The Washington Huskies have made some major headway in recruiting the defensive line in the 2027 class, holding commitments from four-star defensive tackle Jon Ioane and three-star Matamatagi Uiagalelei, and if a prediction from Rivals’ Adam Gorney comes true, Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff will hold another blue-chip prospect on the interior.
On Tuesday morning, Gorney logged a crystal ball prediction for the Huskies to land one of the top prospects in the state of Washington and on the West Coast, four-star Tevita Nonu, out of Seattle’s O’Dea High School. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, Nonu is ranked as the nation’s No. 244 overall prospect and No. 26 defensive lineman in the 2027 class by the 247Sports Composite, and holds 17 offers.
Washington has long been considered one of the favorites to land his services, thanks to his relationship with defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi, and the Huskies have a great opportunity to close on him over the next few months.
Nonu is set to take an official visit to UW on June 5, the last of three trips he’s set, following an official visit to UCLA on May 15 and another to Arizona on May 29. Combined with Ioane, who has the size to act as a two-gap run defender and an impactful pass rusher at the college level, Nonu’s ability to shoot gaps and get after the quarterback could make the pair a promising threat in the Big Ten.
“Has a projectable 6-foot-3.5, 275-pound frame and looks lean with plenty of room to pack on good weight,” former 247Sports analyst Greg Biggins wrote in his evaluation.
“Plays some as an edge rusher but predominantly lines up as a traditional defensive tackle, and that’s where we like him at the next level as well. Does a nice job splitting double teams and getting in the backfield. Shows excellent quickness, moves well laterally, is a very fluid athlete for his size. Has plenty of length, closes well on the football, and shows the burst and natural athleticism to chase down plays from behind.”
Fisch’s coaching staff has done a solid job of recruiting in-state already in the 2027 class, holding commitments from four-star wide receiver Braylon Pope, three-star cornerback Maurice Williams, and three-star tight end Zach Albright. However, adding Nonu to the class would be a different caliber of victory as the Huskies look to continue adding high-end defensive line talent in an effort to level up in the Big Ten.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies get crystal ball to land local high-end DT