Washington football makes top four in battle for elite 2027 safety

The Washington Huskies have made some major headway with a lot of their top targets in the secondary, and on Thursday afternoon, Jedd Fisch's coaching staff made the top four in the race for one of the nation's top safety prospects, four-star Gavin Williams.

Williams, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound product of Damien High School in Southern California, is ranked as the nation's No. 86 overall prospect and No. 6 safety in the 2027 class by 247Sports, and cut his list down to Notre Dame, UCLA, and USC alongside Washington.

He has set official visits with all four programs, including a May 29 trip to Seattle after an unofficial visit for Junior Day in early March, and has eliminated the Texas A&M Aggies, the other program he had set an official visit with, as he moves closer to a decision out of the 40 offers he holds.

Thanks to the efforts led by safeties coach Taylor Mays, Washington has put itself in a strong place with Williams, who is rumored to be interested in staying on the West Coast, while the Huskies and Notre Dame have reportedly been in a heated battle for his services, and the local programs continue to push to keep him close to home.

In defensive coordinator Ryan Walters' scheme, Williams, who is a talented two-way prospect who recorded 63 tackles, 5 for loss, with 8 pass breakups, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions during his junior year, would be an ideal fit for the post safety position, where his range and athleticism allow him to play a similar role to Freshman All-American Rylon Dillard-Allen.

"Williams is a talented two-way player who could end up at receiver or defensive back in college, but we really like his upside highest at safety," former 247Sports analyst Greg Biggins wrote in his evaluation.

"He has a prototype safety frame and is a ballhawk with excellent ball skills and football instincts. He’s rangy, covers a lot of ground, and shows excellent awareness to go along with the physical tools. He’s a solid open field tackler and plays a physical game. When you look at his size and growth potential, but natural athleticism and play-making skill, it’s easy to see why Williams is already a national recruit and has the talent to play for any school in the country."