Florida State lands commitment from Rivals250 CB Hunter Washington

One of the best defensive backs in Texas is heading out of state.

Hunter Washington, a Rivals250 cornerback from Houston-area powerhouse Katy (Texas) High School, committed to Florida State on Tuesday. Washington selected the Seminoles due to his budding relationship with defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson. LSU, Ohio State, Auburn, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Virginia Tech were among Washington's other finalists leading into the mid-May decision.

Washington has not yet visited Tallahassee, Fla. -- at least since he was offered by Woodson back in late January after a breakout junior campaign. Soon after, the four-star prospect made unofficial visits to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Ole Miss. Washington previously made multiple visits to Baton Rouge, La., to take in games and junior day functions at LSU and made trips out to Auburn, Virginia Tech and Ohio State around this time a year ago.

The decision did not come out of the blue either. Washington was forced to say goodbye to his grandmother on his father's side about two months ago in March. His decision to commit to Florida State was -- in many ways -- an opportunity to honor his grandmother.

The Seminoles entered the day with five commitments and the No. 47-ranked recruiting class on the Rivals team rankings. Washington is the first player from the Lone Star State in the group and the first defensive back for Woodson. He's also the third four-star in the haul.

"The reason why I always mention my grandma is that she supported me ever since I was playing little league football -- even during school basketball and AAU basketball. I know if she was still here, she would have wanted me to make the best decision possible and to pick the right school and still be happy at the same time. We had a lot of happy moments during my whole football career and I wouldn't be able to miss that now that she's in the beautiful sky. I will keep grinding and keep making her proud."

"This wasn't easy ... picking a school ... and making sure that this was the one. I had plenty of options and after visiting Ohio State and LSU, I thought I was gonna end up there. During this CoVid-19, I had to sit back and see who was going to come to me and see who was the most loyal and still believed in me, and it was Florida State. I did my research and liked what I saw and I ended up being the first defensive back to commit. I also want to be different. I want to build this class instead of fitting in and following everyone else."

"Honestly, I never thought that I was going to Florida State, but the biggest thing to me about this recruiting is loyalty. That is what Coach (Marcus) Woodson and I have. It's like an uncle-nephew type of bond. We would talk about anything and if I needed something, he would be there. Coach Woodson and I have had that bond since the 10th-grade spring ball going into the summer and we've been getting closer every time we touch base. The reason why Florida State caught my attention is that I feel like that's the place to be and my second home. Coach (Mike Norvell, Coach (Adam) Fuller, Coach Wodson and Coach JP (John Papuchis) built up this bond and I feel like they can help me get my degree and develop me -- not just only as a football player but also as a young man and that could take me to the next level as well."

"Coach Woodson and I have that bond so I would feel comfortable being around him and the other coaches like Fuller and all them. I know it's kind of weird and I knew I wouldn't be able to visit, but they sent me a video of the campus to watch and see what I thought about it -- and I felt like I was already there in the video imagining myself actually being there on campus."

Washington is a shutdown cornerback for Houston-area powerhouse Katy High School. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder has been an All-District selection each of the past two seasons, including as a junior in 2019 when Washington missed parts of the year with an ankle injury suffered in pre-game warmups before the Week 1 tilt with Galena Park North Shore.

Last season, Washington managed two interceptions -- both of which were returned to the house for touchdowns.

In terms of testing numbers, Washington clocked a 4.7-second 40 time in the spring of 2019. He also turned in a 4.25-second shuttle time and a 32.6-inch vertical.

Washington plays the majority of his snaps in off-ball coverage, which is fitting for a defensive back with unique short-area quickness and exceptional closing speed. Washington can be yards away from a receiver and break on passes thrown in front of them. Both of his interceptions last fall came on similar plays and he added several more pass break-ups in the same fashion.

Washington is a ballhawk and an instinctive cover corner. He plays a ton of trail coverage and thrives doing so with his ability to break on the ball. He's dangerously quick and can cover -- usually in single coverage without any help over the top -- without being too physical with the targeted receiver.

Washington shows glimpses of being a physical run defender on tape. He's a sure tackler in the open field and often battles with receivers and blockers to break through and make a stop. Washington does not shy away from putting a big lick on ball-carriers and is an above-average defender in that category.