With 2018 National Signing Day approaching, who are the top five remaining recruiting targets for Washington football and Chris Petersen?
Washington will enter 2018 as one of the Pac-12 North favorites, even though they are set to lose some key talent in this year’s NFL Draft. They will look to restock the roster on Wednesday as top prospects make their final decisions about their college choices.
Who are Washington’s top five remaining 2018 recruiting targets for National Signing Day?
Tristan Vizcaino has graduated, leaving the Huskies with a hole at placekicker. They still have Van Soderberg on the roster, but Soderberg made just one of his three attempts as a redshirt freshman last year. Chris Petersen and his staff would love to get another premier kicker in to challenge for the spot vacated by Vizcaino.
That’s where Dylan Williams comes into the picture. An all-around athlete at Half Moon Bay High School in California, Williams was forced by a shoulder injury to focus exclusively on his kicking duties. No school in his home state has offered a scholarship, and Washington is the undisputed frontrunner to land Williams.
Williams connected on 10 of his 12 field goal attempts, including a 49-yarder in a win over Menlo-Atherton. He also put 59 of his 76 kickoffs into the endzone for touchbacks, keeping teams from even trying to set up better field position. Williams also fielded the punting duties, and even though he averaged just one punt per game he showcased a strong leg all around.
Kicker is hardly the position most highly coveted on National Signing Day. But a good placekicker can often mean the difference between failure and success, especially for teams with championship aspirations. Getting Williams could potentially set up the Huskies at the position for the next four years.