Local prep star Benning Potoa'e followed in the footsteps of his big brother Sione today by committing to play college football for the Washington Huskies. Potoa'e is the Dawgs' 23rd known commit in the 2015 class, and represents a major recruiting win for second-year head coach Chris Petersen.

With an FBS-ready 6-4, 265 lb. frame, Potoa'e is expected to be in the mix for immediate playing time as Washington works to rebuild a defensive line that lost all four of its starters in 2014 to graduation. Potoa'e is ranked by Scout.com as the nation's No. 179 prospect, and its No. 18 recruit at defensive end.

After originally narrowing his choice to Washington and Oregon State, the Huskies appeared to be in the driver's seat for Potoa'e's commitment following Mike Riley's departure to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, but were forced to compete against a strong late push from UCLA's Jim Mora. However, Husky fans were encouraged by news that Potoa'e's family hosted Petersen for an in-home visit last night, and that work seems to have paid off in the form of the four-star recruit's decision to attend UW.

With Benning's choice made public, Chris Petersen has now landed commitments from the state of Washington's top prospects for two years running. Last year, just weeks after accepting the UW head coaching position, Petersen secured the services of Bellevue High School's Budda Baker, who was a stalwart in the Husky defensive secondary as a true freshman.