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For weeks, the Washington Huskies football program had the June 23-26 weekend circled on the calendar as a major key to the 2023 recruiting cycle. 

And it's hard to imagine the coaching staff could've scripted the outcome any better.

On Friday, Angelo Rodriguez High School (California) three-star cornerback Leroy Bryant became the 11th commitment stemming for the weekend visitor list and the 12th pledge in the past 12 days:

The 6-foot, 175-pound defensive back is rated the nation's No. 49 cornerback and held double-digit offers, highlighted by Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Utah, Washington State and others.

Like so many other recent Washington commitments, Bryant's visit proved to be a major key to his recruitment, as the trip was a rousing success in all aspects.

"We stayed in a nice hotel, we went to dinner and it was good," he said. "There were a lot of people there, like people with a lot of connections. The mayor was at dinner. It was a chance to make a lot of connections."

"The weather on Saturday was nice and we went out on the yacht to dinner - crab, lobster - it was a really good time. They did a really good job on their official visit. That's why they've got so many commits, I feel like." 

Another major factor in the Huskies' favor was their ongoing trend of developing NFL defensive backs.

Given that Bryant could play cornerback, safety or nickel at the collegiate level, the fact that Washington has produced successful pros at all three spots was a make in its favor.

"That means a lot to me, because my goal is to get to the NFL," he said, "You want to be somewhere where they produce athletes, where they are going to develop you to be an NFL player. You want to be ready to excel in the NFL, not just go to the NFL, because you want to have a long career."

Washington's 2023 recruiting class is ranked No. 17 nationally with an average rating per commitment of 87.00, a mark that would've ranked sixth in the Pac-12 Conference in the 2022 cycle

Junior season highlights