Sacramento’s Next Juju? UW Eyes Grant Union Standout
Julian “Juju” Bruno, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound sophomore linebacker at Grant Union High, has emerged as a Class of 2028 recruit drawing comparisons to former UW star Shaq Thompson. With 110 tackles, 16 stops for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2025—plus a 92-yard pick-six—Bruno holds at least 22 scholarship offers, including from Washington, USC, UCLA, Michigan, Florida State, Texas A&M and Notre Dame. While Thompson remains a generational talent, Bruno’s rapid rise and multi-offer haul have UW coaches reminiscing about the linebacker pipeline from Sacramento to Montlake.
If UW’s coaching carousel could talk, it might confess it has whiplash. Four head coaches since Thompson’s heyday and still chasing another “Juju” like a caffeinated recruiter in a last-minute frenzy. The Huskies are basically running a linebacker speed-dating service: “Swipe right for tackles!” It’s comforting to know that even decades and coaching regimes later, Montlake still believes every Grant Union kid is the Next Shaq—because why scout 50 states when you can recycle the same neighborhood? If recruiters had hit counters, theirs would be off the charts.
Husky Front Five: First String Strong, Backups on Standby
UW’s projected starting offensive line—Kodi Green, John Mills, Landen Hatchett, Champ Taulealea and Drew Azzopardi—ranges from 315 to 344 pounds, blending veteran savvy with size. Behind them, backups bring a combined 40 career starts, featuring transfer Kolt Dieterich and seventh-year senior Geirean Hatchett. A redshirt freshman back-ups roster includes 6-foot-4 Jake Flores at center, 6-foot-8 tackle Faasolo, and freshman “Moose” Justin Hylkema at right tackle, plus the massive 6-foot-7, 356-pound Dominic Harris rotating in. Depth is UW’s newfound luxury after last year’s patchwork unit.
It’s heartening to see the Huskies finally treat depth like a buffet instead of leftover nachos. These backups have more starts than a Hollywood blockbuster and still manage to squeeze onto the bench. “Outstanding depth,” says Coach Fisch—translation: “If the starters implode, we have a reserve army of 300-plus-pound men ready to guard our quarterback’s kneecaps.” One can almost hear the OL whisper, “You break one of us, we’ll replace you with the entire weight room.” Quarterbacks, beware: there’s a surplus of gods of the trenches eager for their cameo.
Meet Sanoe: UW’s 335-Pound Collision Specialist
Freshman running back Ansu Sanoe arrived at UW at 241 pounds and bulked up to 251, showcasing bruising power in spring practice. With 39 carries, five runs over 10 yards, and a long of 14, he bowled over veteran defenders, most notably sending linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale head over heels. His biceps and cold stare earned comparisons to UW’s ’60s big back Junior Coffey. Despite a couple of fumbles—and some penalty-lap humility—Sanoe’s menacing style has fans dreaming of him plowing through Big Ten defenses.
Ansu Sanoe didn’t just join the backfield—he joined the Greek pantheon of walking wrecking balls. Imagine Hercules in cleats, then add protein shakes. Sure, he fumbled and paid the lap-tax, but what’s college football without a few teachable humiliations? Coaches now gift freshmen dumbbells instead of playbooks: “Here’s your first assignment—lift this car.” Next comes the inevitable comparison to immortal Coffey because why let the past lie when you can hype every beefcake as the next legend? Spring practice might as well be “Sanoe’s Collision Clinic.”
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