Welcome to part eight of this series where we look at the LB position.
As a reminder, prospects can fall into four tiers:
Committed: Just as the name implies, these are prospects that have already committed to other schools and the staff is no longer actively recruiting them.
Tier 1: Would accept their offer no matter when they are ready to commit. Reserved for the prospects at the very top of their board.
Tier 2: Prospects they are actively recruiting and would really like to have. If they were forced to choose between a prospect in tier 1 and 2 they would select tier 1, but tier 2 are very talented players who UW would have a good shot at.
Tier 3: Prospects that UW are not seriously in the running for or they are still evaluating more than actively recruiting.
Committed (0)
Tier 3 (7)
Toa Satele (Mililani, HI) National Rank: 70 Position Rank: 4
Someone who is athletic enough to play both LB and safety is quite the athlete with a bright future. He has an elite first step as his calling card to cause problems in the backfield. Schools are coming from all over to check out the island talent. He has offers including Alabama, Ohio State, and Texas among many others.
Taven Epps (Tustin, CA) National Rank: 78 Position Rank: 5
At 6’5 220 Lbs., Epps is an extremely versatile defender who can play ILB, edge, and do a lot of big things on defense. After being an early commit to Texas, he recently decommitted and rival Oklahoma appears to be the new favorite.
Roman Igwebuike (Chicago, IL) National Rank: 88 Position Rank: 6
Well built at 6’3 230 Lbs., Igwebuike is everything you want and more for a modern LB. He is very interested in Notre Dame, but schools like Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio State among many others are trying to vault themselves to the top of his favorites as well.
Mikahi Allen (Ramsey, NJ) National Rank: 231 Position Rank: 15
A fast and fluid athlete who is powerful in run defense and sticky in pass coverage. Allen is still sorting through a large list of offers that includes Michigan, Notre Dame, and Tennessee among many others.
Brayton Feister (Akron, OH) National Rank: 236 Position Rank: 10* (Rated as an athlete by 247)
It isn’t often that the LB is the fastest player on the field. Especially when they are a well built 6’3 230 Lbs., but Feister is a special athlete. Oregon has made a big early impression, but more local schools won’t be giving up any time soon.
Braylon Williams (Arlington, TX) Position Rank: 28
A fast and physical LB, Williams also has fantastic instincts. Williams has been focusing on in-state schools early on during his recruitment.
Tier 2 (5)
Isaiah Leilua (Anaheim, CA) Position Rank: 32
Insane twitch and a nose for the ball, Leilua plays with his hair on fire on every play. The Huskies hosted Leilua for the Illinois game and they are doing well early with him along with Arizona State and USC.
Ethan Coach (Bellflower, CA) Position Rank: 39
A long and lean LB, Coach is a long strider who closes gaps in a hurry to take down ball carriers. The Huskies have been doing well with him early, but they will have to fend off national powers like Ohio State and Texas among others.
Josiah Poyer (Bellflower, CA) Position Rank: 40
Coach’s fellow LB at St. John Bosco, Poyer is more of a hard hitting thumper who lays the lumber. Poyer is more focused on west coast schools than Coach, with Arizona, Arizona State, and UW leading the charge early.
Justin Coach (Bellflower, CA) Position Rank: 41
No, this is no typo. Justin is the third LB from St. John Bosco in the 2027 class and is Ethan’s twin. They are identical in playing style as well as recruiting interests.
Titus Osterman (Kimberly, ID) Position Rank: 68* (Rated as an athlete by 247)
Osterman is a specimen of an athlete. At 6’4 he has great speed, but also change of direction and short area quickness. UW is his only P4 offer right now, but the coaches really liked what they saw in person during a camp. They are monitoring him very closely.
Tier 1 (3)
Colton McKibben (Carlsbad, NM) National Rank: 208 Position Rank: 13
Anytime you have a recruit that also competes in powerlifting, that is likely a recruit worth looking at. McKibben is a 6’3 215 Lb. heat seeking missile that blows up ball carriers and OL alike. Due to his size and athleticism he could also grow into a safety depending on how his frame continues to fill out. Arizona State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and UW are some schools that are standing out to him early.
Liufau Loumoli (Bradenton, FL) Position Rank: 23
Loumoli is a very dynamic and fluid athlete who shows a knack for being able to drop back into coverage. Now at IMG Academy in Florida, Loumoli is originally from Washington and the Huskies have gotten him back on campus multiple times even with him being all the way across the country.
Isaiah Phelps (Oxnard, CA) Position Rank: 25
Phelps flies all over the field with a non-stop motor and uses his instincts to blowup ball carriers. Phelps has earned a lot of offers already including Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Texas among others. It will take time for him to trim that list.