Washington Huskies land WA’s top-ranked 2026 recruit Derek Colman-Brusa

Back in February, Brandon Huffman, the 247Sports national recruiting editor, was asked which five high-school football prospects Washington had to land in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Huffman immediately named one local recruit without hesitation. 

“Easily Derek Colman-Brusa,” Huffman told The Seattle Times Feb. 24. “They absolutely have to get him.”

Less than two months later, the Huskies have their man. 

Colman-Brusa, a 6-foot-5, 267-pound edge rusher out of Kennedy Catholic High, committed to Washington in a post on his social media account Sunday evening. Colman-Brusa is the top-ranked player in the state’s 2026 cycle according to the 247Sports composite rankings. 

He chose Washington out of a final group of schools that also included Oregon and Ohio State, and will reunite with his brother Lowen Colman-Brusa, a 2025 offensive line signee who will enroll at UW during the summer. 

“Tape pops and he shows natural pass rush ability,” Greg Biggins, 247Sports national recruiting analyst, wrote in an evaluation April 14, 2024. “Can play edge and inside and wins with quickness at the line — either with a blow-by off the edge or little outside-in move. Super strong hands, can rag doll opposing linemen, changes direction and has some flexibility to him.”

Derek Colman-Brusa is the No. 18 edge rusher in the country and the No. 161 player nationally, according to the composite rankings. He’s the 10th player to commit to UW’s 2026 recruiting class and the fourth blue-chip prospect. Colman-Brusa also held offers from BYU, California, Colorado, Duke, Michigan, Stanford, Tennessee, UCLA, USC and Washington State, but received his first scholarship offer from former UW coach Kalen DeBoer in July, 2022, the summer after Colman-Brusa completed eighth grade. 

He lived up to his early potential during his first three seasons at Kennedy Catholic. Colman-Brusa made 18 tackles in five games as a freshman including two sacks according to MaxPreps. He was named the 2023 Class 4A All-North Puget Sound League defensive lineman of the year as a sophomore after recording 75 tackles, 14 sacks and three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. 

A season later, Colman-Brusa was named Class 4A All-NPSL player of the year after his junior season at Kennedy Catholic. He racked up 68 tackles including 25 for a loss, 10 sacks and forced five fumbles. Colman-Brusa is also a standout wrestler at Kennedy Catholic, placing fifth in the 215-pound weight class during the 2023-24 WIAA state wrestling championships and sixth in the 285-pound weight class this year. 

He’s scheduled to officially visit Washington on May 30, and was at Husky Stadium for UW’s spring game Friday. 

“He’s not just a straight line guy but shows balance and power and closes really well on the football,” Biggins wrote. “Naturally strong kid with a crazy motor.”

Colman-Brusa’s commitment comes shortly after UW flipped five-star offensive tackle Kodi Greene, a Renton native who started his high-school career at Eastside Catholic High before transferring to Mater Dei High in Southern California, from Oregon April 24. 

Landing players like Colman-Brusa and Greene are statement recruiting wins for Fisch, the Huskies and senior director of player personnel Matt Doherty’s revamped recruiting department. Huffman, speaking to the Times in February, said he felt the Huskies had done a good job bringing in players where there was limited competition but wanted to see them take some big swings at top talents. 

“It’s time to go to battle for some of the bigger guys that you have to go head-to-head with a lot of schools for,” Huffman said. 

Now, the Huskies have two. 

Colman-Brusa’s pledge also means UW has landed a commitment from the top player in the state during three of the past four recruiting cycles. The Huskies signed linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale from Bethel High, the consensus No. 1 player in Washington, during the 2025 cycle, and cornerback Caleb Presley from Rainier Beach High in 2023. Presley entered the transfer portal and signed with San Jose State during the spring transfer portal window. 

UW, under Fisch, has clearly made keeping in-state recruits home a priority. The Huskies signed five Washington natives during the 2025 cycle: Rainey-Sale, Auburn Riverside High linebacker Jonathan Epperson Jr., Spanaway Lake High cornerback D’Aryhian Clemons, Kamiak High edge rusher Victor Sanchez Hernandez and Lowen Colman-Brusa out of Kennedy Catholic. Former Garfield two-way standout Rahshawn Clark joined UW during the 2024 cycle after initially committing to Fisch’s staff at Arizona. 

Derek Colman-Brusa is the fourth local recruit to join UW’s 2026 class. The Huskies also have commitments from Mount Tahoma High defensive back Elijah Durr, Evergreen High wide receiver Terrance Saryon and Roosevelt High two-way lineman Ah Deong Yang. UW previously had a pledge from Eastside Catholic linebacker Wassie Lugolobi, but he flipped to Stanford in March. 

UW also has ties to the No. 2 and No. 3 composite-ranked players in the state — O’Dea edge rusher duo David Schwerzel and Fameitau Siale. Their position coach, Stafford Mays, is a former Husky whose son Taylor Mays just completed his first spring as UW’s safeties coach. 

For the moment, however, the Huskies can enjoy landing Colman-Brusa. Huffman described the Kennedy Catholic edge rusher as a quick, high-motor player who can help put pressure on the quarterback and be a difference maker on a Big Ten football field. 

“The top three players in the state are defensive linemen or edge rushers,” Huffman said. “And he’s the best of that group.”