QB Browning heads 2nd class for Petersen’s Huskies

SEATTLE — Washington coach Chris Petersen believes he found something special in quarterback Jake Browning. And the last thing Petersen wants is additional expectations heaped on the national high school record holder for career touchdown passes.

Trey Adams ol, 6-8, 283, Wenatchee, (Wash.) HS; Andre Baccellia, wr, 5-9, 165, Westlake HS, Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Tevis Bartlett, lb, 6-2, 218, Cheyenne (East), Wyo.; DJ Beavers, lb, 6-0, 202, Crespi Carmelite HS, Culver City, Calif.; Jake Browning, qb, 6-1, 202, Folsom (Calif.) HS; Ben Burr-Kirven, lb, 6-1, 202, Sacred Heart Prep HS, Menlo Park, Calif.; A.J. Carty, ls, 6-2, 270, Servite HS, Santa Ana, Calif.; Myles Gaskin, rb, 5-9, 195, O’Dea HS, Seattle; Jared Hilbers, ol, 6-6, 279, Beaverton, (Ore.) HS; Austin Joyner, cb, 5-10, 192, Marysville-Pilchuck HS, Marysville, Wash.; Kyler Manu, lb, 6-1, 224, Highland HS, Pocatello, Idaho; Chico McClatcher, wr, 5-8, 180, Federal Way, (Wash.) HS; Ricky McCoy, dl, 6-3, 294, Roosevelt HS, Fresno, Calif.; Jordan Miller, db, 6-1, 164, Oceanside, (Calif.) HS; Michael Neal, te, 6-4, 219, Etiwanda HS, Fontana, Calif.; Benning Potoa’e, de, 6-3, 265, Lakes HS, DuPont, Wash.; Quinten Pounds, wr, 5-11, 166, Cypress, (Calif.) HS; Isaiah Renfro, wr, 6-1, 185, Sierra Canyon HS, Los Angeles; Myles Rice, dl, 6-4, 220, Bush HS, Houston; Henry Roberts, ol, 6-6, 280, Bellevue, (Wash.) HS; Jason Scrempos, dl, 6-6, 252, Milpitas, (Calif.) HS; Bryce Sterk, dl, 6-4, 229, Lynden, (Wash.) HS; Ezekiel Turner, db, 6-1, 192, Los Angeles Pierce CC; Jusstis Warren, lb, 6-2, 226, Lincoln HS, Tacoma, Wash.

Yet even Petersen acknowledged on Wednesday’s national letter of intent day that Browning has some of the same characteristics Petersen saw in Kellen Moore when the pair were setting records at Boise State.

“I think when you have really good players at certain positions you’re looking for those characteristics and so certainly we do. I hate to put any expectations and say ‘He’s going to be like this,’ and those type of things but I think there are a lot of them,” Petersen said. “I think the first time we ever walked into Jake’s high school, his coach said that to me, ‘I know you hear this all the time, but we’ve got Kellen Moore,’ that type of thing.”

Browning was at the top of Washington’s recruiting class of 24 players. Browning has been on campus for a month already, having enrolled at the start of winter quarter after setting high school records at Folsom High School just outside of Sacramento, California. Browning threw 229 touchdown passes in just three seasons. He had 91 TD passes and just seven interceptions in 2014 before graduating early and enrolling at Washington.

Washington’s class features depth at nearly every position, including a scholarship long snapper. The Huskies landed some of the top in-state recruits, including cornerback Austin Joyner, defensive end Benning Potoa’e and running back Myles Gaskin.

Key for Washington was adding depth at specific positions, namely along the offensive line and on the front seven of the defense. The Huskies signed a trio of offensive linemen, five defensive linemen and five linebackers.

Petersen noted the process was much easier this year than the recruiting scramble of last winter after leaving Boise State to take the Washington job.

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Top 25 Class: On the bubble

Best in class: Jake Browning, QB, Granite Bay, California

Best of the rest: DE Benning Potoa’e, CB Austin Joyner, LB DJ Beavers

Late addition: Potoa’e didn’t verbally commit until late January. Most of Washington’s class was locked up before the first of the year.

One that got away: Chris Warren, RB, Rockwell, Texas. Warren selected the Longhorns over Washington.