By Kshell
Well guys it's that time of the year again where Steve Sarkisian starts to bring in yet another stellar recruiting class. Sarkisian got a nice start to the 2012 signing class by getting Mercer Island Quarterback Jeff Lindquist to commit to the Washington Huskies. Sarkisian the last two years has done a great job of keeping the top talent in the state of Washington at Montlake. This was a good signing for Sarkisian to keep the four star recruit home. I know he already has Keith Price and Nick Montana but you can never have too many quarterbacks. Getting a four star quarterback this early will create good momentum for the program. Typically if you sign a big time quarterback prospect early you gain other recruits. When the Huskies signed Nick Montana they got a few extra recruits like Erik Kohler for an example. This commit won't win the Huskies the Rose Bowl in 2011 or 2012 but it is a nice step in the right direction.
Now you guys are probably wondering about Lindquist. Well the Mercer Island quarterback is a dual threat who stands at 6'3" and weighs 225 pounds. He started as a sophomore throwing for 1,474 yards and 13 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. He also ran for 519 yards with 11 touchdowns. Then last year as a junior he passed for 1,994 yards with 15 touchdowns to just nine interceptions. He also ran for 1,017 yards and 18 touchdowns. Add it all up that is 3,011 total yards. As you can see he will remind fans of Jake Locker. Lindquist is already a two year starter so look for his senior year to put up some really good numbers. He is a four star recruit who is the 13th rated quarterback in the country. Lindquist is also a smart kid posting a 3.6 GPA as he chose the Huskies over Stanford. The Washington State Cougars also offered him a scholarship as well. Lindquist coming to Washington was a good pickup for the Huskies as he'll be two years younger than Montana and three years younger than Keith Price.
Things are looking great for the Huskies right now. Jake Locker was picked in the top 10 yesterday, Lindquist signs today and you have the spring game tomorrow. With Locker being the first Huskies quarterback ever to be a first round pick and he was a top 10 pick that should pave the way for more quarterbacks coming to Montlake. Locker coming back to the program did so much going forward. He helped the program get turned around and by being a top 10 pick has given the Huskies program a ton of attention the past couple of months. Locker may have gained the Huskies a few recruits they wouldn't have had without him being drafted in the top 10. Locker improved under Sarkisian and was picked in the top 10. Sarkisian can just add Locker to list of quarterbacks he has had make the NFL under his watch which is a huge recruiting tool. At the end of the day who would you rather sign with a guy like Sark who has produced first round picks or a coach who is 5-32?
When Sarkisian walks in a quarterbacks room he can tell that kid with confidence I'll get you to the NFL. Unlike other coaches he can show evidence of Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Mark Sanchez and now Jake Locker all quarterbacks taken in the top 10 under his watch. Plus Matt Cassel was coached by Sarkisian as well and is making good money. Sarkisian can tell a quarterback come to me and you'll make millions in the NFL. Signing big recruits is nothing new for Sarkisian. In 2010 Sarkisian brought in the 11th ranked recruiting class by signing 30 kids which saw nine four star recruits and 16 three star recruits. Then in 2011 Sarkisian brought in the 23rd ranked recruiting class which featured 23 kids by signing two five star recruits, three four star recruits and 15 three star recruits. Sarkisian is starting to fill out his recruiting classes and the Huskies in a year or two will have pretty good depth. Sarksian is bringing in mostly three star recruits and above while bringing in some big time rated guys as well. He is also filling out his scholarships which Tyrone Willingham never did so depth won't be a factor.
In conclusion, there is no need to do jumping jacks for a recruit because everyone loves their recruits. However, it is nice that Sarkisian is keeping the top kids in state. In the last two years the top 11 kids in state Sarkisian has had nine come to the Huskies. That is important as this year you still have Joshua Garnett from Puyallup, Washington who is a five star recruit offensive guard and is the #1 rated guard in the entire country. Another key in state prospect is Zach Banner from Lakewood, Washington who is a four star left tackle and #11th rated tackle in the country. It feels good for once to know that the Huskies are keeping these kids at home unlike the Willingham era. With Sarkisian he is moving the program along and eventually there will come a time when the Huskies have five classes in a row that are ranked. Recruiting does matter for those who dismiss it as nine of the top 10 picks in this years NFL draft were four star recruits or higher. Just remember Husky fans Sarkisian is putting a fence up and for that all I have to say is woof!
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