Rashid Williams, a four-star receiver prospect from Pittsburg (Calif.) High, announced a commitment to the Washington Huskies on Thursday. Williams, the nation’s No. 228 overall prospect and No. 28 receiver in the 247Sports Composite, becomes the first blue-chip recruit to commit to new coach Kalen DeBoer.

Washington won Williams’ commitment over other finalists Stanford, Oregon State, California, Arizona and Mississippi State. He also had offers from Oregon, Miami, Utah and several others.

Catching passes from five-star quarterback prospect Jaden Rashada, Williams, listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, finished his junior season with 55 receptions for 753 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Huskies offered him a spot in February. Williams visited campus unofficially in April and returned for his official visit last weekend.

His commitment is the fourth for UW in the 2023 class, joining three-star Bakersfield (Calif.) High running back Tybo Rogers, three-star Adelanto (Calif.) High receiver Keith Reynolds and three-star Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco linebacker Deven Bryant.

(Photo by Abbie Parr / Getty Images)

What does Williams’ commitment mean in the big picture?

Christian Caple, Washington beat writer: It means the hire of new receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard is already paying dividends. Shephard brought with him from Purdue a reputation for both development and recruiting, and it’s noteworthy that he is the position coach to help land the first four-star under DeBoer. The Huskies need to continue stocking their receiver room with coveted players in order to maximize DeBoer’s pro-style spread offense, so Williams is an important addition.

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