Brailsford Grades Well as Interior Blocker in Stanford Win
In his first season as a starter, redshirt freshman Parker Brailsford has fit right in with the Washington Huskies.
Mixed with future NFL draft picks such as quarterback Michael Penix Jr., wide receivers Rome Odunze and Ja'Lynn Polk, plus tackles Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten, the young center has shown he can hang with the best.
Against Stanford, Brailsford turned in another stellar performance. He received an 85 grade from Pro Football Focus for his pass blocking, second-highest on the team. His 75.6 overall grade and 70 in run blocking likewise were second-best among Washington's offensive linemen.
This has become a regular theme for Brailsford, who has been productive all season long.
The Pac-12 recognized him as Freshman of the Week following his performance against the Michigan State Spartans and the coaching staff selected him as the Power Player of the Week following the Michigan State and California games.
In Washington's most recent games against Arizona State and Stanford, the offensive line faced a lot of blitzes coming up the middle. Brailsford did a decent job of handling the pressure, but this past weekend he received some help from a familiar face.
Right guard Julius Buelow, who sat out four games after getting injured against Michigan State, returned against the Cardinal and seemed to take some pressure off Brailsford. The 6-foot-9, 313-pound interior lineman from Hawai should solidify Washington's offensive front from here on out.
After starting at right guard for the Huskies' first two games, Brailsford shifted to center following a season-ending injury for senior Matteo Mele and has played well at the position for which offensive-line coach Scott Huff recruited him.
As pass protectors, the Huskies have been fairly solid across the offensive line this season, permitting just 5 sacks of Penix through eight games, with Brailsford a key player.
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