Huskies land top prospect from class of '07

Chris Izbicki had to think hard Wednesday to remember the first time he saw a football game at Husky Stadium.

"I think I was eight years old and it was against Arizona," said Izbicki, who plays tight end and defensive end at Lake Washington High School.

It was a no-brainer when it came time to figure out where he wanted to attend college, however, and the love affair with Huskies football set in motion way back when played a big role.

"I always knew I was going to be a Husky," said Izbicki, who on Wednesday gave a verbal commitment to Washington coach Tyrone Willingham. "There was no reason to procrastinate about it any longer."

The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder, who said he will play tight end at UW, is the second member of Washington's Class of 2007. He also considered Stanford.

"The academic side of things there was kind of intriguing," Izbicki said. "But I decided it wasn't for me."

Izbicki, who caught 25 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns, is regarded by most scouts as one of the top prospects in next year's class and said he thinks the Huskies are on the verge of a turnaround.

"I feel like they definitely are on the right path now that Coach Willingham is getting most of his kids in there that he's recruiting," he said. "The program is going to get back to where it used to be."