Azzopardi Gives Huskies Big Body, Long-Term Loyalty

No player has been more involved in the Jedd Fisch era of the University of Washington football than Drew Azzopardi.

After transferring from San Diego State, the offensive tackle originally signed on with Kalen DeBoer's Husky coaching staff, attended the CFP national championship game as a guest and stayed put when Fisch took over.

Twenty-four starts later, the 6-foot-7, 322-pound Azzopardi is the Huskies' elder statesman as he approaches a third season as the No. 1 right offensive tackle.

No one else on the roster has more than 15 UW starts over that time as the program tries to return to national prominence.

Drew Azzopardi is entering his third season as a UW starter. | Dave Sizer photo

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the UW roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did in spring practice and what to expect from them going into fall camp.

Azzopardi provides the Huskies with a well-proportioned player who can move and gets after it with considerable attitude.

Spring practice observers won't soon forget him winding up and delivering a violent punch to the helmet of UW edge rusher Logan George who did something to aggravate him.

Geirean Hatchett and Dave Azzopardi hold the Apple Cup up high. | Dave Sizer phot

While the NFL naturally has an interest in a big body like Azzopardi, he's been in no hurry to to move on and give it a try. He feels a kinship to his fellow Husky starters in center Landen Hatchett, right guard Geirean Hatchett and left guard John Mills, plus his line coaches in Michael Switzer and Mike Brewster.

"I was coming back no matter what," he said. "I wanted to have another year with my guys like Lando, Gary, John. Obviously the influence coach Switz and Brew has brought on me. It's been a huge part of my life."

Azzopardi admittedly didn't have a lot of recruiting options when he came out of Pacifica, California, and Junipero Serra High School. He wasn 't Husky material back then.

"I didn't really have an opportunity to come here in the beginning," he said. "I didn't have that many offers coming out of high school. But coming here is the best decision I ever made."

Drew Azzopardi was a UW guest at the 2024 CFP national title game before joining the program. | Roman Tomashoff

What he's done: Counting his time at San Diego State, Azzopardi has appeared in 39 college games and started 30 of them. Again, no player has been more of a Montlake presence with Fisch as coach than this guy. He has added incentive to finish strong and earn some individual honors. His older brother Nate Azzopardi was a team captain and a first-team All-Big Sky selection as a left offensive guard for Idaho last season.

Starter or not: Since coming to the UW, Azzopardi has been a starter for all but two late-season games last fall when he was held out because of an ankle injury. He looks fit and ready to go for the coming campaign.

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