Huskies Savor Largest Recruiting Class Since '93 -- Recruits Fill Voids; UW Shows Commitment To Run

As lists of Jim Lambright's first full recruiting class were passed out, the calm on the Washington football coach's face did not match the bounty he had just unveiled.

"If I don't sound so enthusiastic, it's because this is the first time I've been home since the bowl game," Lambright said, laughing. "I'm still catching my breath."

Energy apparently spent gathering Washington's largest recruiting class since 1993. The Huskies signed 23 players yesterday and hope to sign one more wavering recruit soon. Included in the batch that signed are the junior college offensive player of the year (Corey Dillon), four 300-pound linemen, and possibly California's best prep linebacker (Jeremiah Pharms) and tailback (Curtis Williams).

Letter-of-intent day provided an extra surprise, what Lambright called a symbolic change. He promoted receivers coach Scott Linehan to offensive coordinator, the duty formerly held by Bill Diedrick, who will continue to coach the quarterbacks.

The timing was odd. Lambright said he "analyzed" the possible change all season, and that when he made it last week, it was a surprise to the two coaches.

The change did not appear to be a concern for the offensive recruits.

"It has absolutely no effect on me," Dillon said. "It's still the same program."

Said Williams: "No matter who's there, I'm ready to play. It's pretty much all the same to me. It's like if one running back is working harder he should get the job. I like Coach Linehan. I think he should do a good job."

Lambright promised publicly that the offensive philosophy remains unchanged. He also promised publicly that Dillon would be part of it.

"My word to him was that I'm the head coach and he's my tailback," Lambright said. "And he'll continue to play tailback until the day he walks into my office and requests a change to defense.

"We recruited Corey Dillon as a tailback. We never had a discussion as a staff to recruit him as a defensive player. With our need at running back, he fills a void."

The addition of Dillon, a junior, gives the Huskies two strong junior tailbacks and a huge safety net. But it also creates a potential controversy between Dillon and incumbent starter Rashaan Shehee, the top returning scorer in the Pac-10 Conference.

"Hey, that (competition) is what I live for," Dillon said. "He's a great back; I'm a great back."

Lambright implied Shehee and Dillon could line up in the same backfield, or one could line up as a receiver because both have good hands.

Asked if Dillon could start, Lambright played his politics correctly.

"With Rashaan Shehee here, no, not right away," Lambright said. "But he's good enough to challenge him."

For now, Lambright sees only the positive side of finally having depth in the backfield.

"You need three really fine tailbacks to compete at this level with the risk of injury," Lambright said. "Now we have a third of the tailbacks USC has."

The hype on Dillon, the former Franklin of Seattle star, runs far and wide. Runs over you and around you. Nearly unstoppable. Gained more yards than any other junior-college running back in the nation, 1,899. His final hurdle to becoming a Husky is to earn his associate's degree at Dixie (Utah) College by this summer.

Washington's commitment to run the ball is apparent. After two years of signing only one tailback, the Huskies signed three: Dillon, Williams and Maurice Shaw.

The Huskies also signed three wide receivers, bringing size to a position that needs it. Junior Brignac is 6 feet 3, 177 pounds; Devon Johnson is 6-3, 210 pounds.

Their need for defensive backs resulted in the Huskies signing five, one of them a former starter at the University of the Pacific, which canceled its football program. Nigel Burton, a sophomore, started as a true freshman against Arizona, Oregon, Oregon State and Nebraska, leading his team in tackles.

Burton, Dillon and JC cornerback Alex Hollowell will play next season. In addition, Lambright said, four to six could play as true freshmen. The defensive backs have the best chance. Pharms, a linebacker-sized safety, also seems a likely candidate to play. So is Chad Ward, probably the best lineman in the class. Williams could return kicks.

The gaps in the depth chart, created by two years of probation, created opportunities for incoming freshmen to play early - a factor that helped in recruiting, Lambright said.

"It's more tempting to play these guys if they help us win," he said. "I'm very excited about this class. I enjoyed reading about how bad our recruiting class was. It seemed like the more kids we signed, the worse we got."

Notes

Linebacker Tom Matijacic has transferred to Portland State, near his hometown of Lake Oswego, Ore. Matijacic, who has three years of eligibility left, wanted a chance to play more.

Husky recruits

WR Manny Austin, 6-1, 185, Los Gatos, Calif. - Caught 45 passes for 1,009 yards and rushed for 937 yards from the receiver position, as well as starting at free safety.

WR Junior Brignac, 6-3, 177, Reseda, Calif. - One of the best shortstop prospects from his state in baseball, he also played quarterback his senior year.

DB Nigel Burton, 5-9, 180, Sacramento - Started at safety for Pacific as a true freshman, leading the team in tackles. Has four years to play three.

CB Toure Butler, 5-9, 155, Everett (Cascade HS) - A natural cornerback, his skills make up for his size. Also rushed for 806 yards as a senior.

DB Kai Bynum, 6-0, 200, Olympia (Capitol) - A 3.9 student, Bynum will graduate from high school a semester early and will join UW for spring practice. Rushed for 791 yards.

TE Kevin Cooper, 6-6, 256, La Palma, Calif. - From the same, small school (Bretheren Christian) that produced Reggie Davis. Could continue UW's tight end tradition.

OL Dominic Daste, 6-3, 305, La Verne, Calif. - All-CIF selection, and named to the all-California team by Cal-Hi Magazine.

RB Corey Dillon, 6-2, 220, Seattle - The former Franklin High star led all junior-college backs with 1,899 yards. Must earn associates degree at Dixie (Utah) JC before enrolling at UW.

OL Matt Fraize, 6-4, 270, Santa Rosa, Calif. - Voted All-America by Blue Chip Illustrated. Expected to be UW's next great center.

RB Anthony Hicks, 6-0, 215, Tumwater - Perhaps the most underrated back in the West. Averaged 8.9 yards per carry as a senior, can bench more than 400 pounds, and has a 36-inch vertical.

CB Alex Hollowell, 6-1, 175, Avondale, Ariz. - Already attending UW after transferring from Glendale (Ariz.) Community College. Had three interceptions and 45 tackles last season.

DL Jabari Issa, 6-6, 290, San Mateo, Calif. - Started at offensive tackle and defensive end since his sophomore season. Also a starter on his basketball team.

DL T.J. Jackson, 6-3, 245, Lompoc, Calif. - From the same high school as Napoleon Kaufman. Recorded 128 tackles, 10 for losses, as a senior.

WR Devon Johnson, 6-3, 210, Seattle (O'Dea) - Played free safety, wide receiver and returned kicks at O'Dea, whose defense posted 12 shutouts. Will bring size to the receiving corps.

OL Zachary McCall, 6-5, 328, Tacoma (Lincoln) - Received five votes in the Best in the West poll. Won Class AAA shot put as a senior.

QB Jon Minter, 6-5, 185, Seattle (Blanchet) - Has a prototype quarterback frame to grow into and in the meantime doubles as a kicker and punter. Another Brad Otton?

DB Jeremiah Pharms, 6-3, 210, Sacramento - The versatile athlete earned eight votes in the Best in the West poll. A tight end in high school, he can play safety or linebacker.

RB Maurice Shaw, 6-1, 210, Sacramento - Had three 250-yard games as a senior as he totaled 1,752 yards. Looks like a fullback, quick enough to play defensive back.

OL Elliot Silvers, 6-6, 315, Agoura, Calif. - Though McCall is bigger, Silvers might be the fastest lineman in the group, which is saying a lot given his size.

LB Niva Tupua, 6-2, 245, Lynnwood - A distant cousin of Junior Seau, Tupua could also play linebacker.

LB Chris Waddell, 6-1, 210, Playa del Rey, Calif. - Waddell is an A student and his team's most valuable player as an inside linebacker. Ran the 200 in 22.6 seconds.

OL Chad Ward, 6-5, 310, Finley (River View) - Received six votes in the Best of the West poll. Might be better than Travis Claridge, who signed with USC. Runs the floor during basketball season; slam dunks easily.

TB Curtis Williams, 5-10, 183, Fresno, Calif. - Received four votes in the Best of the West poll. Could start as a true freshman, returning kicks. Scored 31 touchdowns as a senior, 11 of them 50 yards or longer.