Washington Huskies lose 2026 commit, CJ Lavender, to UCLA
Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch before a college football game against Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (Nick Wagner / The Seattle Times)
By Andy Yamashita Seattle Times staff reporter
CJ Lavender, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound defensive back, announced he had flipped to UCLA in a post on his social media accounts Tuesday afternoon.
Lavender is a three-star prospect according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He’s the No. 111 player in California, the No. 118 cornerback in the 2026 recruiting cycle and the No. 1,371 player in the country.
He currently plays at Mater Dei High in Southern California where he’s teammates with current UW commit and composite five-star offensive lineman Kodi Greene. Lavender initially pledged to join Washington March 21, making him one of the first players in the 2026 cycle to announce his commitment to the Huskies.
The Southern California native held offers from programs around the country including Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Louisville, Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC among others.
“Lavender is one of the state’s most versatile defensive backs and has shown the ability to play corner, nickel and safety,” Greg Biggins, 247Sports national recruiting analyst, wrote in an evaluation March 20. “He’ll be a rare four-year starter for national powerhouse Mater Dei and always brings great energy and passion to the field.”
Lavender tallied 72 tackles, three interceptions, 11 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble during his first three seasons at Mater Dei. He also spent time returning kicks and punts, totaling 108 return yards.
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“He’s not a big kid,” Biggins wrote, “but plays bigger than his size because of his toughness and aggressive style of play. He’s not afraid to get downhill and make a hit on a ball carrier and has the cover skills to match up with shiftier slot receivers as well.”
Washington has loaded up on defensive backs during the 2026 cycle. The Huskies are expected to lose starting cornerbacks Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis along with starting safety Makell Esteen following the 2025 season based on the current NCAA eligibility rules.
The Huskies currently have pledges from Ksani Jiles, a 6-0, 180-pound cornerback from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.; Gavin Day, a 6-3, 190-pound safety out of Faith Lutheran High in Las Vegas; Jeron Jones, a 6-0, 165-pound cornerback who plays at Mission Viejo High in Southern California; Rahsjon Duncan, a 6-1, 186-pound defensive back from McClymonds High in Oakland, Calif. and Elijah Durr, a 6-1, 170-pound cornerback out of Mount Tahoma High in Tacoma.
Day and Jones are composite four-star prospects. Only Jiles was ranked lower than Lavender by the composite ratings.
Washington also has a commitment from Dre Pollard, a 6-0, 175-pound athlete out of Clark High in Las Vegas. A two-way standout and composite four-star prospect, Pollard will play either running back or safety at UW.
Additionally, the Huskies are fairly set at nickel, the position Lavender will likely play at the college level, Biggins wrote. Leroy Bryant, the team’s current starter, is going to be a junior with two years of eligibility remaining during the 2026 season.
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And even if UW moves Bryant back outside, where played for a majority of his career, it still has Rahshawn Clark and Rahim Wright II.
Both will be third-year sophomores in 2026. Clark has already played significant snaps at nickel this season and was a standout during spring practices. Wright was ruled out for the entire 2025 campaign before it began, but followed coach Jedd Fisch and secondary coach John Richardson to Washington from Arizona.
Washington currently has 20 players committed to its 2026 class, which ranked No. 18 nationally according to the composite ratings before Lavender flipped to UCLA.
Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes .com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.
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