On July 1st, Washington picked up the commitment of the top recruit in the Pacific Northwest. Linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale committed to Washington, pledging to stay in-state for his college career. The four-star linebacker is from Spanaway, Washington, and chose the Huskies over Florida State and UCLA on Monday. Rainey-Sale’s commitment makes him the top player in Washington’s class of 2025 with a 0.9459 rating in the 247Sports Composite. He is a top-150 player nationally and lofts the Husky class into the top-20 nationally for 2025.
Zaydrius Rainey-Sale Commits to Washington
After officially visiting campus on June 21st, Rainey-Sale took to social media to announce his commitment on July 1st. His pledge is his second of this calendar year. Rainey-Sale had previously committed to Washington under the former staff in early January. The coaching change prompted his decommitment later that month. The Washington native then received more attention from across the nation with offers from Texas, Oklahoma, UCLA, and Kalen DeBoer, now at Alabama. Rainey-Sale narrowed his choices to three and made it official on Monday.
Rainey-Sale’s High School Production
Rainey-Sale lines up at outside linebacker at Bethel High School in Spanaway, Washington. As a junior last season, he tallied 65 tackles, six tackles for loss, and four sacks. According to MaxPreps, Rainey-Sale played in six games, averaging just over 10 tackles per contest. The new Husky commit also lined up on offense as a junior last season. He caught 13 passes for 230 yards with four touchdowns.
When you turn on his high school tape, you see a dynamic athlete on the football field. In the middle of the defense, Rainey-Sale is rangey, bringing speed off the edge. He shows the ability to run down a ball-carrier while rushing off of the opposite side of the line of scrimmage. His speed puts blockers on their heels, and he gets into the backfield quickly. Rainey-Sale is never out of a play. When the ball goes to the other side of the field, he recognizes it and can move laterally to get involved in the tackle. This is also evident in pass coverage. Rainey-Sale keeps his eyes in the backfield during zone coverage and is quick to break downwards towards or across the field on the receiver to make a stop.
Bethel High School also uses him on offense. Rainey-Sale had 13 catches last season with an average of nearly 18 yards per catch. He is 6’-2” and 220 pounds, which makes him a tough target to defend and bring down. When he has the ball in his hands, Rainey-Sale is dangerous in open space. As a junior, he had a season-long reception of 54 yards, and uses his athleticism to make defenders miss and outrun the second level.
Washington’s Recruiting Momentum
With Rainey-Sale now a member of its 2025 class, Washington now holds the top-ranked player from both its home state and its rival state of Oregon. The class has five four-star recruits, all of whom are top-350 players nationally. The Huskies have ascended to the 19th-ranked class in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite, and now hold the number seven class in the expanded Big Ten Conference.
