The Washington Huskies are making a strong push to land elite defensive linemen from the West Coast in the 2026 recruiting cycle. However, they narrowly missed on one of their top targets Thursday when edge rusher Anthony Jones announced his commitment to UCLA.
Jones, a 6-foot-5, 285-pound prospect from Crean Lutheran High School, was recently re-evaluated by 247Sports and dropped to a three-star rating. He’s currently ranked as the No. 38 defensive lineman nationally and the No. 34 overall player in California. He chose the Bruins over Tennessee and Washington, originally planning to commit on June 23 after taking official visits to all three programs.
With his decision now made, it appears he’ll skip his planned visit to Washington on May 30. That trip would have included other high-profile visitors, including four-star edge rushers Landon Barnes, David Schwerzel, and Derek Colman-Brusa. Colman-Brusa committed to the Huskies on May 4.
“I just felt like it was the right fit,” Jones told On3’s Chad Simmons. “I visited UCLA a few weeks ago and loved it. Their coaching staff has been recruiting me for a long time. It feels like home. I’ve known several of those coaches for years, and everything just felt natural there.”
Despite missing out on Jones, Washington still landed its top target in Colman-Brusa. Head coach Jedd Fisch and defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi remain focused on assembling a defensive front that can compete at the Big Ten level. With several key prospects still on the board, the Huskies are in position to build one of the strongest D-line groups in the conference.
Beyond the May 30 visit weekend, Washington will host a number of additional prospects in June, including four-star linemen TI Umu-Cais and Khary Wilder, and three-stars Fa Siale and Dakota Dickson.
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