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#AskLoogs how do guys from the state of Washington compare to those from other states as far as talent-wise? #HomeState
— Luke Brown (@RealLukeBrown) January 9, 2014
They really don’t. The issue isn’t necessarily talent, it’s quantity. It’s a numbers game with many states, including Washington.
Since the 2006 class we have only had 18 players sign letter of intents from the state of Washington that graded at 80 or above and only one has received a grade 90 or higher (Taylor Mays). Of course, there are the occasional Austin Seferian-Jenkinses and Jake Lockers but they are few and far between. This makes it critical for the Huskies to keep the best in Washington at home because they have to go into everyone else’s backyard to get players.
For example, look at Georgia. Both Georgia and Georgia Tech can build their entire rosters without leaving the state. Not to mention there are still enough players for Auburn, Florida and Alabama, among others, to steal players from there, too. Washington is like the Tennessee of the Pacific Northwest: Home to great programs with not enough in-state players to build a winning roster.