4-star CB Caleb Presley flips to Washington from Oregon: 'There's nothing like staying home'

Sammamish (Wash.) Rainier Beach four-star cornerback Caleb Presley originally committed to Oregon on July 5. But over the past few days, his pledge to the Ducks has been at risk.

Some mornings, Presley would wake up and feel good about Oregon. On others, he felt like Washington would be the best school for him. Head coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff won out, as Presley flipped to the Huskies on National Signing Day.

“Honestly, there’s nothing like staying home and being with your family,” Presley told On3. “I feel like being in front of my family just gives me that edge over my competition, cause I go harder when my family’s all around me. Staying home, I felt like it was a no-brainer for me just because I feel like I have a support system here and I can leave my legacy in the state of Washington.”

Despite being previously committed to the Ducks, Presley made multiple visits to Seattle. His most recent trip to Washington was on the weekend of Dec. 3 for an official.

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound defensive back was impressed by multiple aspects of Oregon, including its facilities. However, he feels like playing for the Huskies is a better option for his career, both on and off the field.

“I just started thinking about what is life like outside of football,” said Presley, the No. 161 overall prospect and No. 18 cornerback in the 2023 On3 Consensus. “Once I started thinking about that, I felt like there’s more opportunities for me at the University of Washington to pursue my dreams outside of football, and also connect with other people and network the way I want to.”

Presley believes in Washington’s future under DeBoer

DeBoer had an impressive inaugural season at Washington. He led the Huskies to a 10-2 regular season record and an Alamo Bowl berth against Texas.

That success stood out to Presley. He believes that DeBoer will take Washington to great heights in the coming seasons.

“I’ve seen DeBoer build young men of character at Washington,” Presley said. “I think that the team is a family. It’s not (only) a football team. They have a connection with each other and brotherhood. I think that coach DeBoer, his plans for the future aren’t to be 10-2. His plan for the future is to be 12-0 and win a Pac-12 Championship and hopefully, win a national championship at the University of Washington.”

DeBoer is not the only staffer who has impressed Presley and his family. Others are co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach William Inge, co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Chuck Morrell, cornerbacks coach Julius Brown and director of player personnel Courtney Morgan.

According to Presley, they made him feel like a “priority.” Their effort worked, as the No. 1 player in Washington is staying home.

“There’s nothing like my city, looking at that view of the U-Dub stadium and seeing the water and just imagining the fans in purple that are going to flood the stadium,” Presley said. “I just know that there’s no other environment like that and it would be hard for me to leave home, leave all that behind.”