Washington Football: 3 signees who'll have instant impacts in 2020

Washington Football: 3 signees who’ll have instant impacts in 2020

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 21: Coaches Jimmy Lake (L) and Chris Petersen of the Washington Huskies celebrate with the game trophy after defeating the Boise State Broncos 38-7 in the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

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How could I not include Washington’s highest-rated signee and the only five-star in the Huskies’ 2020 class in this list? Sav’ell Smalls is just too good to see the bench for very long and the defensive line could use some depth and a quality player like him who can go down in a three-point stance or double as a linebacker.

I don’t see Smalls playing a ton of linebacker, but with his 6-4, 244-pound athletic and lean frame, it’s not out of the question. He’s an athlete, so he’ll play wherever he’s needed.

Smalls will be one of the best edge rushers in the Pac-12 by the time his career in Seattle is over and he has drawn some impressive comparisons by 247Sports‘ Brandon Huffman to Takkarist McKinley. If he fits the same mold of a McKinley-type player, he could become a first-round NFL draft pick before it’s all said and done.

Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, though.

Smalls is a talented end who is ranked the No. 29 player in the entire class and he has an incredibly quick first step. The Washington-native picked the Huskies over the likes of Alabama and Florida State.

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