According to reports from HuskyNation, Oakland product Kevin King has given a verbal commitment to Washington. Head coach Steve Sarkisian is continuing to build on what should be another talented recruiting class. King is a three-star recruit as rated by ESPN and considered the 58th best cornerback prospect in the nation.
The 6’2″ 172 pound King received plenty of interest from Pac-12 and Mountain West schools, as well as West Virginia. Word of King accepting the offer from Sarkisian has to come as a bit of reprieve for Huskies fans. With two players recently kicked off the team, and reserve running back Deontae Cooper suffering his third ACL injury, UW was due for something positive.
Living in a conference that likes to stretch defenses both vertically and horizontally, Washington’s desire to build a talented secondary isn’t a bad strategy. Sarkisian made noise for his program by the 2012 class jewel Shaq Thompson at safety. Expect the uber talented defensive back to start immediately.
Back to King.
For a true cornerback, King’s listed 40 yard dash time of 4.6 seconds is on the slower side. However, scouting reports give King plenty of credit for his ability to read and react to offensive plays, and attack the ball-carrier.
What I like about King when watching his tape, is his consistent ability to create turnovers. The senior has excellent hands for a defensive back. Forcing turnovers is a great way to win football games, and change momentum. That is exactly what King brings to the table.
King’s verbal is also the first from a true defensive back in Washington’s 2013 class. Sarkisian’s 2012 crew saw four defensive back commitments. Additionally, the Huskies will lose five DBs to graduation after this year.
Will Kevin become the king of the county? Did you know Seattle is in King County? Yes that was a shameless reference, but if the latest prep star to join Husky Nation pans out, the tag will not be deemed corny at all.
-
James Gomez is a Pac-12 and Mountain West columnist for Rant Sports and member of the Football Writers Association of America
You can follow James on Twitter as well.
