Huskies Land Top California Running Back -- Napoleon Kaufman Best Of Prize Recruiting Class

It was as if, finally, he had broken into the open field, stiff-arming phone calls, juking recruiters.

``I'm just pumped; it feels so great to have made the decision,'' said Napoleon Kaufman as he talked yesterday from his home in Lompoc, Calif.

He wasn't supposed to make the decision until he conferred later with his high-school coach, but here was an opportunity to go on record for Washington.

``I think I'm probably going to be a Husky,'' he began politely.

``No,'' he continued, ``I will be a Husky. I was supposed to visit Nebraska next weekend, but if my heart's at Washington, why waste everybody's time?''

Kaufman is the running back the Huskies have never been able to recruit, the perfect 10 on the Best in the West list, the California player of the year, ranked nationally behind only Marquette Smith of Winter Park, Fla.

The Huskies may not have landed such a publicized runner since Hugh McElhenny. Indeed, getting a running back was their No. 1 priority, and Kaufman's oral commitment yesterday coupled with that last week from Puyallup quarterback Damon Huard suggests this might be the most glamorous - if not the best - class the Huskies has ever recruited.

In stark contrast to the sad recruiting results after the 1985 Orange Bowl win over Oklahoma, the wake of the 1991 Rose Bowl win seems only to have enhanced recruiting, good players begetting other good players.

``I want to be surrounded by great players,'' Kaufman said, ``I want to get back to the Rose Bowl.''

Kaufman is a 5-foot-9, 170-pound running back with tremendous acceleration and change of direction, compared by scouts with Notre Dame's Raghib ``Rocket'' Ismail and Stanford's Glyn Milburn.

Kaufman is a running back who averaged 70 yards on punt and kickoff returns his last two years in high school, a running back who scored 86 touchdowns despite missing three games with an ankle injury.

He picked Washington instead of Colorado and USC, desiring to stay in the West, to go where they run and to go where they win.

``I had a gut feeling about Washington all along,'' Kaufman said, ``but then my visit this last weekend was great, man. It was better than I expected. It was so beautiful and everyone was so friendly.

``I could tell right away this was a class program. They were very concerned about not breaking the rules. And then I fit in so well. All the players were so cool. It was like I hadn't even left Lompoc.''

Unquestionably, the Huskies have something going.

According to a list in Super Prep magazine, they have oral commitments from two of the top seven players in the West (Kaufman and Huard) and have legitimate shots at three others - defensive lineman Steve Hoffmann, the younger brother of Husky linebacker Dave Hoffmann; defensive back Teddy Lawrence of San Diego, who was the magazine's Far West defensive player of the year; and linebacker Jamir Miller from El Cerrito, who was on the UW campus last weekend and who Super Prep ranks as the best linebacker prospect in the country.

``I thought by committing early,'' Huard said, ``that it might help the recruiting class. You want to play with the best, and I know in my case, I just decided Washington had much better players in their program than Oregon.''

Occasionally, a team is both successful and harmonious. Kaufman said he had enjoyed his visits to Colorado and USC, but felt more comfortable at Washington.

``I really liked the players,'' he said.

``Lincoln Kennedy was my host and we hit it off right away. He's huge; I'd rather be playing with him than against him. I really liked Beno Bryant and Eteka Huckaby (a freshman running back) and even Steve Emtman.

``Everyone figured I would go to USC, but the school is right in the city and I wasn't sure I would like that. I liked the facilities better at Washington, too. At USC, you play in the Coliseum, which is all right. But the Huskies' Doghouse is really special.

``I had a very nice visit to Colorado,'' Kaufman continued, ``but the players stuck together so much I was concerned about the social life in Boulder. Washington was perfect, and it didn't even rain.''

Huard felt similar vibes. His host was quarterback Mark Brunell, but he spent one evening with his former high-school teammates, quarterback Billy Joe Hobert and wide receiver Joe Kralik.

``They were great,'' Huard said. ``Billy was real positive about the program and urged me to consider it. We didn't talk about competing at quarterback; he just said come here, work hard and things will work out.''

The Huskies have stalked and missed other running backs. Kevin Willhite, Marc Hicks, Aaron Emanuel, Tommy Booker, and Russell White were other can't-miss backs. Most of them did.

What kind of effect will Kaufman have on the Huskies?

``Well,'' he said, ``I'd like to play next year. I think I can return kicks if not play tailback. I'd like to return kicks with Beno Bryant. Who would they kick it to?''

Huard, on the other, knows he will redshirt next year and probably sit again the following year as Brunell uses up his eligibility. Kaufman wants to play with Brunell.

By all rights and stopwatches, Kaufman is an exciting, dynamic player, a ready-made Bryant with perhaps more strength and better peripheral vision. He won both sprints in the California state track meet for the equivalent of Class AA schools.

Said Super Prep, which ranked him No. 1 among its recruits in the West: `He's the guy you go all out for. The Rocket of the West may be a good way to describe him.

``Everybody will play all their cards. Amazing moves, acceleration, cutbacks and power all rolled into one.''

Said Kaufman of the Huskies, ``I'm so excited to get the chance to play with those guys. I can't wait.''

Neither can a few folks in Seattle.

Blaine Newnham's column usually is published Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday in the Sports section of The Times.