Former USC All-American set to join Washington football to bolster coaching staff: Report

The Washington Huskies took a big step back this season. In 2023, they won the Pac-12 Championship and advanced to the national championship game. Although they lost 34-13 to Michigan, it was still an impressive season. The team went 14-1 that year, building on an 11-1 season.

Those two seasons were the only two seasons in which Kalen DeBoer was the head coach. After the 2023 season, he left the Huskies to coach the Alabama Crimson Tide. As a result, the Huskies needed to bring in a new head coach, and they did, hiring Jedd Fisch, who previously coached the Arizona Wildcats.

In the first season with Fisch, the Huskies fell to a 6-7 record on the season and lost their bowl game. Insider Pete Thamel reported that the Huskies are set to hire Taylor Mays as the team's next safeties coach. He was an All-American with USC during his playing days.

"Sources: Washington football is set to hire Taylor Mays as the school's new safeties coach. He's a former NFL second-round pick and a three-time All-American at USC."

Taylor Mays was a successful safety during his college career for the USC Trojans. He played for them from 2006 to 2009 and became a three-time All-American. His only previous coaching experience is as a defensive assistant at USC.

Taylor Mays arrives after Washington missed out on a five-star recruit

Taylor Mays arrives in Washington at a time when the Huskies will need to try to rebuild their image. After a disastrous 2024 season, recruits no longer appear to view Washington as a good destination.

Former Texas Longhorns star wide receiver Johntay Cook II committed to the Huskies on December 28th and looked like he would help bolster the team's offense next season.

However, less than a month after the commitment, the Huskies and Cook have already parted ways. It is unclear what the reason for the departure is as neither the team nor the player has stated a reason publically. The announcement was made on Tuesday.

The arrival of Cook was going to help the Huskies fill the void that was left by starters Giles Jackson and Jeremiah Hunter running out of NCAA eligibility. However, now the team will need to turn elsewhere.