Coach Switzer continues his success on the recruiting trail, landing local prospect Gecova Doyal from Puyallup HS.
The Recruitment: Doyal drew a lot of attention very early on earning offers from schools like Miami, Oregon, and Tennessee before his sophomore season. His offer from the Huskies originally came from former OL/OC coach Brennan Carroll, but coach Switzer wasted no time prioritizing him once he was hired on. Although UCLA and Utah also received official visits, many believed it was a classic Oregon vs. Washington battle for the talented prospect. Going into his UW visit Oregon likely had the edge, but the Huskies strategically got him to visit the final weekend of the summer period and that catapulted them into earning his commitment.
Recruiting Ranking: Doyal is recognized as a 4-star prospect in composite recruiting rankings with Rivals/On3 the highest on him rating him as the #257 overall prospect in the nation.
Scouting Report: There were two things that stood out watching Doyal’s film; his quick feet and strong base. His quick feet allow him to take on speed pass rushers coming off the edge or move to the second level of defenses and deliver devastating blocks to unsuspecting LBs or DBs. He shows off his strong base best in the run game where he is able to drive opposing DL backwards thanks to his mechanics and overall strength.
Roster Impact: Although he has played OT his entire HS career, most scouts believe that Doyal’s brightest future has him sliding in to play OG. Even though the Huskies have recruited OL quite well the past couple of years, Doyal may not have to wait too long before earning strong consideration for playing time. When he arrives Mills and Taulealea will be the expected starters, but if Mills continues to build upon an already successful freshman campaign there is a strong chance he could be moving on to the NFL. It will be a fierce competition to earn that starting LG role and Doyal will be deep in the conversation to earn the spot.
Overall Thoughts: Doyal was always one of the highest players on the board for the coaches in this class, so to land him after recruiting him for so long is awesome. What is better than keeping a top OL prospect home? Beating your rival to do so. Landing Doyal shows that the Husky coaches aren’t afraid to recruit against anyone and have the recruiting chops to win as well.