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Anthony James Begins Taking Reps At Defensive Tackle

The coaching staff is testing the touted true freshman on the interior.
Roman Tomashoff|
Anthony James Begins Taking Reps At Defensive Tackle
Anthony James Begins Taking Reps At Defensive Tackle

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Washington Huskies

Freshman Anthony James, after working mainly as a Washington edge rusher throughout spring practice and into fall camp, has began taking reps at defensive tackle during the past few weeks — which has been the plan all along — edge coach Eric Schmidt said on Wednesday.

James, a 6-foot-5, 272-pounder from Wylie East High School in Wylie, Texas, came to the UW as a touted recruit with a lot of potential, but the Huskies weren't clear which position best suits him. It could be both.

"Scheme-wise, he's still swimming a little bit but you can see him taking steps," Schmidt has said.

Now that he's becoming more comfortable in the UW defensive scheme, Schmidt said mother nature has helped play a role in James' move to the interior. He's begun to fill out, with his frame looking as if it can support another 10-15 pounds while he retains his athleticism.

Moving forward, James still is going to have a place as an edge rusher against heavier, run-minded personnel. Yet when teams come out with one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers, James will move to the inside, his coach said.

Fans probably won't see much of James in games early on He was inactive during the Boise State opener as he continues to learn the new position. 

With a lot of player ahead of him on the depth chart, such as fellow freshman Elinneus Davis and twins Armon and Jayvon Parker from the previous recruiting class, James will continue to build strength and size in the weight room, which is what the coaching staff is encouraging him to do.

"The strength and conditioning part for him is huge right now," Schmidt said. "Just being able to get stronger and add a little bit more horsepower and strength to his strike is the No. 1 thing we're emphasizing with him right now."

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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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