Washington football's top 2028 DL target ranked among nation's elite

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For Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies, the in-state 2028 class looks like it's going to be of the utmost importance as the program looks to level up in the Big Ten.

Among those prospects is four-star defensive tackle Aedyn Havili out of Eastside Catholic High School in Sammamish, who has quickly become a very popular target around the country after just two seasons of high school football. After tallying 33 tackles and 7.5 sacks during his sophomore season, Havili has rocketed up ESPN's 2028 recruiting rankings, as the Worldwide Leader In Sports' most recent update placed him as the No. 26 overall recruit and No. 5 defensive tackle in the class.

"It's been a blessing for sure," Havili told Dawgman.com's Scott Eklund of his rise on the recruiting trail. "All of these coaches showing me love, talking to me, getting to know me, it's been such a blessing to me and my family for sure, but it only makes me want to keep working and getting better."

The 6-foot-2, 320-pound defender has reeled in 16 offers, with Arizona, Arizona State, California, Michigan, and Utah all among the programs interested in securing his commitment, but the Huskies may have an early edge after extending an offer to him in June 2024, before he even took a snap at Eastside Catholic.

As the Huskies continue to make upgrades along their defensive line in the 2027 class, holding commitments from four-star defensive tackles Jon Ioane and Tevita Nonu, along with four-star edge rusher Chaz Gray, and three-star defensive lineman Matamatagi Uiagalelei, there's no such thing as too much depth along the defensive line in the Big Ten.

Havili, who displays overwhelming power and surprising quickness for his size, would be the ideal addition for defensive coordinator Ryan Walters along the interior as his stock continues to rise after he took home defensive line MVP honors at the Avery Strong College Showcase in early June.

Washington is making a significant push at Eastside Catholic in the 2028 class, as the program also houses the nation's No. 1 tight end, five-star Tytan McNeal.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies top 2028 DT target ranked among nation's elite

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