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After announcing his commitment to the Washington Huskies late on Friday night, four-star safety Isala Aisa Wily-Ava made safeties coach Taylor Mays breathe a sigh of relief.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound product of St. John Bosco High School in Southern California, who is ranked as the No. 414 overall prospect and No. 38 safety in the 2027 class by the 247Sports Composite, has been sitting atop the board for Jedd Fisch's coaching staff since Mays took the job in Seattle, and his acquisition gives the Huskies a versatile piece in the down safety role for defensive coordinator Ryan Walters' scheme.
Alex McLaughlin played that role extremely effectively in 2025, tallying 89 tackles, 3 for loss, 6 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and a fumble recovery on his way to an All-Big Ten honorable mention. With his size and athleticism, Wily-Ava gives the Huskies great depth at the position with his impending departure after Paul Mencke Jr. and Gavin Day impressed during spring practice.
On film, Wily-Ava shows off all the traits that both Walters and Mays covet on the back end, which could help him see the field early in his college career.
His instincts stand out quickly, and although he recorded just a single interception during his junior year after bringing in 7 as a sophomore, his eyes and ability to place himself in the right spot, both in coverage and while defending the run, could lead to him being deployed all over the formation at the college level.
Wily-Ava is a very strong tackler and plays with the desired physicality to walk down into the box to defend the run, but his size and length could also help the Huskies cause a lot of issues for opposing offenses in coverage. Combined with Day, who displayed elite range and physicality throughout spring practice, having a pair of long, athletic safeties—without mentioning the speed that Freshman All-American Rylon Dillard-Allen provides—can allow Walters to get creative when he deploys three safety looks, which was his counter for two tight end sets in 2025.
Under Walters, Mays, and secondary coach John Richardson, the Huskies have emphasized size, length, and physicality on the back end of the defense, and Wily-Ava, who chose UW over 28 other offers, brings yet another boost of those traits as the program looks to continue moving forward in the Big Ten.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Isala Aisa Wily-Ava brings elite traits to Washington Huskies
Continue reading...
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound product of St. John Bosco High School in Southern California, who is ranked as the No. 414 overall prospect and No. 38 safety in the 2027 class by the 247Sports Composite, has been sitting atop the board for Jedd Fisch's coaching staff since Mays took the job in Seattle, and his acquisition gives the Huskies a versatile piece in the down safety role for defensive coordinator Ryan Walters' scheme.
Alex McLaughlin played that role extremely effectively in 2025, tallying 89 tackles, 3 for loss, 6 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and a fumble recovery on his way to an All-Big Ten honorable mention. With his size and athleticism, Wily-Ava gives the Huskies great depth at the position with his impending departure after Paul Mencke Jr. and Gavin Day impressed during spring practice.
On film, Wily-Ava shows off all the traits that both Walters and Mays covet on the back end, which could help him see the field early in his college career.
His instincts stand out quickly, and although he recorded just a single interception during his junior year after bringing in 7 as a sophomore, his eyes and ability to place himself in the right spot, both in coverage and while defending the run, could lead to him being deployed all over the formation at the college level.
Wily-Ava is a very strong tackler and plays with the desired physicality to walk down into the box to defend the run, but his size and length could also help the Huskies cause a lot of issues for opposing offenses in coverage. Combined with Day, who displayed elite range and physicality throughout spring practice, having a pair of long, athletic safeties—without mentioning the speed that Freshman All-American Rylon Dillard-Allen provides—can allow Walters to get creative when he deploys three safety looks, which was his counter for two tight end sets in 2025.
Under Walters, Mays, and secondary coach John Richardson, the Huskies have emphasized size, length, and physicality on the back end of the defense, and Wily-Ava, who chose UW over 28 other offers, brings yet another boost of those traits as the program looks to continue moving forward in the Big Ten.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Isala Aisa Wily-Ava brings elite traits to Washington Huskies
Continue reading...
