Here's Another Reason UW Passing Attack Wasn't Pinpoint in Scrimmage
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Three University of Washington quarterbacks, one after the other, weren't sharp at all as Saturday's scrimmage unfolded at Husky Stadium.
Michael Penix Jr., Dylan Morris and Sam Huard, in that order, continually rushed passes or threw behind receivers as they launched their first flurry of attempts without success in perfect conditions.
At one point, the Husky QBs were a combined 1-for-12 passing; at another, they were 5-for-20.
While no doubt frustrated with repeated balls falling incomplete in a pass-first offense designed to generate excessive amounts of yardage and points, Kalen DeBoer's new UW coaching staff saw a silver lining in what happened.
The revamped Husky secondary, in particular the cornerback replacements for the NFL-bound Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon, held its own.
It's an interesting collection of UW talent, one filled with determined guys who won't take no for an answer. Former walk-ons, lower-division guys, players not initially recruited, a bunch of vagabonds. This group might be coming along faster than any other position area being remodeled.
Asa Turner has been urged to step up his play this spring.
Skylar Lin Visuals
Sophomore Mishael Powell has been a steady starter all spring and he was a walk-on when the year began. Turning down scholarships elsewhere, he bet on himself and won when DeBoer offered him a full ride in one of his first orders of business. Powell has been the veteran leader of the corners.
Another sophomore, Jacobe Covington was a big-name recruit who came in expecting to play right away and he's been humbled some, forced to wait his turn. Incredibly, Covington said he apologized to his teammates last week for not becoming a leader sooner. He's began to make a move as spring practice winds down.
Redshirt freshman Davon Banks, after a pair of knee injuries, played in just seven high school games and had no scholarship offers until the UW spotted him in a football camp and offered him a year ago. He's had two productive scrimmages now. He runs like some of the great ones who have played for the UW.
Jordan Perryman, who didn't appear in Saturday's scrimmage segments because he was recovering from a minor injury, was a first-team All-Big Sky selection for UC Davis last season who thought he could do better at the UW. He might be the best one of this bunch. He looks like he knows what he's doing at all times.
All of them, plus redshirt freshmen Elijah Jackson, Zakhari Spears and Dyson McCutcheon, are getting ample chances to move up the cornerback depth chart and divvy up the playing time left behind by McDuffie and Gordon.
In the scrimmage, Covington and Banks made perfectly timed hits that broke up pass plays and left people limping, this after Banks intercepted two passes in the scrimmage the week before.
Elsewhere in the defensive backfield, after seven different safeties started for the UW last season, the new staff has settled on senior Alex Cook and junior Asa Turner as the first-teamers this spring. Cook provided tight coverage on Saturday. An underachiever previously, Turner seems much more engaged.
Dom Hampton has settled as a hybrid Husky defender.
Dan Raley
Among the back-up safeties, former starter Julius Irvin had the only interception of the scrimmage, picking off a Huard pass.
Finally, the hybrid Husky role has Dominique Hampton and Kamren Fabiculanan coming on the blitz and making quarterbacks feel uncomfortable. Hampton acts like he's been unleashed as a UW football player.
These guys may not get off as easy against the DeBoer spread offense the next time they have to defend against it, but they're making spring progress.
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