Washington is in Louisiana preparing for the College Football Playoff, but coach Kalen DeBoer still had time to tweet out a “woof” on Friday, signaling someone had given their verbal commitment to the staff.

Shortly after DeBoer’s bat signal went up, a big one made his commitment public. Former Cal receiver Jeremiah Hunter will spend his final season in Seattle with the Huskies. He announced his commitment to UW on his Instagram page.

 

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Hunter is a major get for UW out of the portal and could walk in the door as the Huskies’ new go-to receiver, depending on what happens with the draft-eligible wideouts already on the roster. In 33 career appearances for Cal, Hunter made 144 receptions for 2,103 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The 6-foot-2 Hunter joined Cal’s program ahead of the 2020 season. He didn’t play that first year, and then entered the lineup in 2021. He played in nine games, bringing in 21 receptions for 388 yards to finish as the Bears’ third-leading receiver. His 18.5 yards-per-catch clip that season was a top-25 mark among FBS receivers.

As a third-year man in 2022, Hunter broke out. He had his best campaign, with 60 receptions for 965 yards and five touchdowns. Hunter cleared 60 yards in 10 of his 11 appearances and topped 100 yards four times.

Despite Cal going 4-8, Hunter was an All-Pac-12 Second Team selection by Phil Steele and Pro Football Focus.

This season, Hunter played in all 13 games and made a career-best 62 receptions for 703 yards and a career-best seven touchdowns.

Hunter finished second among Pac-12 receivers in contested catches during the 2023 campaign, bringing in 14 of his 21 contested targets, per PFF. The only player with more? Washington’s Rome Odunze, the man Hunter will be tasked with replacing.

A Biletnikoff finalist this season, Odunze is expected to declare for the NFL Draft once UW’s season concludes. Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan could follow him to the pros. Of course, all three receivers could return for another year. But McMillan might be the only one of the group who would be better served by another year in school.

Hunter is the Huskies’ seventh known transfer pledge of the winter window, joining quarterback Will Rogers (Mississippi State), tight end Tre Watson (Fresno State), offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi (San Diego State), defensive linemen Sebastian Valdez (Montana State) and BJ Green (Arizona State), and linebacker Ethan Barr (Vanderbilt).