Washington football recruiting Q&A with Lars Hanson of RealDawg

What are Washington's goals for the season regarding recruiting? How many players are they looking to land?  Who are their biggest targets?

This will be a smaller than normal class, likely 12-14 commits maybe more but those commits would have to be elite i.e. Miciah Quick or a player of his caliber. Their main target without question is Budda Baker from Bellevue (Wash.) but there are a couple others that would be near his level like Kaleb McGary, Claude Pelon and Eric Lauderdale to name a few.

Based on who's graduating, what are the biggest needs for the Huskies?

With three defensive backs graduation; Sean Parker, Will Shamburger and Greg Ducre, that is a position that they have targeted a lot in this class and continue to do so with respect to Budda Baker. They already have Jonthan Lockett commitment out of Mater Dei in Santa Ana, Calif., and Lavon Washington, a safety out of Oakland, Calif. Ideally Washington would like to add another defensive back or possibly two in this class. Even with Keith Price graduating after this season they aren't looking at any quarterback in this class.

Which recruiters are attracting the most buzz on the trail? Are there any specific recruiting strategies that are selling the top recruits on the trail?

The main selling point for Washington is their improvements over the last couple years and their new facilities as well. A lot of recruits talk highly about quarterbacks coach Marques Tuiasosopo and defensive backs coach Keith Heyward. However defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox has had a significant impact on this class, mainly the recruits out of Idaho.

With Washington's recent losing streak, is enthusiasm cooling on the recruiting trail for Steve Sarkisian's crew?

No, recruits still hold Washington in high regard despite their loosing streak. The main reason for that is how they lost those games (getting robbed in Stanford and holding close with Oregon). Their loss to Arizona State doesn't play too big of a roll but their win against Cal brings some reinvigorated energy back to the team. The Huskies aren't taking a hit on the recruiting trail though.

Which recruits does Washington stand a really good chance at landing, regardless of rank or standing? Who's the top recruit with the best chance of becoming a Husky?

There are a couple of players that Washington has gone their separate ways with that could always come back (Glen Ihenacho). Regardless of what's been reported Washington remains in good shape for Budda Baker, Andrew Mike, Claude Pelon, Eric Lauderdale, and there might be some late offers coming on the offensive line to keep an eye on.