TAMPA, Fla. — Jett Washington spent most of his early years taking part in flag soccer and watching the Los Angeles Lakers on TV from his house in Las Vegas.
However often, Washington’s mom would get Lakers tickets from her youthful brother, and they’d make the quick journey to observe his favourite workforce in individual.
You would possibly bear in mind Washington’s uncle: the late, nice Kobe Bryant.
“He all the time made me really feel particular once I was with him,” mentioned Washington, who at 16 has grown right into a proficient two-sport athlete at Bishop Gorman Excessive Faculty in Las Vegas.
“Generally I really feel somewhat little bit of strain (being his nephew), however my dad and mom make sure that I don’t really feel it an excessive amount of. They inform me to only go on the market and have enjoyable, don’t attempt to overthink and simply play. My uncle was a fantastic participant. On the similar time, I do know he wished me to make my very own identify. He laid the inspiration for me. I’m simply grateful.”
It’s been greater than 4 years since Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and 7 others died in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. Washington was in Orlando, Fla., taking part in within the NFL Flag Soccer Championships when he obtained phrase his uncle and cousin had perished. He instantly flew house to be together with his mom, Sharia, Kobe’s oldest sister.
Washington wore Bryant’s previous jersey No. 24 on the OT7 Championships in Tampa a couple of weeks in the past. Washington’s workforce, Lo-Professional, misplaced within the semifinals to a workforce led by Class of 2025 Notre Dame quarterback dedication Deuce Knight.
Washington grew up taking part in basketball and flag soccer and didn’t play sort out soccer till he obtained somewhat older. He began dunking when he was within the eighth grade. It was when he turned 12, Washington mentioned, that he began considering he could be ok to be a professional in both sport.
He led Bishop Gorman’s basketball workforce final season as a sophomore to a 24-5 report and the Class 5A state championship in Nevada, averaging 14 factors and eight rebounds per sport. He scored 33 factors in a loss when Gorman performed at Crypto.com Enviornment in Los Angeles in January — the identical constructing the place his uncle’s retired jerseys grasp.
For now, Washington doesn’t have any basketball gives.
Notre Dame and Oregon sit on the high of his record of suitors in soccer. UCLA and Texas A&M are subsequent. Alabama and Ohio State haven’t supplied but, however he talks to their coaches usually. USC, his dream faculty, is one program he’s eagerly ready to listen to from.
“Jett likes Notre Dame and Oregon due to their historical past, particularly Notre Dame,” Washington’s father, Jerrod, mentioned after he watched his son play within the OT7 Match. “Notre Dame had (NFL All-Professional security) Kyle Hamilton a pair years in the past. They know the best way to work a 6-4 security.”
As a soccer participant, Washington is ranked No. 69 nationally within the 2026 cycle within the 247Sports Composite. He’s listed as an athlete, and a few scouts consider he’ll outgrow the protection place and can ultimately grow to be a receiver. He’s 6-foot-4, 180 kilos and nonetheless rising.
“He’s an interesting athlete,” mentioned John Garcia Jr., a nationwide recruiting analyst for Rivals, which ranks Washington No. 172 nationally. “At that physique kind, you’ll be able to see him getting in so many various instructions, particularly since he’s not solely younger, however younger to the game. He appeared actually good at security. He performed some receiver later within the event and it appeared fairly pure. The jury continues to be out on what he’ll be on the subsequent degree. He may very well be an outdoor linebacker, tight finish, receiver and even one in every of these hybrids.
“Groups are utilizing monster backs which can be jumbo nickels who can run with massive receivers and tight ends. I really suppose his instincts are his power. He didn’t enable many massive performs down the sphere in go protection. These ball expertise are one thing I didn’t essentially anticipate to see.”
247Sports ranks Washington No. 25 within the class, the very best amongst all 4 main scouting companies.
“It’s nonetheless very early within the cycle, however he’s the kind of athlete that we’re going to guess on at this stage,” mentioned Andrew Ivins, 247Sports’ nationwide recruiting analyst. “Initially, he was type of considered as a large receiver projection for us, however he performed primarily security as a sophomore and made an affect on the backend at one of many nation’s extra talent-rich applications as he flashed spectacular read-and-react means to go together with loads of vary.
“Then you definitely dig into the info, and also you get much more enthusiastic about his potential. Not many together with his body can transfer the best way he does in the case of altering instructions. I feel one of many greatest questions over the subsequent few years should do with the place he suits in. Is he an outsized security or a speed-and-space linebacker?”
As a sophomore, Washington recorded 37 tackles and tied for the workforce lead with two interceptions. Bishop Gorman went 12-0, gained the state title and completed No. 1 in MaxPreps’ nationwide rankings.
“My aim proper now’s to make the NFL as a security,” Washington mentioned. “But when I develop any taller, I’ll most likely transfer to receiver. I type of fell in love with security as a result of I like having the ability to make my very own performs and never need to rely on a quarterback throwing it to you or your (offensive) line blocking. However I might play receiver, too. Proper now, I’m a DB.”
Washington’s father performed working again at Virginia within the early Nineties. He led a 7-5 Cavaliers squad in dashing as a senior in 1993 with 871 yards and 5 touchdowns. Washington’s mom was a volleyball participant at Temple.
“He obtained a few of his athleticism from me, however he obtained his hops from his mother. She’s 5-10 and may dunk a tennis ball,” Jerrod Washington mentioned.
“With basketball, it’s a type of issues the place Jett’s a playmaker. He could make extra performs as a result of the ball is in his fingers continuously. Taking part in soccer, he likes security somewhat bit extra as a result of he could make extra performs. Which one is he higher at? It’s robust, however I feel soccer has extra of an edge proper now solely as a result of final yr was his first full yr of varsity basketball. Finally, he’ll need to decide. However some schools have advised him they’ll let him play each if he desires.”
Washington mentioned his son grew up taking part in basketball with Kobe and his daughter, Gigi, every time the household would go to L.A. Jett and Gigi had been a yr aside in age and really shut. Washington wears No. 2 — Gigi’s previous quantity — on the basketball court docket.
He mentioned he wears No. 5 on the soccer discipline to set himself aside.
“Jett was Kobe’s man,” Washington’s father mentioned. “Keep in mind, he had 4 ladies. Kobe used to inform me, ‘I would like him each summer time to come back work with me.’ He would give Jett phrases of knowledge. Anytime Jett would play in one thing, he’d ship his uncle a clip and Kobe would make a remark. Kobe would ship him again emojis or inform him to make this adjustment or that adjustment. They had been shut.”
Jett clearly will get his athleticism from his household. However about that identify?
“Joke, however that’s what John Travolta named his son and I beloved it,” Jerrod Washington mentioned. “I assumed it could be actually cool in sports activities or enterprise.”
Keep in mind the identify, Jett Washington.
He’s simply getting began.
(Photograph: Manny Navarro / The Athletic)