UW Fooball | Huskies' Garcia will be back

With six commitments in the past two weeks, there has been plenty of excitement over Washington's recruiting Class of 2008.

But one of UW's most important recruits may be a player already on the team, center Juan Garcia, who made it official Friday that he will return for another season. The fifth-year senior was granted a sixth year of eligibility last spring after missing two entire seasons earlier in his career because of injury.

After being named to the All-Pac-10 second team, Garcia had legitimate NFL options to explore, and he said he spent the past three weeks struggling with the decision before deciding Thursday to return.

Garcia said the clincher was when he heard that Tyrone Willingham would be back as Washington's coach next season.

"I put a lot of thought into it, and I wasn't really sure," Garcia said. "Then I had made up my mind that if coach Willingham wasn't coming back then I wasn't coming back. I was going to take my chances. But when I heard coach Willingham was coming back and especially coach Denbrock [offensive line coach Mike Denbrock], I decided to come back. I wasn't going to go through a whole new coaching change ... If he was gone, then I was gone, too.

"I still wasn't sure until I read in the paper that he was coming back, and I said, 'You know what? If he's coming back, then I'm coming back.' "

It's a big boost for UW's offensive line, which will now have four of five starters returning next season. The only loss is right tackle Chad Macklin, likely to be replaced by Cody Habben, who split time this year at left tackle with Ben Ossai.

Garcia said he had been invited to the Hula Bowl, an all-star game for graduating players in Honolulu next month, which made his decision harder.

"I was over there thinking, 'I could come back here for five days, all expenses paid, and all I have to do is say yes,' " he said. "But if everything goes good, I'll be back in Hawaii next year."

Garcia said he also talked it over with his mother, who was born in Mexico and has spent most of her life doing farmwork. He said she told him she didn't care about money and just wanted him to be happy.

Note

• Washington's recruiting class is ranked No. 18 nationally and third in the Pac-10 by Scout.comafter the recent spate of commitments, which include running back/safety Johri Fogerson from O'Dea and tight end Kavario Middleton from Lakes of Lakewood. Washington is scheduled to have at least 13 recruits in for official visits this weekend, though at least eight have already committed.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com