second-rated player in the state. He becomes the Huskies’ third-highest-ranked recruit to this point. Epperson is impactful on both sides of the ball at Auburn Riverside High School. As a linebacker/safety hybrid, he totaled 77 tackles as a junior along with two sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. Epperson has 110 career tackles with a year of high school ball in front of him. On offense, he plays a little bit of running back where he utilizes his speed and physicality. He has shown explosive runs out of the backfield with the ability to outrun second-level defenders.
At 6’-0” and 210 pounds, Epperson is a versatile football player who could play at multiple levels on defense. He has the tangibles to project as a linebacker, or even move back to the safety spot. Epperson’s range and speed open doors for him to be successful at either spot in Steve Belichick’s defense. The four-star also made a statement when participating at the local Avery Strong Showcase in Seattle. In the weekend recruiting showcase, Epperson earned MVP at the linebacker position at the end of the event.
D’Aryhian Clemons – ATH
With a laser-verified 40-time of 4.38 seconds, D’Aryhian Clemons is very likely the fastest player in the state for his recruiting class. The three-star athlete plays both sides of the football at Spanaway Lake High School in Washington, and he’s one of the Huskies’ commitments. On offense, he uses his speed at running back where he has over 1,600 career rushing yards with 14 touchdowns. Clemons’ most productive season was as a sophomore in 2022. He rushed for 1,037 yards with an average of 104 yards per game and nearly seven yards per carry.
When you look at Clemons’ tape you see a running back that blasts through gaps on the line of scrimmage. He’s 6’-0” and 170 pounds and moves fluidly up into the second level of the defense. There, he routinely outruns defenders with that breakaway speed. Clemons can also be physical and fight through tackles to gain the extra yard. On defense, Clemons is rangy and tracks the football well. He’s come down with a couple of interceptions at the cornerback position and has 35 tackles at the varsity level. With Clemons, Washington is gaining a very fast and versatile athlete who likely projects as a cornerback in college.
