Five O-Line Recruits, One Huge Weekend Upcoming for Huskies

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Already committed to the Washington Huskies, Reis Russell will be on campus for an official visit as one of several high-profile offensive line recruits. Credit: Reis Russell/Instagram [/caption]

Rolling out the red carpet as they continue to build an intriguing 2027 recruiting class, the Washington Huskies will try to reel in the foundation of their next great offensive line with coach Jedd Fisch hoping to end the official visit season with a clean sweep locking up top-tier prospects in the trenches.

Offensive line coach Michael Switzer has a chance to put his stamp on this latest recruiting class for the Huskies, with as many as four future Big Ten-caliber starters flying into town. After last year’s crop that brought in five-star left tackle Kodi Greene, UW hopes to be building the next front worthy of the Joe Moore Award, which they last won when they advanced to the National Championship Game in 2023.

Who will be on Montlake this upcoming weekend? Here’s a look at five offensive line prospects scheduled to be on campus with player profiles, scouting reports, and projected commitment odds:

Reis Russell, IOL - Littleton, Colorado

The cornerstone of UW’s offensive line recruiting class, Russell is the sole committed big man visiting this weekend, having already pledged to join the Huskies. The Valor Christian High School product is a long time Husky admirer who verbally committed on May 4 earlier this year. An active recruiter of fellow linemen on social media, he hopes to continue that trend in person in Seattle.

While only having a 247SportsComposite rating of .87, ranking 1,064th nationally and the 71st among interior offensive linemen overall, his offer list suggests he will be a late riser in the rankings during his senior year. Notably, Georgia, USC, and Miami all hosted the Colorado native. Thankfully, his desire to don the purple and gold never wavered.

While Russell is listed playing inside, Washington coaches view him primarily as a center and the future heir to the position. Known for having advanced leadership and game-calling skills, coaches also note his infectious personality and the positive impact it has on the chemistry and communication up front. While his frame and game strength are noticeably college-ready, he does have some areas to improve. 

Russell’s pass-pro technique - primarily footwork and hand usage - will need seasoning and will likely take a year or two of development before he’s fully ready to see the field. Fisch runs a zone-blocking scheme that requires an agile center able to execute pulling blocks and play in space. While the future Husky doesn’t have slow feet, it isn’t a strength yet. That’s nothing the three-star recruit can’t overcome given UW’s track record of development, however.

Commitment Odds: 100%

Gecova Doyal, IOL - Puyallup, Washington 

The prized jewel of the weekend, Doyal could be the next hometown hero to call himself a Husky. UW offensive line coach Michael Switzer will throw the kitchen sink at the Puyallup native to try and secure his commitment this weekend.

Owning a 247SportsComposite rating of .89, Doyal ranks 257th nationally and 16th overall among interior offensive linemen in the country. Utah and UCLA each earned official visits, but either UW or Oregon will add his commitment on July 1. Washington was able to secure the final visit, a renowned advantage in recruiting. Oregon continues to lingers, however, and given their recent success and flaunted financial advantage, they hold the pole position in this recruitment.

247Sports lists Doyal as an offensive tackle as well, but he would likely play guard if he committed to Washington. He projects as a swing guard that can pop out to tackle in a pinch depending on how his frame fills out. The pride of Puyallup will need to improve his lower-body strength and has to refine his leverage and pad-level to play in the Big Ten. However, his first-step quickness and lateral agility are already major plusses in his game. Doyal projects as a future multi-year power conference starter wherever he ends up.

Commitment Odds: 40%

Lincoln Mageo, IOL - Oceanside, California

The long-shot of the group who will be making his way up to Seattle, Mageo has been an admitted Michigan lean from the very beginning of the recruiting cycle. Washington will be in it until the end, but Fisch’s staff has a lot of ground to make up to sway him to become a Husky. 

Drawing a 247SportsComposite .89 rating, Mageo has turned this high ranking into offers from countless blue blood programs. Being the 369th nationally ranked prospect at any position, and 19th overall interior lineman, has earned the Golden State standout an offer from the scandal-ridden Wolverines, who are now under the leadership of former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. UW’s new Big Ten rival is is trending to win this sought-after prospect.

Mageo has a typical blue-chip prospect profile with great length, a projectable frame, and a known mean-streak being some of the highlighted traits. The only knock on his profile is that his hand usage needs refinement and he needs a year or two in a college weight room to be equipped to handle Big Ten strength, which are all normal expectations for incoming freshmen linemen. Look for Switzer to push for a commit this weekend with the goal of stealing the Oceanside product from the Wolverines’ grasp.

Commitment Odds: 20%

DaJohn Yarborough, IOL - Chandler, Arizona

Yarborough comes to town as the tone-setting mauling guard of the group. UW looks to continue its famed Arizona to Washington pipeline that Fisch has been able to secure since fleeing the state to take over for the Huskies three years ago.

247SportsComposite has Yarborough, a four-star recruit, as an .89 score, which puts the Chandler native as the 429th best player nationally and 26th best overall interior offensive lineman. A 340-pound behemoth, Yarborough sports an intimidating frame that makes him a bruiser in the run-game. His hand-fighting is quite advanced due to his wrestling background at the high school level. Pass protection will take some time as he won’t be able to out-muscle every defensive lineman he faces at the next level and technical refinement to go with his raw power will be a must.

Mississippi State, Cal, Florida State, and Washington make up DaJohn’s final four schools. Florida State has pulled ahead as of late, but Switzer will again likely push for a commit this weekend hoping to pull off some magic. The future guard’s commitment date is currently July 11, meaning that UW obtained the sought-after final visit necessary to close the deal potentially.

Commitment Odds: 60%

Tye Kennedy, OT - Mesa, Arizona

The legacy recruit of the weekend, Kennedy is the son of Lincoln Kennedy, a Husky legend who roamed campus from 1988-1992. Lincoln’s illustrious career included earning All-American honors and being selected as the ninth pick in the NFL Draft.

Lincoln is not quite the recruit that his father was back then, but has a respectable 247SportsComposite rating of .88, ranking 627th nationally. The 58th ranked offensive tackle from the 2027 class remains raw, but could start at right tackle in a few years if he maximizes his development. Due to this projection, the second Arizona product on this list has plenty of schools to choose from.

Kennedy released a final list of schools including Cal, Washington, Minnesota, Michigan, Utah, and Arizona State, and will be committing to one of those programs on July 1. The Huskies stand out as the team to beat here, as Lincoln would love to continue his father’s legacy at UW and it would shock the recruiting world if he committed to play for anyone else based on that history.

Commitment Odds: 90%