Against UC Davis, Bryce Butler Became Husky Starter On Merit

The Canadian replaced Anterio Thompson in the opening lineup, though both shared the job on game day.

Bryce Butler and Logan Sagapolu go through a spring drill on the East field. | Dan Raley

The University of Washington interior defensive line became the first position area to go through a starting lineup change when junior Bryce Butler replaced senior transfer Anterio Thompson to open against UC Davis.

With the Big Ten availability report listing Thompson as questionable prior to Saturday night's kickoff, it was presumed the 6-foot-5, 320-pound Butler had been elevated as a first-teamer because for health reasons.

That wasn't the case, according to UW coach Jedd Fisch. The decision was all performance-based.

"It's because he was playing the best," Fisch said. "Bryce had a great week of practice. Bryce had the opportunity to start. Bryce has had a really, really good training camp and is continuing to improve in all areas. Therefore he earned the start."

As it turned out, Butler and Thompson ended up sharing game time, with each coming up with a tackle in the 70-10 beating handed to UC Davis. Butler shared in a sack with sophomore edge rusher Hayden Moore.

Butler joined the Huskies in 2024 as a Kansas junior-college transfer who's originally from Canada, while the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Thompson, an Iowa native, transferred to the UW this year after previously playing for Western Michigan and Iowa.

While Butler is to be commended for earning a starting job, that doesn't really diminish the fact the UW interior defensive line was the biggest question mark entering the season and remains that way until Big Ten play begins and shows otherwise.

Bryce Butler (92) goes through pre-game contract before the Spring Game with DL coach Jason Kaufusi watching. | Skylar Lin Visuals

The Huskies replaced both starters from 2024, Sebastian Valdez and Jacob Bandes, who weren't drafted by the NFL, though Valdez has secured a spot on the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad.

What has contributed to the uncertainty up front is the availability of Jayvon Parker, likely the UW's top defensive tackle, who still is in recovery from a torn Achilles tendon suffered just short of a year ago in a game at Rutgers.

The 6-foot-3, 330-pound Parker, one in a set of twins from Detroit and supposedly the strongest player in the weight room for the Huskies, has appeared in 25 games, though he hasn't been a starter.

The Huskies are hoping to have Jayvon Parker available for their first Big Ten game against defending national champion Ohio State on Sept. 27 at home, if not the week before against Washington State in the Apple Cup.

"I don't know if Jayvon will be cleared for Wazzu or not," Fisch said. "But everybody else should be cleared."

That would mean that senior defensive tackle Logan Sagapolu and senior edge rusher Deshawn Lynch will be ready to play after each missed the first two games.

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