Colson

Yankoff

Yankoff (6'4/209) was listed as UCLA’s number-two quarterback entering fall camp, but evidently HC Chip Kelly has changed his mind on the Washington transfer’s most useful skill set. The wide receiver group’s depth chart appears to be locked-in already, with starters Chase Cota, Jaylen Erwin and Kyle Phillips all returning. Yankoff was rated as a four-star quarterback prospect and a top-100 overall recruit from the 2018 prep class. Tellingly, he apparently ran the fastest three-cone drill on Washington’s entire roster back in 2019, so his athleticism could translate well to a pass-catching role.

“I think everybody should be available,” Kelly said ahead of Thursday’s practice. “We don’t block anybody, that’s just our school and our [team] policy. So that’s a question for Washington, not us.” Yankoff (6'4/209) and UCLA were hoping to have an answer on his waiver request by now, as he’s expected to compete with sophomore Dorian Thompson-Robinson for the starting quarterback job. But with the redshirt freshman’s status still up in the air, there’s only so much that UCLA can do at this point.

Yankoff (6'4/209) joined the UCLA program this spring after spending a season at Washington, where he did not appear in a game in 2018. The redshirt freshman is a good fit for Chip Kelly’s offensive system, and he would add competition to the quarterback position with sophomore Dorian Thompson-Robinson being UCLA’s most experienced signal-caller. “We support [Yankoff] and hopefully we can get him eligible because he already sat a year because he redshirted last year,” Kelly said Wednesday at Pac-12 Media Day. The Bruins open fall camp July 31.

Yankoff (6'4/210) is likely the future quarterback of the Chip Kelly era. A 2018 four-star and top-100 recruit, Yankoff was unable to win a starting job at Washington, but before he left, Yankoff recorded the best three-cone time on the team. Yankoff is the prototypical Chip Kelly-type quarterback but he will be forced to sit this upcoming season unless he’s given an NCAA waiver.

Yankoff and Bruins HC Chip Kelly reportedly spoke very soon after the quarterback entered the transfer portal at the end of April. Unlike fellow QB Jacob Sirmon, who has pulled back from the portal and will remain with the Huskies, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Yankoff has shown no signs of a change of heart. In addition to UCLA, Nebraska is a program to watch when it comes to the former four-star’s transfer. Yankoff will be required to sit out the upcoming season with whichever team he ultimately joins, barring a surprise drop out of the FBS or an NCAA eligibility waiver.

Yankoff (6'3/195) is joined by teammate and fellow QB Jacob Sirmon as transfer-bound quarterbacks. The Huskies quarterback depth chart is loaded with talent, and both quarterbacks are going to have an easier path to playing time at another school. Finding new homes shouldn’t be difficult since they are both former top-100 prospects, so we should expect news on where they’re headed in the near future.

That led time led the entire football team, so we are talking about a special athlete for a quarterback. In 2018, 247Sports ranked Yankoff (6'3/195) as the No. 77 overall prospect, despite playing high school ball in Idaho. Yankoff is a name to remember.

Yankoff hails from the fertile football hotbed of Cour D’Alene, Idaho. After participating in an on-campus throwing session in Eugene on June 15, he locked in his commitment to Oregon on Saturday. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder has at least one notable fan -- 247Sports recruiting director Barton Simmons. He referred to Yankoff as having “a ton of arm talent.” Noted Simmons, “He’s been tucked away in Idaho. If he was from Houston or Miami or Los Angeles, he’d have as many offers as any quarterback in the 2018 class. I think this is a big pickup for Oregon because I think he’ll emerge as a top quarterback in the 2018 class.”

Yankoff (6'3/195) has been committed to Washington since March. He had previously spent time in Oregon’s corner. The Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, native has a brilliant arm and may well have seen more interest outside of the Pacific Northwest had he been from a more traditional recruiting hub in California, Texas or Florida. The 247Sports composite sees him home at No. 77 overall prospect in the 2018 class.