3 UW Underclassmen On the Fence Over Staying or Pursuing NFL

While others are certain to leave early, this trio could go either way.

More than a dozen seniors are exiting the University of Washington football roster, plus junior quarterback Dylan Morris, who is headed to James Madison as a transfer and the projected starter.

Then there are the juniors with nothing else to prove by coming back, Huskies such as wide receivers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk, edge rusher Bralen Trice, offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, defensive back Jabbar Muhammad and running back Dillon Johnson. They're as good as gone to the NFL, with Polk declaring his intentions on Tuesday.

Yet there is a third smaller grouping of UW players who would best be called the fence-sitters, guys contemplating whether to stay for another season of college football or pursue pro football dreams.

This is a much smaller group of Huskies, who will take a much longer look on what to do next, on whether another season in Montlake is necessary to improve their chances at the next level.

In this case, these guys include sophomore offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten, fifth-year senior safety Asa Turner and fifth-year junior linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala, all eligible to come back.

As the season reached the postseason level, Rosengarten and Turner each acknowledged they would get a better reading on how they're perceived by the NFL scouts before choosing a forward path.

Tuputala, however, stopped short of indicating whether he considers his football future even a question yet the  wouldn't automatically say he was coming back and playing a final season available to him either.

"I haven't really been thinking about that," Tuputala said before the CFP title game. "To be honest, I've just been focused on what we have to do now. I guess one of those. We'll get there when we get there."

Tuputala comes off his second season as a starter for Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff, opening in 27 games in all. He comes off a season in which he finished fourth on the team in tackles with 69, plus his 76-yard interception return against Utah should have been a touchdown but wasn't.

Turner, injuring both hands, started just five of the 15 Husky games. He might have to play another season to put more performance on film for the pro scouts to draft him.

"Now that I have an option is an interesting factor," Turner said. "Going into the year, I said it was my last year and everything, and it really was my last year eligibility-wise. I have the option. It's something I'll talk to the coaches about. I'm still thinking about things."

Rosengarten is a promising NFL prospect who might be better served playing a fifth season at the UW to become a high draft choice, similar to what fellow tackle Troy Fautanu did this past fall.

The 6-foot-6, 300-pound Rosengarten similarly had one of his most difficult outings as a 28-game Husky starter against Michigan, drawing four penalties in the title game.

If nothing else, he might want to leave Montlake on better terms. Leading up to the Apple Cup, he acknowledged his NFL interest and departing early were possibilities. 

Yet he might decide to stay and move to left tackle next season for the Huskies, replace Fautanu and assume a line role that is referred to as the NFL's "money position."

"If the opportunity presents itself, that's been my dream since I've been a little kid," Rosengarten said. "Right now, I'm focused on putting the best film out there and helping this team win games."

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