For the second time in under 24 hours, Washington football secured a commitment from a 2026 defensive back. Elijah Durr, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound cornerback from Mount Tahoma High, announced his decision to join Washington on Monday morning. He becomes the seventh high school player to commit to UW’s 2026 recruiting class, following IMG Academy defensive back Ksani Jiles, who pledged the day before.
Durr is rated as a three-star prospect, ranked No. 11 in Washington and No. 75 nationally among cornerbacks by the 247Sports composite rankings, though 247Sports itself places him at No. 7 in the state. He had scholarship offers from several schools, including Arizona, Arizona State, California, Cincinnati, Illinois, Michigan State, and Wisconsin.
Greg Biggins, a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, praised Durr’s physicality and his ability to use his length effectively in contested situations. “He plays with solid technique, reacts well to the ball, and doesn’t rely on clutching or grabbing like many young corners,” Biggins said in his evaluation.
Durr will join a 2026 cornerback group with plenty of opportunities for playing time, as the Huskies are expected to lose several key secondary players after the 2025 season. Projected starters Ephesians Prysock, Tacario Davis, and nickel back Dyson McCutcheon will likely exhaust their eligibility, and five UW cornerbacks entered the transfer portal during the winter. These include Thaddeus Dixon, Elijah Jackson, Jordan Shaw, Curley Reed III, and Oregon transfer Darren Barkins.
Currently, UW’s cornerback depth chart includes sophomores Caleb Presley and Leroy Bryant, redshirt freshman Elias Johnson, and true freshmen Dylan Robinson, D’Aryhian Clemons, and Ramonz Adams for the 2025 season.
Biggins also highlighted Durr’s ball skills and his experience as a wide receiver at Mount Tahoma, which will benefit him at the next level. He also noted that Durr should work on improving his top-end speed to keep pace with faster receivers in college. “He’s a high-ceiling prospect for a Power 4 program,” Biggins said.
Durr’s commitment underscores coach Jedd Fisch’s focus on bringing in-state talent to Washington. He is the fourth player from Washington to join the Huskies’ 2026 class, following linebacker Wassie Lugolobi, athlete Terrance Saryon, and two-way lineman Ah Deong Yang. Fisch is likely to continue pursuing local recruits, as Durr recently attended UW’s junior weekend, where top in-state prospects like edge rusher Derek Colman-Brusa and defensive linemen David Schwerzel and Fameitau Siale were also present. Colman-Brusa is ranked the No. 1 player in Washington, while Schwerzel, Siale, and Fruean are ranked Nos. 3, 4, and 5, respectively.
This trend of recruiting in-state talent is a continuation of Fisch’s approach in the 2025 cycle, where UW secured five local recruits. Fisch’s success in Washington contrasts with his earlier struggles to recruit in-state players, as his only other signees from the state before 2024 were Rahshawn Clark in 2024 and Dorian Thomas in 2023. Under previous head coach Kalen DeBoer, six Washington natives were signed during three recruiting cycles.
Andy Yamashita, Seattle Times staff reporter, covers UW football.
