3 Best UW Position Battles to Watch in Fall Camp
More than 100 University of Washington football players, motivated to please a new coaching staff plus put a horrendous 4-8 season behind them, report to fall camp on Thursday morning.
Many of the returning Huskies appear far slimmer and trimmer than anyone can recall after following an upgraded strength and conditioning program. Others should be fully healed from assorted wounds suffered last season.
As Kalen DeBoer brings everyone together in warm weather that surely will remind him more of Fresno State than Seattle, the first-year coach and his staff roughly have a month to determine the starters and who goes where before playing for real.
That said, here are three major position battles unfolding that should keep everyone riveted over the next four weeks. Not to dismiss any competition, but quarterback is not included because it would be a big surprise if dual-threat Michael Penix Jr. doesn't take the field against Kent State after watching him in action for 15 practices this past spring.
Running Back
Once practice begins, Lee Marks should be the happiest guy in the UW program. The new running-backs coach finally will have more than a couple of guys to work with for the first time since coming to Montlake. Pickings were awful thin in April.
Back are the only two healthy runners from spring practice, New Mexico transfer Aaron Dumas and redshirt freshman Jay'Veon Sunday.
Healthy again are Richard Newton and Cam Davis, veterans who each drew at least one start in 2021 but sat out all of spring practice, plus the highly regarded Sam Adams, who's been injured for nearly all of his two seasons and not played yet.
Add to them Virginia transfer Wayne Taulapapa and Nebraska transfer Will Nixon, one who played a lot in the ACC and the other who didn't in the Big Ten.
Taking one guy from each group, this is how we see it unfold initially: 1) Dumas, 2) Taulapapa and 3) Newton.
Dumas has the lone 100-yard game on the college level among all seven backs standing in line and he picked up a full spring of reps, Taulapapa brings experience in 27 ACC starts and Newton scored 11 touchdowns for the UW in 2019, both rushing and receiving.
Dumas and Taulapapa were pulled from the transfer portal and deemed as good fits for the DeBoer spread offense and Newton previously was recruited by this coaching staff.
Linebacker
This is another position with a potential backup that stretches out like vehicles lined up on the 520 floating bridge on game day. Expect Carson Bruener, the budding sophomore star, to secure one position right away. Look for Pittsburgh transfer Cam Bright and Alabama-Birmingham transfer Kris Moll, both sixth-year seniors, to battle for the other side, with promising sophomore Alphonzo Tuputala telling everyone not to count him out.
If someone beats out Bruener, whose 16-tackle game against Stanford as a debut starter is still fresh in everyone's minds, then you'll know the UW linebacking corps is in exceedingly dependable hands.
Bruener and Bright, who's coming off a 26-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Michigan State, would seem to be logical choices as the starters for the season opener against Kent State.
Moll, however, is a two-time All-Conference USA selection who's fully capable of taking over inside. Tuputala is considered ready to go and will get his minutes.
Where the fun really starts is when Edefuan Ulofoshio, who Pro Football Focus will tell you is the best linebacker in the country, comes back at midseason off his knee injury and expects to reclaim his spot.
Right Tackle
This starting job belonged to Henry Bainivalu the past two seasons. Victor Curne had it all spring. Bainivalu has dropped 15-20 pounds while he's coming off an injury and trying to reclaim what was once his. Curne, a two-year starter at right tackle, is getting comfortable there after being deemed an interior lineman by the DeBoer coaching staff.
One of these past starters will have to sit. We don't think it will be Bainivalu, who is older and likely more fit, depending, of course, on that injury that restricted him from contact in the spring. No one has said Curne is done with right tackle either.
Of course, touted redshirt freshmen Myles Murao and Geirean Hatchett have paid their dues for two seasons and likely expect to play this coming campaign.
The new staff knows this line didn't perform up to acceptable levels in 2021 and won't let that happen again.
Coming out of spring, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said senior center Corey Luciano and sophomore guard/tackle Troy Fautanu had established themselves as starters, this while the Huskies were waiting on an eligibility decision for sixth-year senior offensive tackle Jaxson Kirkland.
The other positions, namely right guard, remain up for grabs.
Against Kent State, the offensive-line starters, right to left, we think will be Kirkland at left tackle, Fautanu at left guard, Luciano at center, Bainivalu at right guard and redshirt freshman Roger Rosengarten at right tackle.
Let the fall head-banging begin.
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