Four-star in-state DL looks like top priority for Washington in 2028

2028 is shaping up to be another high-end in-state class for Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies to pursue.

While it's headlined by five-star Eastside Catholic tight end Tytan McNeal, his teammate, four-star defensive lineman Aedyn Havili, has established himself as one of the nation's top prospects at the position. Ranked as the nation's No. 129 overall prospect and No. 12 defensive lineman by the 247Sports Composite, Havili, who is also the No. 2 player in the state, holds 15 offers and is continuing to rise.

Arizona, Arizona State, California, Michigan, and Utah are all among the programs in pursuit of his services after a stellar sophomore season in which the 6-foot-2, 320-pounder recorded 33 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and a pair of pass breakups. However, the Huskies are one of the programs that have been on Havili's radar for the longest after initially extending an offer to him in June 2024 before he ever played a down of high school football.

Since then, he's continued to establish himself on the national recruiting circuit, most recently putting together an impressive showing at the Rivals Elite Camp in Nashville, in which the recruiting service named him one of the workout's top ten performers.

As the Huskies continue to prioritize the defensive line, finding a way to add Havili to the mix is the kind of size and talent defensive coordinator Ryan Walters needs up front to continue building a pass rush that can compete with the best programs in the Big Ten.

The Huskies currently hold two commits at the position in the 2027 class: four-star defensive tackle Jon Ioane and three-star defensive lineman Matamatagi Uiagalelei, while they recently received a crystal ball to add the services of four-star defensive tackle Tevita Nonu.

However, that doesn't mean it's too early to get a jump on future classes.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies eyeing disruptive in-state four-star 2028 DL