UW secures first 2013 commitment

It was a long drive coming back home from Las Vegas, where Sammie Long had been participating in the NLA Elite 7-7 Tournament as part of Team Washington. Long, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound receiver prospect from Lakes High School in Lakewood, Wash., had plenty of time to think about things, so his thoughts turned to recruiting.

With his parents' blessing, as well as with the advice of Lakes' Head Coach Dave Miller, Long put a call in Monday night that took his recruitment off the table. He had long admired the Washington Huskies as the local program, and he was offered by Steve Sarkisian back in mid-October.

"Me and (Miller) and my family felt it was time, so they told me to go for it," Long told Scout.com about his verbal commitment to the Huskies. This is Washington's first verbal commitment for the class of 2013. "I really just wanted to wait after Vegas and after everything settled down to make my commitment. I just want to make sure that when I go into my senior year I'm fully ready and committed to my last season."

Long, who was a Second Team All-SPSL 3A pick in 2011, caught 20 passes for 276 yards and five touchdowns on a Lancers team chock full of skill players like Mane Manaea, Cedric Dozier, and Marquin Russell. He had been mulling the offer over for a while, and the ride home from Vegas just crystalized his thinking about the home school.

"I was just making sure it was what I wanted to do. I wanted to look at the good and the bad things of Washington, and so far it was all good - so I went for it. It's close to home, but I also love how they play as a team and it's just a team that I grew up around when I was little."

So Long put the call into Sarkisian late Monday night, and apparently the UW Head Coach couldn't have been more thrilled with Long's decision. "He was happy," Long said of Sarkisian's reaction. "He was happier than I was."

"I think it's a great fit for both sides," Miller said of Long's commitment to UW. "Sammie is excited to be a Husky; he's wanted to be a Husky his whole life. He a great kid, a hard-working kid. He's got loads of potential. He's a big receiver and does a great job of using his body to go up and get the ball. He's a hard worker and continues to improve. I think he's excited about getting this out of the way so he can focus on having a great senior year so he can continue to get better."

Washington has done well by Lakes over the years, especially when it comes to receivers. In 2000 they landed prep All-American Reggie Williams, and in 2008 they picked up U.S. Army All-American Jermaine Kearse. "It's a tough one," Miller said when asked to compare Long with Kearse. "I think he compares favorably. The work ethic is similar. He's probably a little bigger receiver than Jermaine was. Jermaine had a great senior year for us, so Sammie has some work to do to get to that point, but at this point in their career Sammie is right there with him. I'd say they are pretty comparable."

Long did tell Scout.com that he hopes he can make it to junior days at Oregon State and Idaho as a means of comparison, since he hasn't seen any other campuses other than UW. He was supposed to attend a junior day at Washington State at the end of February, but was unable to make it to Pullman due to snow. "Washington is the place I want to go, but I want to make sure my decision is the right one," he said.

Sammie Long Scout.com Profile