HUSKIES' HAUL HUMONGOUS ON LOI DAY
By Malamute, 7 February 2002

National Signing Day went as expected for the Huskies; however, the shocker of the day was the signing of offensive lineman Stanley Daniels, who had verbally committed to Nebraska, then did an about face and signed with the Huskies.  Added to the four returning starters on the Huskies’ offensive line, his signing along with those of Nathan Rhodes (Bakersfield), Clay Walker (Scottsdale), and Robin Kezirian give the Huskies a mauling, brawling offensive line for next season. 

With Francisco Tipoti, who failed to qualify last year, plus some red-shirt freshmen, the holes should be there for running back Kenny James (Dos Palos), who followed the California trail to Washington. Presumably, James will wear number eight on his jersey, "the one that Willie wore." That number is reserved for the best running back at Washington, and was previously worn by  graduating senior, Willie Hurst, and former running back, Napoleon Kaufman. It's becoming  a tradition to let a California running back wear number eight at Washington. J

James should make an immediate impact, providing he receives a passing grade on his SAT. Otherwise, he will enter Washington as a partial qualifier, which means he can practice with the team but can’t play next season. 

"I wouldn't have signed with Washington if I wasn't confident I could pass that test," the Fresno Bee has quoted him as saying.

James has taken the test three times and has improved his score each time he has taken it. I look for James to play against Michigan on opening day next season.  

Recruiting analyst Greg Biggens rates James as the third best running back on the west coast. Coach Rick Neuheisel calls James the best running back from California, which  includes the highly touted Lorenzo Booker who signed with Florida State.

James is a fireplug on the loose, a small cannon running down hill, one who will punish would-be tacklers who take him head on. He will add thunder to the lightning the Huskies were looking for in its running-back recruits. The other part, the lightning, was to have been Lorenzo Booker (Ventura high school). However, Shelton Sampson (Lakewood, Washington) will have to make do. Shelton has been timed at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash and has run a 10.8 second 100-meter dash. Not too shabby. Time wise, he is faster than Booker, but doesn’t have his moves. If the holes are there, you don’t need the moves—head for the goal line and it’s scoreboard, baby.

The linchpin of this incoming class is Isaiah Stanback, who coach Neuheisel calls the best quarterback in America based on the films he has seen. Stanback will give the Huskies the ability to run the option attack, which was so successful under Marques Tuiasosopo's direction two seasons ago. Tui led the Huskies to a win over Purdue in the 2001 Rose Bowl.

On the defensive side, this class is highlighted by the signing of Donny Mateaki from Honolulu, Hawaii. He is rated as the number two defensive end in the west by PacWest Football.

Altogether Washington signed 21 players. Eric Shyne and Francisco Tipoti, both of whom failed to qualify academically last year, will count against this class. 

According to the Seattle Times, the recruiting wars were marred by several incidents, the facts of which surfaced during a news conference with Rick Neuheisel:

• With potential Washington recruits in the house at the Oregon/Oregon State football game (2001), a sequence of video clips was shown, one picturing Neuheisel that was booed roundly; that was followed by clip showing a man vomiting. The partisan crowd whooped it up. The Oregon athletic director apologized to Washington for the incident. [Seattle Times].

• After he'd verbally committed to Washington, Clay Walker (Scottsdale, Arizona) was visited by two UCLA assistants who arrived unannounced at his home at dinner time. They stayed for over three hours; since Walker was reluctant to leave, the incident cost him his job at a steak house. Later, according to Neuheisel, head coach Bob Toledo told Walker that if he (Toledo) lost his job at UCLA, Neuheisel would most likely follow him as head coach. [Seattle Times].

• Another school allegedly offered Los Angeles recruit Mike Davis $40,000 worth of flight school training. He ended up at Arizona State.  [Seattle Times].

• Concerning the recruitment of Lorezno Booker, the Seattle Times quoted Nueheisel as saying, "The people that are closest to him ... those people are going to manipulate more than anybody. It got ugly, the things that were said to that guy (Booker)."

Reference:

[Seattle Times}. Withers, Bud, "Neuheisel upset at recruiting tactics of some, like Oregon and UCLA," The Seattle Times, 7 February 2002.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/134401130_uwsign07.html