The blue-chips continue to stack for Washington in its 2026 recruiting class. Four-star running back Brian Bonner committed to the Huskies on Tuesday afternoon. He becomes the seventh player with a four-star rating or higher in Washington’s class, which now ranks 17th nationally. According to 247Sports, Bonner’s 0.9526 composite ranking is the second-highest in the Huskies’ class just behind five-star offensive lineman Kodi Greene.
Four-Star Commit Solidifies UW Identity
Bonner’s Pedigree
Bonner selected Washington over Nebraska, UCLA, and Penn State, all four which he took official visits this summer. 247Sports tabs Bonner as the sixth-best running back in his class, with a national rating just outside the top 100.
As a Southern California native out of Valencia High School, Bonner tallied 2,332 all-purpose yards during his junior season. He combined for 1,433 rushing yards, 484 receiving yards, and 415 return yards that season. Speed is another factor of his game, as he packs breakaway potential into his 6’-0”, 190-pound frame. Bonner clocked a personal best 6.84-second 60-meter dash this year and has notched a 10.56-second 100-meter dash.
Back in March, Bonner visited Montlake for Washington’s Junior Day recruiting event. He and fellow running back and Husky commit Ansu Sanoe were two of the highlight tailbacks visiting that weekend. This tandem is set to continue a dynamic skillset trend in the Washington backfield.
Running Backs Identity
Versatility in the running backs’ room is something running backs coach Scottie Graham and the staff have prioritized. This season, Washington plans to use all three components of its dynamic trio of tailbacks. It hosts the physicality of Jonah Coleman, the burst of Adam Mohammed, and the track speed of Jordan Washington. “It just gives your playcaller, Coach Fisch, an option to do different things,” Graham said this Spring when discussing the trio of running backs. “Being able to have a rocketship [Washington] and two physical, A-Gap runners [Coleman and Mohammed] is a luxury.”
If you go back a year, Washington’s 2025 class featured running backs Quaid Carr and early enrollee Julian McMahan. In a similar way, this true freshman duo carries versatility in their skill set. Carr, at 5’-11” and 185 pounds, is the faster of the two, clocking a 10.70-second 100-meter in high school. McMahan is listed at 6’-2” and 230 pounds and runs with a much more bruising style. We saw that this Spring as he took reps behind the aforementioned trio.
Coleman is, of course, the premier tailback at Washington this Fall. But behind him, there’s a distinct trend of running styles that reinforces the identity the Huskies are looking to establish in the backfield. Mohammed and Washington, McMahan and Carr, and now 2026 is set to bring Sanoe and Bonner. The staff has been vocal about its emphasis on speed in the offense as a whole. But in the backfield, a physical edge is essential in the Big Ten. Landing the commitment of Bonner, alongside Sanoe, solidifies these versatile traits for another year.
Main Image: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The post Four-Star Commit Solidifies UW’s Run Game Identity appeared first on Last Word on College Football.