Kim Klement – USA TODAY Sports
Reuben Foster, the nation’s No. 1 inside linebacker recruit for 2013, made headlines earlier this year when he got a tattoo of the school he had verbally committed to, the Auburn Tigers. He made headlines again when Foster decided to decommit from the Tigers and open up his recruitment once again (though he hasn’t had as much success decommitting from the tattoo). That has opened up the door for Steve Sarkisian and the Washington Huskies to make serious headway in his recruitment and become a legitimate contender to land Foster for 2013.
The talented four-star linebacker has generated plenty of interest from all over the South. Since decommitting from Auburn, the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs moved into the lead for his services with the LSU Tigers making a strong push as well. Auburn remains an option as well, but the Huskies impressed Foster on his official visit last week by proving to him how much the team needed him.
“With most staffs, they always say they want me, but only two staffs have really let me know they need me. Auburn did that before, and Washington did that too, during my official. I talked one on one with Coach Lupoi about how I could grow up there and just the ups and downs of life. Coach Sark showed me how many linebackers they had and how they would use me. He really showed me that I was needed, not just wanted.”
It would be a huge win for Washington to land Foster, stealing him out of Auburn’s back yard basically. It would be the greatest recruiting job Sarkisian and his staff have done in Seattle going up against the heavyweights of the South like Alabama, Georgia and LSU and coming out on top. The boost to the recruiting class and to the football team would be immediate.
Foster would be the premier recruit of Washington’s 2013 class, which already has nine four-star recruits committed. He is a tackler, showing an uncanny ability to diagnose a play and react, making plays inside and outside against the run. He would be a huge boost to Justin Wilcox‘s defense, which was the No. 31 overall defense last season but just the No. 61 ranked unit against the run.
The Huskies are a dark horse in Foster’s recruitment, but they have made an impression that could turn the stud linebacker towards the Pacific Northwest. If he does decide to leave the South, look for Washington to reap the benefits and the rest of the Pac 12 to bear the consequences.
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