Keith Price, a quarterback from Bellflower, Calif., said he knew well that Washington didn't have a commitment for its recruiting class of 2009 until he gave Husky coaches the good word today, and that there is conjecture about the future of UW coach Tyrone Willingham.

"That was my main hesitation (in not commiting earlier),'' he said today when he spoke with the Times after having told UW coaches he plans to sign with the Huskies next February. But he said his some of his worries were calmed in conversations with Willingham.

"I have faith in coach Willingham and the program and that he's going to turn it around,'' Price said. "So that's why I gave him my commitment.''

Price said he found Willingham to be "a great motivator, a very upbeat guy'' in his conversations, which also helped convince him to become a Husky.

Price, a 6-2, 181-pounder who is a dual threat in the Dennis Dixon mold, said it had been a fairly short courtship with Washington. He said he hadn't heard anything from UW coaches until June, when first-year assistant Brian White saw his highlights.

"Then after that they were talking about offering me and I was like 'where did that come from?''' he said.

Price visited UW in late June, attending the school's football camp, which helped further cement interest in him from the Huskies. He said UW offensive coordinator Tim Lappano told him that none of the other QBs in the camp had the combination of throwing and running. "He said I was perfect for them,'' Price said. "He said after Jake (Locker) leaves and I redshirt my freshmen year I could be ready to go.''

Price said he was leaning toward commiting during that visit but wanted to do a little more research on the school and talk with his parents. He also recently got an offer from Utah (and had one from Nevada) and said more interest was beginning to come in --- Louisville had also begun to talk with him and he said he's also spoken with Oregon and WSU (though UW is his only listed Pac-10 offer).

"I wanted to stay on the West Coast and I wanted to stay in the Pac-10,'' he said. "I got some looks from Louisville and they really liked me, but I didn't really want to go back East. I wanted to stay on the West Coast. ... Washington, I'm already used to the offense. It's the same kind of offense my high school is running so I thought it would be a perfect fit.''

Price has been described as being an "under-the-radar'' type who was only now beginning to get a lot of attention. He said it's in part because last year was his first as a starting QB at his high school and the team concentrated on its running game before the leading rusher was hurt midway through the season, allowing him to throw the ball a bit more.

But he said he has been playing football since age 7 and quarterback since age 8, so he's hardly a novice to the position.

He also plays basketball and ran one season of track.

Price said he hopes his commitment will help spur more recruits to cast their lot with UW. He said he had already spoken with receiver Kirby Moore of Prosser. He got to know Moore at the UW camp a few weeks ago.

"He's texting me right now saying he heard about it and congratulations,'' Price said. "I'm trying to get him up there. When I was at the camps I felt like I'd been with him forever becacuse he was catching everything I threw at him.''

Price said he has put on a few pounds and now weighs 181 and hopes to be 185-188 by next fall.