Transfers Aaron Dumas and Lonyatta Alexander Jr. took different routes to UW, but both intend to make an impact

Aaron Dumas wanted to play for Kalen DeBoer.

Just not (yet) at Washington.

Dumas — a three-star running back out of El Paso, Texas, in the 2021 class — received scholarship offers from New Mexico, Air Force, Arizona State, Arkansas State, Fresno State, Houston, Liberty, San Diego State, SMU and more.

It should have been a longer list.

In an unfathomable junior season at Americas High School in 2019, Dumas was named to The Associated Press Texas Class 6A first team — rushing for 3,184 yards (263.5 yards per game) and 36 touchdowns in just 12 games. In all, the 5-foot-9, 208-pound running back, track sprinter and wrestler eclipsed 100 rushing yards in all 26 career contests, while averaging 234 yards per game and 8.1 yards per carry.

The numbers were noteworthy — in Texas, no less.

But the pandemic limited Dumas’ opportunities for widespread exposure.

“Things definitely didn’t go as well as I wanted them to in recruiting,” the sophomore running back said Wednesday. “A lot of things didn’t go well — especially (not) going to camps, people seeing me on visits, going on official and unofficial visits. I didn’t have those opportunities. It kind of did shell shock my recruiting a lot. I ultimately had to make a decision kind of quick and settle with that.”

So, he settled with New Mexico — but only after Fresno State ran out of available spots. Three-star California tailbacks Jordan Hornbeak and Johnathan Arceneaux made verbal pledges to DeBoer before Dumas felt comfortable committing.

“Coach DeBoer, (running backs coach Lee) Marks, they all know I wanted to go with them the first time,” Dumas said with a smile.

Instead, he led the Lobos with 658 rushing yards and 4.8 yards per carry in 11 games last fall, the first freshman to accomplish that feat since 2002. He was named New Mexico’s offensive MVP at the program’s postseason awards banquet as well.

Ironically, his best game came against — you guessed it — Fresno State, when Dumas piled up 143 rushing yards, 6.2 yards per carry and a touchdown in an otherwise uncompetitive 34-7 Lobo loss.

And, after entering the transfer portal this offseason, Dumas found a second chance in Seattle.

“My running style is like this: I like to hit the hole, and that’s one thing I do pride myself on. Being a smaller guy, you have to have the heart to go in there and do it,” Dumas said Wednesday, tapping on his chest. “Life comes full circle. I’m here with (DeBoer and Marks) now, with a great staff around me, great system, great foundation here.”

When it comes to full circle situations, Lonyatta Alexander Jr. can certainly relate. The former four-star wide receiver starred alongside Sam Huard and Jabez Tinae at Kennedy Catholic High School from 2018 to 2021, before spurning the hometown Huskies to sign with Arizona State. But after appearing in just two games and failing to catch a pass as a freshman last fall, Alexander transferred to UW in January.

The 6-1, 200-pound wideout and Auburn native admitted Wednesday that “I wanted to see what I could do for myself growing up as an individual, leaving Sam (Huard) and Bez (Tinae) back home.”

But home, he found, can also be healing. Alexander felt that inside Husky Stadium on Nov. 13, when Arizona State left Seattle with a rainy 35-30 road win.

“It was weird, for sure. It felt good, coming back home and just being in the atmosphere and being in the environment,” Alexander said of that game. “It felt weird being on the guest side instead of the home side. I kind of felt that energy, that vibe like, ‘I need to be here. This is my home.’ A couple months later I decided to transfer back home.”

Still, same as with Huard and Tinae, Alexander won’t be handed a starting spot. Washington’s wide receiver room already features a gaggle of capable pass-catchers — including Jalen McMillan, Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, Taj Davis and Giles Jackson.

Alexander’s homecoming parade will have to be earned.

“He’s got to get really dialed into the playbook. Obviously he just got here, so that comes as no surprise,” said UW associate head coach and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard. “He’s got great hands. He’s got one of the best sets of hands in the room right now, so he can catch the ball really well. He does a great job releasing at the line of scrimmage. He’s actually got more foot quickness for a bigger, thicker guy than what you anticipate.

“We’ve got to work with him a little bit on being able to stem his routes the way we want him to, and then also we’ve got to work on some speed up and down the field. So those things we’ll work on with him through the offseason, get him in our speed school and things of that nature to really help him with those things and get better. But certainly, you talk about a kid who’s hungry, extremely hungry. He wants it. He believes in himself. Very confident. I’m excited just to coach him.”

Dumas may have more immediate opportunities in Seattle — considering the injuries to Richard Newton, Cameron Davis, Emeka Megwa, Sam Adams II and Camden Sirmon (who has not participated in UW’s last two practices) this spring. Alongside Dumas, UW is bringing in two other running back transfers in Virginia’s Wayne Taulapapa and Nebraska’s Will Nixon — while other tailbacks will likely leave the program this summer.

The running back room is certainly in flux, perhaps more so than any other position.

Meanwhile, Dumas said Wednesday that “we have a great offense, and I’m looking to do more — be more of a weapon catching the ball.”

That goes both for Dumas and Alexander.