UW Huskies mailbag: Can Washington compete nationally without five-star recruits?

A month from now, spring practice at Washington will have begun.

But until then? Well, all we can do is wait — and wonder. We can ask the same old questions in different ways. We can contemplate John Donovan’s offensive system and the limited options at quarterback. We can set outsized expectations for a potentially dominant UW defense. We can hope and dream and submerge ourselves in year-old highlights — all while washing our hands every five-to-seven minutes.

So here’s a mailbag (as well as another reminder to stop touching your face).

How can we compete nationally without 5 star recruits? Oregon may have figured that out. What can WE do to get them? — Gary Beard

To be fair, Washington has…