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And there it is

Brandon Arrington is not among the most attainable recruits Washington will host this spring and summer; the five-star cornerback and receiver from Spring Valley (Calif.) Mount Miguel also is considering Oregon, Alabama, Texas A&M, USC and Penn State, in addition to his trip last weekend to check out the Huskies.

It’s noteworthy, though, that the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2026 class came out of that visit with a message for his 5,400 Twitter followers — “Don’t sleep on Washington in my recruiting process” — along with standard, official-visit photoshoot fare.

Though Washington already has a commitment from one five-star prospect (per the 247Sports Composite) in Mater Dei offensive lineman Kodi Greene, mutual interest from a player like Arrington nevertheless turned heads. That’s partially because the Huskies aren’t often involved with national top-10 prospects — and particularly those from outside Washington — but also because Arrington had announced a top-12 list in February and a top-six in March, and the Huskies appeared on neither.

Still, Mount Miguel coach Verlain Betofe said he wasn’t surprised that Washington eventually earned an official visit. It helped that the Huskies have a staff connection to the San Diego area and Team Makasi, a 7-on-7 and training organization founded by Betofe.

Martell Irby was a three-star recruit in the 2018 class out of Morse High, and he played 7-on-7 for Team Makasi. After four seasons at UCLA — first as a running back, then as a defensive back following a knee injury — Irby initially retired from football after suffering a concussion, but enrolled as a walk-on at Arizona in 2023. He played only one season for Jedd Fisch, yet Washington’s coach describes him as “one of the most special people that I’ve ever been around.”

“He is a human lightning rod of energy, of positive enthusiasm,” Fisch said in February. Irby arrived at Arizona 20 pounds overweight, Fisch said, but worked his way into a captain’s role, earned a scholarship and won MVP of the Alamo Bowl after Arizona’s victory over Oklahoma. In January, Fisch made him a team culture and quality control assistant.

Irby also is a talented musician, and he’s been open about the mental-health journey that led him back to football. “He’s one of a kind,” Betofe said. “I’ve been coaching for 13 years, and I haven’t met a kid like him before. He just has this heart and this grace about him that’s unique. You come into contact with him and you feel his spirit. He’s a different type of kid.”

Also, Betofe said, Irby grew up on the same street as Arrington, who played in Betofe’s 7-on-7 organization in middle school. In a photo posted on social media, Arrington poses in a UW uniform with secondary coach John Richardson standing to his left, and Irby, flashing a “W” with his right hand, standing to his right.

“When Martell came more into the picture, that was really the big thing for us — having someone there who he’s familiar with,” Betofe said. “We love Martell over here, so I think having Martell Irby over there was a major reason why he took the trip and started considering Washington.”

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Arrington told Rivals.com that Fisch’s NFL background also resonated, and that he’d studied film of Marcus Peters and other UW defensive backs.

As a junior at Mount Miguel, Arrington caught 31 passes for 527 yards as a receiver, grabbed an interception as a cornerback and totaled 10 touchdowns. His future is likely on defense.

“I think he wants to play corner,” Betofe said. “I think he can play offense, too, at the next level, but at DB, with him being 6-3, his arms are as long as they come. You’re running that 10.2 100 meters — it’s hard to do anything on him because he’s so tall, long and fast.”

Playing man-to-man coverage came naturally to Arrington, Betofe said, because of his length and athleticism. He says learning to play zone has been one of Arrington’s biggest areas of improvement. And on offense, “he’s starting to be more natural and catching the ball and doing so many of the freakish things he does.”

That goes for track, too, where Arrington’s personal best of 10.21 in the 100 meters, recorded April 19 at the Mt. SAC Relays, stood as the top time in California until last weekend’s CIF state championships. There, De La Salle’s Jaden Jefferson ran a state-record 10.01 during what turned out to be a controversial preliminary heat in which several runners posted personal bests by a wide margin; Jefferson later won the state title with a 10.27 in the finals.

An injury prevented Arrington from running, and from defending the state championships he won in the 100 and 200 as a sophomore.

“He was very disappointed by that,” said Thomas Tyler, Mount Miguel’s track coach. After Tate Taylor, a junior from San Antonio’s Harlan High School, ran a 9.92 at the Texas state championships in early May — a national high-school record — Tyler said Arrington had a similar goal.

“He was definitely like, ‘I can do that. I can accomplish that,’” Tyler said. Those prelim times, Betofe said, had him wondering if Arrington “would have run, like, a 9.97 or 9.95. But everything happens for a reason. That’s what I’ve told him. It’s part of the journey.”

Could that journey continue in college?

“I think football is his priority,” Betofe said, “but I do think if he wants to, he can do both.”

Tyler describes Arrington as “very energetic. Tons of positive energy. Very excited. He’s not someone that is passive and just kind of lays back. He’s very outgoing.” Much as he loves football, Tyler says Arrington is a true track fan, too. He had Arrington in his math class shortly after he transferred from Helix High to Mount Miguel, and remembers regular conversation about the times other high-schoolers were running.

“He loves talking track,” Tyler said. “He likes talking track history, people that have done phenomenal things at a young age.

“From the first day he came out there, we were like, ‘wow, OK, this kid’s locked in, and he’s ready to go. He’s very coachable the whole way through.”

Betofe said Arrington has set a commitment date of July 5, after he completes scheduled visits to Oregon, Alabama, USC and Texas A&M.

“He’s done a really good job of taking his time and making sure he’s really, really sure of what he wants to do,” Betofe said.

“He’s a great kid, great spirit about him, infectious personality,” Betofe said. “As far as his potential right now, if it’s out of 10, he’s only at a 3.” He remembers predicting to Arrington’s father in middle school that based on his speed and size, he could be a five-star recruit. With development, Betofe said, “he has a chance to be a first-round draft pick.”

After getting him on campus, Washington at least has a chance — however slim — to help him become one.

— Christian Caple, On Montlake