New Washington defensive coordinator Ryan Walters coached just two seasons at Purdue. But he managed to construct a quality 2024 recruiting class, specifically in the secondary where he landed three four-star defensive backs and impactful transfers. It goes to show how Walters’ presence on the Husky coaching staff can extend into recruiting. We recently looked at how Walters refined the skills of an already-constructed roster during his time at Illinois to produce a top defense. Now, we’ll dive into the recruiting impact that Walters can make at Washington based on what he was able to do in a short stint in West Lafayette and during his time at Illinois.
Washington’s Recruiting Outlook With Ryan Walters
Recruiting the Secondary at Purdue
The highest-rated player in Purdue’s 2024 class was cornerback Tarrion Grant, the number one player from Tennessee. Grant was originally a five-star recruit and a top 30 player nationally in the class of 2025. But he re-classified in May of 2024 to become a member of the 2024 class. The cornerback chose Purdue over other finalists including Tennessee, Miami, and LSU. Grant started the first three games of the season in West Lafayette. He played in 11 games as a true freshman with 13 tackles, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Grant transferred to Texas Tech following the 2024 season.
That 2024 class also included four-star Koy Beasley, a top-10 safety. He transitioned to cornerback at Purdue where he saw action in two games and redshirted during the 2024 season. Beasley also entered the portal after the 2024 season and is headed to Miami OH where he’ll have four years of eligibility. Walters landed another four-star in the 2024 class in Luke Williams. He was a top 15 athlete nationally and Purdue slotted him at safety where he has all four years left. These three players were ranked first, second, and third in that Purdue class.
But it’s not just high school recruiting where Walters attracted talent. He brought in cornerback Nyland Green from Georgia who was a five-star in the class of 2021. Green was graded as a four-star transfer when he arrived at Purdue in 2024. Green became a starter and had five pass breakups and a forced fumble for the Boilermakers. Kyndrich Breedlove also transferred in before last season, coming from Colorado. He ended up playing the most snaps at corner for the Boilermaker defense (605) and led the team with three interceptions.
Translating to Washington Recruiting
Walters was officially hired to be the next defensive coordinator at Washington on January 3rd. The school was in contact with the former Purdue head coach prior to the team’s bowl game, and it became official in the new year. Just four days after that, the Huskies landed the commitment of the top cornerback in the transfer portal. Former Arizona Wildcat Tacario Davis joined the program on Montlake, rejoining Jedd Fisch, cornerbacks coach John Richardson, and much of his former coaching staff at Arizona from 2023. Of course, Davis’ ties to the coaching staff were a top factor in his decision. However, the new Husky also fits the mold of what Walters wants in a cornerback and can have an instant impact on the defense.
Now, Walters will be working with a couple of 6’-4” coverage defenders who both move with fluidity. Ephesians Prysock’s agility allows him to stay in line with quick receivers across the width of the field. Davis has the stride to keep up with receivers on vertical routes. Both players possess length that allows them to disrupt passing lanes and maintain their leverage. The challenge for both will be their transition to a more man-heavy defense. When Walters became the Illinois defensive coordinator in 2021, he refined the talents of Devon Witherspoon and Quan Martin into first and second-round draft picks, respectively. The wins didn’t come at Walters’ next stop at Purdue. But he constructed a recruiting class with talented defensive backs as the Boilermaker head coach. He simultaneously utilized the transfer portal to add players who made instant impacts.
Future Roster Construction
At Washington, it will be another opportunity for Walters to fine-tune talent like he did in 2022 at Illinois. High-level recruiting is already beginning to take place at the secondary school in Washington. The first signature commitment was Davis. The 2026 class will be his next chance to piece together the future.
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