Jordan Paopao has always looked for local talent.
During his two years as UW’s tight ends coach, Paopao has recruited 14 high school tight ends. All but four originated in the Pacific Northwest. Five—David Ajamu, Drew Sample, Hunter Bryant, Cade Otton, and Devin Culp—were from Washington.
And Paopao has the opportunity to recruit his sixth Washington native in 2027.
Zach Albright, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound tight end from Snohomish, revealed his pledge to the Huskies in a message on his social media channels on Monday evening. He is the 12th player to join UW’s 2027 recruiting class and the third local recruit.
According to the 247Sports composite ranks, Albright is a three-star prospect, the No. 6 player in Washington, the No. 30 tight end, and the No. 500 player nationally. Among other scholarship offers, Albright received offers from California, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas A&M, Utah, and Wisconsin.
Albright is a three-sport athlete at Glacier Peak High, competing in basketball, track and field, where he is a high jumper and long jumper. In 2025, as a junior, he contributed to No. 13 Glacier Peak’s 38-18 triumph over No. 4 Chiawana in the first round of the WIAA Class 4A playoffs, before losing to eventual champions Sumner in the state quarterfinals. In March, Albright and the Glacier Peak basketball team placed sixth in the WIAA Class 4A state tournament.
Albright visited UW multiple times last season, including trips during Washington’s 42-25 triumph over Illinois on October 25, its 26-14 defeat against Oregon on November 29, and its recent junior weekend on March 7.
With Albright’s commitment, UW has received commitments from three of the state’s top seven prospects. Sumner wide receiver Braylon Pope, the composite top player in the state during the 2027 recruiting cycle, and Graham-Kapowsin cornerbacks Maurice Williams have already committed to join the Huskies.
Tevita Nonu, a defensive lineman for O’Dea and the composite No. 2 player in the state, will officially visit UW on June 5, while Gecova Doyal, an offensive lineman for Puyallup and the composite No. 5 player, will officially visit the Huskies on June 19. Washington was the second Power Four institution to provide Rashaun Lavata’i, a promising offensive lineman from Curtis Senior High.
If Albright joins Washington, he will be Paopao’s first local recruit since returning to the Huskies with coach Jedd Fisch in 2024. During Paopao’s three most recent recruiting cycles, UW has relied extensively on Oregon for tight end recruiting.
The tight end coach signed Charlie Crowell from Summit High in Bend, Ore. , in 2024, followed by Baron Naone from West Linn High and Austin Simmons from West Albany High in 2025. UW acquired Sam Vyhlidal from Lake Oswego High in 2026 and then flipped Kekua Aumua, a long-time Florida commit who played his final season of high school football at Kahuku High in Hawai’i.
Albright, on the other hand, is not Paopao’s most recent acquisition from the state; Culp joined the Huskies in 2018. During the 2023 recruitment cycle, the tight ends coach included Dorian Thomas to Arizona. He also acquired tight end Kade Eldridge, a Lynden native who played at Lynden Christian, through the transfer portal from USC.
