The Washington Huskies are putting together a talented recruiting class in 2024, but have yet to secure the services of a running back. Luckily for Kalen DeBoer and his coaching staff, the nation's 13th-ranked rusher attends high school just four miles from campus.
O'Dea High School's Jason Brown is down to three programs among the 23 scholarship offers he's received: Michigan State, Oregon and Washington. However, most national recruiting experts believe the four-star recruit has cut his list to just the latter two programs.
Brown was one of the nearly 50 prospects who were in attendance for the Huskies' 36-33 win over the Ducks, which had quite an impact on how many of them viewed DeBoer's team.
"They got to see our program, they got to see the environment and what this place is all about," DeBoer said following the Oregon win. "The pride and tradition really shined through, the crowd, the alumni and who all showed up. It was huge for the recruiting efforts."
Brown certainly understands the pride and tradition that DeBoer was referencing. Growing up in the shadow of Husky Stadium, he spent a lot of time with Washington's all-time leading rusher and another O'Dea product, Myles Gaskin.
In recent weeks, the success of running back Dillon Johnson also has shown that Brown can achieve big numbers in offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's scheme. Through three games in November, Johnson became a focal point of the offense, rushing for 449 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Moving forward, it appears Grubb has big plans for freshman back Tybo Rogers, who has been impressive in his first year on campus. Adding Brown to the mix would give the offensive coordinator the two-headed rushing attack he prefers to utilize.
As the coaching staff prepares to potentially add a few final pieces to the class, while also securing players through the transfer portal, Brown would be an important addition for Washington.
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