Jed Fisch is preparing to throw a big party Friday night at Husky Stadium, welcoming curious fans to see what he's been up to over the past month with the University of Washington football team. , the new coach still has one big concern.
He has plenty of skilled players to choose from, but he will have to piece together some kind of offensive line if he is to survive the spring finale in front of an expected large crowd that includes many program VIPs. The Huskies are legendary offensive tackles: offensive tackle Lincoln Kennedy, safety Milloy, defensive tackle Danny Shelton, and quarterback Jake Locker (one-time All-American and one-time top-10 draft pick). ) will serve as the honorary coach. Vita Vea, a former UW All-American and current defensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is another graduate who has indicated he will participate in the spring finals.Activities begin at 6:30 p.m.
The good news for the Fish is that they have finished 14 practices in pretty good shape so far in terms of avoiding long-term injuries that could derail the fall football season and dealing with transfer portals. That's what I'm doing.
They lost only one player, senior edge rusher Zach Durfee, to a late spring injury that required surgical repair. Durfee left spring practice Saturday with his right elbow in a sling and grimacing. His coach claims his rehabilitation will take less than two months.
As for the portal, the Fish didn't lose any established players, instead saying goodbye to 6-foot-5, 187-pound four-star quarterback prospect Damaricus Davis. Dermaricus Davis left after being the second-best freshman signal caller in the spring. Anthony James, a 6-foot-5, 272-pound defensive tackle who puts the ball behind Damond Williams Jr., was once a touted Texas recruit, but his brief stint in Husky football was Then, he couldn't establish his position or stay healthy.
Offensively, the Fish will be splitting a very capable quarterback in Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers and Williams, a promising running back, and a pretty solid group of receivers. Again, the O-line will include everyone available, including all walk-ons at the end.
Defensively, even if Durfee is relegated to the bleachers, coaches will need at least two things in place for him to perform well.
Notably, the Huskies' offensive line has gone from a team filled with players who were touted as college football's best, won the Joe Moore Award, and are currently in the NFL or SEC to a young, injury-rehabilitating line. turned into a very inexperienced team, with Fish almost left behind. All young puppies working together.
This particular situation will not be fully addressed until the spring game is played and the transfer portal is fully explored. How Fisch ultimately handles this issue could determine whether the Huskies finish with a seven- or eight-win season, or double-digit wins in their first year in the Big Ten.
The portal remains a hot spot for finding quality O-line personnel, but UW's early efforts have been close to underwhelming so far. The Huskies have signings from FCS players and Sun Belt products that lean toward the lighter end compared to the players already on the Fish roster.
One of the problems with retaining fully qualified FBS top-level linemen is that some of the early targets come through Montlake, names that cost ridiculous amounts of money, even if they only play one season. They are demanding image and portrait rights.
Below is a position-by-position breakdown of who will be in uniform and what to expect as spring football comes to a festive end.
quarterback –Rogers vs. Williams. A 6th grade senior and a real 1st grade student. Place your arms on your legs. 12,315 yards passer vs. zero start. With question marks hanging over the Huskies' offensive line, Fisch will need to do everything he can to keep them healthy throughout next season. He's going to need both.
Will Rogers, a transfer from Mississippi State, will be on display during the spring game.
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running return — Junior Jonah Coleman will compete in carries with true freshman Adam Muhammad, the Fish's pair of Arizona imports. The compact Coleman resembles a bowling ball with his overly physical running style, while the speedy Muhamed has the ability to get into open space and progress. Holdover Huskies in senior Cam Davis and junior Sam Adams II will be notable despite limited participation in the spring due to injury problems.
Receiving machine — Unless the Fish choose to mix up pass catchers from their recent rotation, one group will include sophomore Denzel Boston, seniors Giles Jackson and Jeremiah Hunter, and the other group will include redshirt They will be joined by freshmen Rashid Williams and Keith Reynolds, as well as freshman Audric Harris. Boston was the Huskies' most impressive spring performer at any position, catching just about everything thrown at him. At tight end, senior Quentin Moore will likely be placed on one side with sophomore Ryan Otton and freshman Decker DeGraaf on the other, with DeGraaf quickly getting to his comfort level. It will bring a spring surprise.
In the offensive line, Kali Tafai (71 years old) and Drew Azzopardi (74 years old) play on the right side of the line and break up the crowd.
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offensive line — The Huskies basically have one unit available for the spring game and a few subs to change things up. The No. 1 group at the end of regular practice was redshirt freshman Thorne Faasolo at left tackle, freshman Paki Finau at left guard, redshirt freshman Zach Henning at center, and redshirt freshman Zach Henning at right guard. It consisted of Karlie Tafai and sophomore San Diego transfer Drew Azzopardi at right guard. Tackle. Azzopardi may be the only one in the starting lineup for the season opener against Weber State. A year from now, all of these members could form the most promising team. O-line, everything is physically filled out and we fully understand what is required. Sophomore center Landen Hatchett and junior offensive guard Guard Memelard, who is rehabbing from a knee injury, will be of note.
defense line — Durfee and Isaiah Ward, the school's No. 1 edge rusher who transferred to Arizona, may both miss this game due to injury, but there are plenty of players who can play. The first unit will likely offer Edge a front four of sophomores Lance Holtzclaw and Jacob Lane, along with sophomore defensive linemen Javon Parker and Montana State senior transfer Sebastian Valdez. Dew. The second group should feature senior Voi Tonufi and Arizona junior transfer Russell Davis II on the edges, flanked by senior Jacob Bandes and redshirt freshman Elinneus Davis. is.
Sebastian Ward is a freshman on the college defensive line.
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linebacker — The Huskies have no shortage of veteran, experienced linebackers, with seniors Carson Bruner and Alfonzo Tuputala the first to hit the ground running, followed by seniors Drew Fowler and Bryn Parham, a transfer from San Jose State. followed. All but Fowler were named All-Conference honorable mention. Tuputala and Fowler are in their sixth season. The defense will be built around them and their leadership.
secondary — If the recent rotation holds, UW's first group of defensive backs will include junior Arizona transfer Efesians Prysock and senior Thaddeus Dixon at corner, senior Cam Fabiklanan and junior Maykel Ess at safety. It could consist of a teenager and junior Dyson McCutcheon at nickelback. The second unit features returning junior starter Elijah Jackson and redshirt freshman Leroy Bryant at corner, redshirt freshman Vincent Holmes and freshman Peyton Waters at safety, Indiana's redshirt freshman There is likely to be freshman nickel transfer Jordan Shaw.
kickers — The Huskies have one of the most reliable kickers at the collegiate level in junior Grady Gross and a returning second-year starter at punter in junior Jack McAllister, a move to the Fish coaching staff. It is a gift from the special team. Backing them both up is former Illinois State junior Adam Sole.
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