Déjà vu in Montlake? The Washington Huskies are heavily recruiting Sione Kaho, whose family has a surprising history with the program. His older brother’s past departure to a rival left a lingering question mark. Will Sione’s recruitment rewrite the Kaho family’s college football story, or will history repeat itself?

University of Washington football coaches are currently making a robust push for the talents of Sione Kaho, a highly-touted junior quarterback, marking a fascinating continuation of a family recruitment narrative within the storied program. This intensified interest in Sione, now a prime target for Jedd Fisch’s revitalized staff, brings to mind an earlier, equally dramatic pursuit involving his older brother, Ale Kaho, many years prior.

Sione Kaho, a dynamic 6-foot-2, 205-pound signal-caller from Tacoma’s Lincoln High School, has rapidly emerged as a significant prospect for top-tier collegiate programs. His upcoming unofficial visit to Husky Stadium for the season opener against Colorado State underscores the Washington Huskies’ serious commitment to securing his verbal pledge and adding his considerable skills to their future roster.

The Kaho family name first entered the Husky Football lexicon approximately seven years ago when then-coach Chris Petersen’s staff mounted an aggressive campaign to recruit Ale Kaho. Ale, then considered one of the nation’s premier linebacker prospects, initially flipped his commitment from BYU to the Huskies, signaling a major recruiting coup for the program.

However, the promising recruitment of Ale Kaho took an unexpected turn shortly after. Despite signing with Washington, Ale never made it to fall camp, citing unforeseen family issues. This provided an opening for Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide to convince him to flip once more, much to Petersen’s chagrin, as Ale subsequently joined the formidable SEC powerhouse in Tuscaloosa.

Now, his younger brother Sione is navigating his own high-stakes recruitment. He boasts an impressive array of scholarship offers from prominent institutions, including Arizona State, BYU, California, Oregon, Stanford, Utah, and Washington State, in addition to the Huskies. Interestingly, Alabama has also reportedly shown interest in Sione, mirroring the past, though a formal offer has not yet materialized.

As a 4-star recruit, much like his sibling was, Sione Kaho presents as a young, tough-minded quarterback equipped with a powerful arm, characteristics that will undoubtedly draw even more attention as his recruitment cycle progresses. His presence on the national stage is expected to intensify, making his ultimate decision a focal point of college football recruiting discussions.

Ale Kaho’s journey at Alabama, while impactful on special teams—where he notably blocked three punts and returned one for a touchdown against Mississippi—did not see him crack the starting lineup on a consistent basis. His role remained primarily in special teams, a testament to the depth and talent within the Crimson Tide program.

The lingering question for many within the college football landscape remains: would Ale Kaho’s career trajectory have been different had he honored his commitment to Montlake, even with subsequent coaching changes? This historical context adds an intriguing layer to Sione Kaho’s current recruitment, as the Huskies aim to solidify a pivotal connection with the talented family.