5 Positions to Watch as UW Football Fall Camp Opens

Having had three months to wind and rewind the video on everything that happened during spring football, Kalen DeBoer and his University of Washington staff open fall camp on Wednesday looking to see what they can improve on before embarking on a much-anticipated season.

Can Zion Tupuola-Fetui return to his full edge-rushing glory of 2020?

Will Matteo Mele remain the starting center?

Will Cam Davis hold off Dillon Johnson as the No. 1 running back?

Who will be the starting place-kicker?

Is the secondary fixed?

Similar to the 1991 high-bar team, the Huskies have a chance to win every regular-season game they enter and be in the conversation for league and national championships — with one noticeable advantage.

DeBoer's team has a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback in Michael Penix Jr., whereas Don James' team of 32 years ago had its Rose Bowl MVP QB in Mark Brunell knocked down by a spring knee injury and his replacement Billy Joe Hobert entering that milestone season as the great unknown.

As it turned out, Hobert was a cool-under-fire gunslinger, which is how people describe Penix, a most important ingredient for a team to run the table.

What this 2023 Husky team doesn't have is the monstrous Steve Emtman rising out of a stance with steam coming out of his ears, yet a combination of Bralen Trice and ZTF coming hard off the edges as disruptors could be enough to compensate. Let's start right there in examining the finer points of what the UW needs in order to beat everyone.

Can ZTF Channel 2020?

Three seasons ago, Tupuola-Fetui was this hulking, greatly feared defensive player no one could stop, with the exception of Stanford, which sent two maybe three guys at him to neutralize him. Yet he was so good at coming off the edge that people immediately labeled him a future first-round pick and an All-America candidate.

Then, of course, his Achilles snapped. ZTF was a Cinderella sequel, with the horse-drawn carriage and the fancy party dress disappearing at midnight, leaving him in tatters and hardly recognizable.

The thing about ZTF is he's a smart kid. The sixth-year senior has been humbled, both by getting hurt and not being the main man again once he became healthy, even dropping down to reserve duty. Yet he understands what's out there for him and that only he can make big things happen again.

While he once carried a 6-foot-4, 280-pound physique, ZTF lists out at 26 pounds lighter entering camp. He's a starter again. He's been totally committed to restoring his reputation and rebuilding his draft profile. He could be the difference, along with healthy linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio, in making the Huskies great on defense.

A Mele Melee

Another sixth-year senior, Mele has a last name that doesn't quite match his personality. He's got plenty of offensive-line skills, but he's not a brawler or a yeller on the football field.

He enters fall camp as the No. 1 center, having waited all this time for this opportunity. He's going to play this season, but it's still not clear exactly where. He's a little on the stoic side and DeBoer's staff has made it clear they need a communicator, a talker, when everyone breaks the huddle and looks across the line at the defense. That's how the graduated Corey Luciano won the job a year ago.

If Mele doesn't satisfy this requirement, look for the Huskies to move him to starting left guard and insert redshirt freshman Parker Brailsford or even freshman Landen Hatchett over the ball.

Back to the Future

Cam Davis is a tough back, a 13-touchdown scorer last fall, someone who has great speed but hasn't put it on full display quite yet in four seasons. He came out of the spring as the No. 1 tailback, but can he hold on to the job or will he be the first back off the bench again?

One reason why the pecking order is not clear is Johnson enters fall camp heathy after missing all but one spring football practice. That solitary outing alone showed the newcomer from the SEC has a sudden burst and a stealthy stiff arm while running the ball. Word is he might be a better receiver, too.

So for the next month, it will be up to Davis to show the DeBoer staff why he should start ahead of Johnson. He couldn't hold off Wayne Taulapapa a year ago in fall camp. Let the best man run the ball.

Just for Kicks

The Huskies enter fall camp with sophomores Grady Gross and Addison Shrock, neither of whom has a scholarship, competing for the kicking job.

Gross appears to have the stronger leg, but both should play this fall. The DeBoer staff likes to keep its point-making place-kicker fresh, hence they took the kickoff duties away from Peyton Henry last season and gave them to Gross.

This time, Gross should slide into Henry's role and Shrock could take over for Gross on kickoffs.

Why didn't the Huskies look for a transfer portal kicker? No one was better out there than what they have.

Secondary Issue

The Huskies have six new cornerbacks. Transfer portal cornerbacks. Freshmen cornerbacks. A JC cornerback. And some holdovers.

Can the UW secondary be better?

With former Oklahoma State corner starter Jabbar Muhammad holding court in Montlake, everything went up a notch with the last line of defense.

With sophomore Elijah Jackson healthy, the Huskies have the last vestige from the Jimmy Lake School of Pass Coverage ready to show itself, which is sort of a final gift from the departed leader and defensive-back developer.

All the Husky veteran safeties and nickelback have to do around them is be solid and let the cornerback upgrade kick in. Muhammad does not lack for confidence. He came to Seattle to become a high NFL draft pick. Opponents won't get off so easy throwing at the Huskies this season.

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