Contrary to Reports of Its Demise, Husky TE Was Alive and Well in New Offense

Once the coaching change was in place for the University of Washington football team, Mark Redman transferred to San Diego. Just got up and left.

Javon Forward, who had blocked and even run the football in games, dropped from the roster. Mason West exited, too, either on his own or encouraged.

All tight ends, all out the door.

With a new spread offense, word was this once-dynamic Husky position quickly would go the way of the dinosaur — out of the playbook into tailgate banter over what used to be.

Well, guess what happened?

Instead of this UW offensive responsibility becoming extinct, juniors Jack Westover and Devin Culp started the opener against Kent State alongside a pair of wide receivers in the opening formation. They were busy, too.

The 6-foot-4, 239-pound Culp caught 2 passes for 13 yards, the 6-foot-3, 245-pound Westover a pass for 19 yards capped by a wild leap over a tackler and even a third tight end, 6-foot-4, 259-pound junior Quentin Moore, made his first career Husky catch for 8 yards.

"The tight ends, as long as I've been in this offense, have always been a big part of it and they will continue to be," Husky offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said. "I think we're really lucky to have a couple of the guys we have between Q and Westie and Culp. They're super athletic."

Add to that group sophomore Zeke Pelluer and redshirt freshmen Griffin Waiss, who drew minutes later on, with Waiss making his first UW game appearance.

"I think if you fall asleep on those guys, and are worried about all the other receivers, they'll hit you deep," Grubb said. "Dev didn't connect on some of the big hits we had on Saturday, but he will."

Meantime down in San Diego, the aforementioned Redman caught a solitary pass for 15 yards as his new San Diego State team put the ball in the air just 16 times total in a 38-20 opening loss to Arizona in the Aztecs' brand-new stadium.

Throughout the Chris Petersen coaching tenure, followed up by Jimmy Lake's brief time in charge, the Huskies used two tight ends as a normal way of doing business and made them flourish.

In the past decade and a half, alone they had tight ends such as Mark Bruener, Jerramy Stevens, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Darrell Daniels, Joshua Perkins, Will Dissly, Drew Sample, Hunter Bryant and Cade Otton playing in the NFL.

"The tight end has always been one of the focal points, honestly, of our offense," Grubb said. "It really makes it go. We've never been a 10-personnel team. Those guys are always going to be a big part of the game plan, for sure."

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