The recruiting season is a tricky one for college teams, and selling the program requires diligence and something worth selling.

Coach Tyrone Willingham, having put in months of such diligence, finally was able to reap the rewards of his labor by signing 27 student athletes to play football under him in the spring, summer and fall.

“I’m hopeful then that our coaches did a great job,” Willingham said. “We want to recruit guys who match up well in our system.”

As opposed to last season, when there were a fair number of junior college transfers, the Husky coaching staff chose to sign just two such players this year in punter Jared Ballman and cornerback Byron Davenport.

One thing Willingham said was that he liked the overall toughness of his new players.

“It is a mental quality before it is a physical one,” he said. “We are looking for players with a mental toughness, who are diligent and have unwavering toughness and won’t back down from difficult situations. They then translate that to a physical toughness on the field.”

One player whom he outlined as having toughness is local product Nate Williams. Williams — projected at safety — helped Kennedy High School win a state championship. When asked what the soon-to-be freshman would bring to his team, Willingham simply said, “Athleticism, leadership, toughness. And he wants to be a Husky.”

This year was a lot easier for the Huskies to grab in-state talent, signing six in this class as opposed to four a year ago. Joining Williams are tight end Chris Izbicki from Lake Washington, defensive lineman Emeka Iweka and cornerback Vonzell McDowell from Rainier Beach, and running back Brandon Yakaboski from Mt. Si.

Izbicki, ranked as the No. 2 tight end in the country by Scout.com, has a chance to be a complete player for the Huskies.

“He has the ability to catch and run, and the ability to block,” Willingham said. “That’s very hard to find.”

Washington also recruited heavily into California, taking 14. Willingham likes the makeup of the class because of its depth. Including the ones mentioned, the Huskies will add a quarterback, five running backs, three receivers, a tight end, three offensive linemen, four defensive linemen, three linebackers, five defensive backs and two kickers.

“I like our depth,” Willingham said. “Both in number and in the ability to help this team down the road.”

Reach reporter Justin Chartrey at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.