Huskies Land Blue-Chip Edge Recruit From Garden State

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Chaz Gray, a Class of 2027 edge recruit from Montvale, New Jersey, committed to the Washington Huskies on Tuesday. Credit: Chaz Gray’s Instagram [/caption]

Dominant edge defenders don’t grow on the cherry trees in the University of Washington quad.

Jedd Fisch and the Huskies coaching staff reached far away from campus to find a potential pass rusher in Montvale, New Jersey, with the hopes that Chaz Gray, a Class of 2027 recruit out of St. Joseph Regional High School, will blossom when he arrives on Montlake next year. A three- or four-star recruit, depending upon which recruiting ratings one looks at, Gray chose Washington over Tennessee and Clemson on Tuesday.

Beating out Volunteers and Tigers for an East Coast prospect who also held offers from Ohio State and Penn State and at least 19 other programs shows that his 247Sports high three-star (0.89) rating may be one star lighter than the way Gray is regarded by college coaches.

Rivals.com, which broke the news of Gray’s commitment, lists four stars for Gray, giving the Huskies three blue-chip commits in a one-week span. Washington received verbal commitments from four-star receivers Tre Moore (Pflugerville, Texas) on June 2 and Dontay Tyson (Peoria, Ariz.) on June 5.

With 18 verbals, UW’s 2027 class currently sits 17th in the 247Sports composite rankings. Eight are four-star recruits per 247Sports, with Gray being very close to giving the Huskies a ninth. Washington is likely to take around 25 commits in the class, and most will sign in December before arriving on campus in January for the offseason training program.

Gray, who took an official visit to Montlake the weekend of May 29, is the No. 9 overall Class of 2027 prospect from Fisch’s native New Jersey per 247Sports. He’s the No. 438th-ranked recruit in the nation, and ninth in the edge category.

Listed at 6-4, 250 pounds, Gray appears to possess the athleticism, length and body control of a top edge prospect. He’s often in opponents’ backfield, and uses his long arms to bat down passes. Washington has had some solid edge players in recent years, but no Husky has registered double-digit sacks since Hau’oli Kikaha’s school-record 19 sacks in 2014, along with Andrew Hudson’s 12.5 that same season.

Recruited by outside linebackers coach Aaron Van Horn and defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi, Gray’s position could be in flux depending upon how much he grows in the next season. Derek Colman-Brusa, a top 2026 Huskies recruit, moved from edge to the likely starter this fall at defensive tackle after filling out to 295 pounds.

Gray’s the lone 2027 UW commit listed by 247Sports as an edge player, though 6-3, 240-pound Matamatagi Uiagalelei could be a potential pass rusher as well. Washington holds commitments from two four-star defensive linemen likely to play inside: Tevita Nonu (O’Dea H.S. Seattle), Jon Ione (Tustin H.S., Calif.).

While UW senior edge Jacob Lane may be able to return for 2027 if the NCAA passes a five-year eligibility rule as expected, both he and fellow senior and likely starting edge Isaiah Ward could be gone after the 2026 season. If all others return, that would leave Gray to compete with Russell Davis II, Logan George, Devin Hyde, Ramzak Fruean, Hayden Moore, Victor Sanchez Hernandez and Uiagalelei for a role as a true freshman.

Gray is Fisch’s second commit from the Garden State, joining Class of 2026 quarterback Derek Zammit. The Huskies hope to add another in 2028. Gray’s younger brother, Tahj Gray, is a five-star linebacker who visited Seattle along with his brother and other family members in May.

Washington will host another big visit weekend starting on June 19 with hopes of landing an offensive line. The Huskies currently have one commitment for the offensive front — interior player Reis Russell, who will also visit the same weekend to likely help recruit. Among the seven known visitors, four are offensive linemen:

• Four-star Gecova Doyal (Puyallup)
• Four-star DaJohn Yarborough (Basha H.S., Chandler, Ariz.)
• Four-star Lincoln Mageo (Oceanside H.S., Calif.)
• Three-star Tye Kennedy (Mountain View H.S., Mesa, Ariz.), son of former UW All-American tackle Lincoln Kennedy.

Though four-star offensive lineman Rashaun Lavata'i from Curtis H.S. (Tacoma) won’t be there with the other linemen over the weekend, he is expected to visit during the days beforehand.