Consider This UW Starting O-Line -- It Could Happen

For five plays in the second quarter against Eastern Washington, John Mills broke from the huddle and lined up at left tackle for the University of Washington football team.

He had played left guard and right tackle for the Huskies before, but not this position.

The immediate thought was freshman Kodi Greene, the left tackle starter, was injured and he was seen wandering the sideline without his helmet on.

Yet more astute observers saw this as a sign, a tell, maybe an indication of what might happen when the Huskies dive into the meaty part of the Big Ten schedule and want their most experienced players on the field filling out the offensive line.

UW coach Jedd Fisch later said the intent was to lighten the load for Greene, who has come straight out of high school to start the first three games at left tackle, the so-called NFL money position, and play nearly 200 snaps.

"I think it's a lot for Kodi to take almost every single snap," the coach said. "It was a chance to move guys around and I think it worked well."

Seated high above the action, a former Husky offensive lineman, a 24-game starter from another era, concluded that rather than this be a potential demotion for the promising Greene, it was the coaching staff fully aware the 6-foot-6, 325-pound Mills is the team's best player up front and should be playing at the most demanding position for at least part of the time.

"When Lando comes back, we may see more of that in conference play," this former player concluded, referring to injured center Landen Hatchett, who's been out with a broken wrist on his snapping hand since last November.

While the UW is 3-0 as it prepares to open league play against Minnesota (2-1) on Saturday night at Husky Stadium, it still hasn't been able to generate a consistent rushing attack, picking up just 134, 107 and 184 net yards, including quarterback Demond Williams Jr.'s madcap scrambles.

While Fisch's staff continues to look at its players like chess pieces, those coaches no doubt still hold concerns about being able to run with authority against unranked Minnesota immediately followed by No. 12-ranked USC (3-0) and No. 17 Iowa (3-0).

While the Huskies are hardly tipping their hand on what comes next, consider the following starting five, gleaned from coaches' previous player comments and their subtle moves so far, which collectively offers103 college starts.

It's one in which Mills is the least experienced as a first-team player and the youngest on the field up front:

JOHN MILLS

If Mills is the UW's best lineman, why not put him at left tackle and dominate? He's got the size and the attitude for it. The Huskies really can't expect Greene to become a finished product while taking on the Gophers, Trojans and Hawkeyes.

Mills already has played left guard, right tackle and left tackle in games since the second-year player arrived in Montlake. To date, this 18-year-old kid has 14 starts on his ledger, which would be the least amount of the five players highlighted here.

Yet he's always a pancake block waiting to happen.

KOLT DIETERICH

The Huskies continue to thank this Sam Houston State transfer for his service for learning the center position on the fly in fall camp and starting three games so far as a place-holder for the younger Hatchett brother.

The coaches continue to talk about this 6-foot-6, 305-pound Dieterich as if he needs to be in the lineup somewhere when Hatchett receives his medical clearance.

While he's a natural tackle, the only logical place to put him is at left guard should Mills play more left tackle.

Counting his time at Sam Houston State and the UW, Dieterich has 21 college starts so far.

LANDEN HATCHETT

While Mills was a Freshman All-American in 2025, giving him the most accolades of any of the current Husky blockers, young Hatchett is the key to this offensive line.

He's compact, strong, powerful and a captain. Thiis 6-foot-3, 315-pound fourth-year player already would have been an honors candidate if only he could stay healthy.

Hatchett played in every game as a freshman for the 2023 Huskies before tearing up a knee in Sugar Bowl practice. He needed half of the following season to recover from it before he could become a first-time starter. He's missed the last four games of the 2025 season and the first three of this one, and Fisch's staff previously pegged the Minnesota game for his return.

Even with all of his absences, he's started 15 games for the Huskies, 10 of them at center, and he's opened at right and left guard, as well. The line should be noticeably better when he's over the ball again.

GEIREAN HATCHETT

This older Hatchett is a throwback. Rather than wear long blond hair flowing out of the back of helmet, such as Mills and his brother Landen do, he prefers a crewcut.

He was good enough to start part of the 2023 season for the Huskies' 2023 national runner-up team and briefly for Oklahoma the following year.

Geirean Hatchett might be the strongest of the UW offensive linemen. As a seventh-year player, he's certainly the most worldly of the Huskies and the last of a dying breed.

As a starter, the 6-foot-4, 310-pound veteran has opened 20 games, 19 at the UW and one at Oklahoma. He was a blocking tight end for Kalen DeBoer's UW staff. He's torn both biceps muscles. There's nothing he hasn't seen before.

DREW AZZOPARDI

No one is more battle-tested than Azzopardi, who came to the UW as a San Diego State transfer, and is in his fourth season as a starter at the two schools.

He's a team captain. He has 33 starts in his college career, 27 coming at the UW. Except for a foot injury in 2025 that cost him two games, this 6-foot-7, 325-pounder has been durable. He plays with a temper.

With his size, good health and experience, he could be an NFL player. But first, he and his fellow Huskies need to come together with the best talent available and form a line that clears people out of the way, especially in the Big Ten.

Add us as a preferred source on Google