Inside The Huskies

5 Huskies Make Athlon Sports' Preseason All-America Team

Expectations continue to build as early All-America teams begin to roll out.
Roman Tomashoff|
5 Huskies Make Athlon Sports' Preseason All-America Team
5 Huskies Make Athlon Sports' Preseason All-America Team

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Washington Huskies

The Washington Huskies are bringing back an incredibly talented roster for the 2023 football season. After finishing No. 8 in the AP Poll following the end of the 2022 season, one of the biggest questions surrounding the team was what's next?

Some news outlets have ranked the Huskies as high as No. 5 in their early preseason polls and now individual accolades are starting to roll in. Athlon Sports recently released its 2023 Preseason All-America Team, which has five Huskies spread across its four squads.

Starting with the first team, the Huskies are represented on both sides of the ball. Rome Odunze was honored alongside Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka as the first-team wide receivers while edge rusher Bralen Trice was named to one of four defensive-line spots. Trice shares the honor with another product of Seattle who chose Ohio State like Egbuka, defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau.

Over the next three teams, the Huskies are evenly distributed. The second team holds Odunze's running mate at wide receiver, Jalen McMillan. Washington's other 1,000-yard receiver shares the honor with an Alamo Bowl opponent in Texas' Xavier Worthy and a coming opponent in USC's Dorian Singer. Laiatu Latu, Washington transfer and current UCLA edge rusher, also was named to the second team.

Washington's most recognizable face, quarterback Michael Penix Jr., finds himself on the third team. 2022 Heisman winner, USC's Caleb Williams earned first-team honors while North Carolina's Drake Maye was selected over Penix for the second team. 

Finally, offensive tackle Troy Fautanu was named to the fourth team. Another former Husky joins Fautanu on the final squad, Cal linebacker Jackson Sirmon. 

The five Huskies also account for the most in the Pac-12, just ahead of USC, which had three players make the Athlon list.

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Roman Tomashoff
ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios. 

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