Ask Farrell: Thoughts after scouting 5-star TE Darnell Washington
He’s a touch taller than 6-foot-7. He weights 255 pounds. And he’s one of the most-intriguing prospects in a long time.
We’re talking about Darnell Washington, the five-star tight end from Las Vegas Desert Pines who has been the center of a lot of conversations and discussions early at the Under Armour Game.
UNDER ARMOUR GAME WEEK: Mind of Mike | Day 1 awards | Which DL impressed the most on Sunday? | Five players who could earn a fifth star | Players predict where uncommitted will land | Darnell Washington | Sedrick Van Pran | Avantae Williams | Jayson Jones
Currently ranked No. 17 overall in the 2020 class, Washington is also the second-best tight end behind LSU signee Arik Gilbert from Marrieta, Ga.
But there is no player in this class - maybe no player in Rivals history dating back to 2002 - who is so tall, so athletic and stands out so much on a football field.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins was about just as big but he was more lumbering. Jimmy Graham is 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds and that comparison could make sense but Washington seems to have longer arms. Jason Witten and Rob Gronkowski are 6-foot-6 but neither have the downfield speed that Washington has shown.
It’s maybe an impossible comparison unless one wants to compare Washington to a basketball player. That makes him one of the more interesting prospects in recent memory - and he could turn into one of the more dominant ones as well.
Washington is one of the handful of players that will announce their college choice at the Under Armour game as well. The odds-on favorite is Georgia but there have been some whispers about Tennessee in recent days. Alabama, Miami and Florida are also in the mix.
FARRELL'S TAKE
After seeing him for an extended period for the first time, we ask Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell what he thinks of Washington and how he projects to college and the NFL and whether he thinks any team can beat Georgia for Washington’s services?
“Physically he’s an amazing looking kid, the best looking tight end I’ve seen over OJ Howard, Rob Gronkowski, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Greg Olsen and some others. He’s the tallest by far and he looks like a man amongst boys out there catching passes.
"However, there are some things he needs to work on as he’s a bit sluggish in and out of breaks and he has heavy feet. But unlike Seferian-Jenkins and Gronk, who I thought should both be offensive tackles, Washington is a pure tight end. Those two guys turned out pretty well, especially Gronk, so I was clearly wrong on them and we’ll see about Washington, but he’s a special talent.
"And I think he’s a done deal to Georgia already.”