Washington football makes top four in race for 4-star IMG Academy CB

The Washington Huskies have been among the top contenders for high-end four-star cornerback Censere Gaylord for a long time, and on Monday morning, the coveted prospect from IMG Academy in Florida narrowed his list of 32 offers down to a final four.

Washington remains standing alongside Auburn, Georgia, and Georgia Tech for the 6-foot, 160-pound defensive back, who is originally from California and is ranked as the nation's No. 110 overall player and No. 13 cornerback in the 2027 class by 247Sports.

Gaylord has locked in official visits with each of his finalists, beginning with the Yellow Jackets on May 29. From there, he'll head to Montlake on June 5, before checking out the Bulldogs on June 12, and rounding things out with the Tigers on June 19.

"I really like how they develop their defensive backs at Washington," Gaylord told Rivals' Greg Biggins of what has kept the Huskies at the top of his list following an unofficial visit to Seattle for Junior Day in March. "They let them play fast and aggressive in the secondary, and that's my style as well."

Gaylord is a perfect fit for secondary coach John Richardson's teaching style and defensive coordinator Ryan Walters' scheme. He plays with a quick trigger against both the run and the pass, is a willing tackler who plays with immense physicality, and has good ball skills after recording 22 tackles, 5 pass breakups, and 4 interceptions during his junior season at IMG.

After four-star cornerback Josiah Molden announced his commitment to Oregon on Sunday, Gaylord is the clear-cut target on top of Richardson's board in the secondary.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies make top four in race for four-star IMG Academy CB