D'Aryhian Clemons Answers Husky Help Wanted Ad

As talented as these University of Washington football players are, one of the hardest things for them to do is show up in Montlake and change positions.

This past spring, four Huskies did just that: freshman Derek Colman-Brusa shifted from edge rusher to defensive tackle, freshman Ramzak Fruean moved from linebacker to edge rusher, redshirt freshman Jake Flores switched from offensive tackle to center and redshirt freshman D'Aryhian Clemons converted from cornerback to running back.

However, Clemons from Spanaway, Washington, was the only one of this group who went from one side of the football to the other. The Huskies suddenly found themselves short of healthy rushers and the coaching staff encouraged his move from the secondary.

"We wanted to make sure that we were going to have good competition at running back -- he’s very talented as a runner," Husky coach Jedd Fisch said as spring practice began. "We felt like we’re in a good place, to a degree, at DB, in terms of personnel. We wanted D-Clem to be rewarded for how hard he’s been working,"

D'Aryhian Clemons became a running back again in April. | 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.

Clemons was a running back at Spanaway High School, rushing 152 times for 1,037 yards as a sophomore in 2022, but he turned his emphasis to cornerback after likely figuring that was his best position for college.

The toughest thing about changing roles at this level is you basically have to start over. When spring began, Clemons was the eighth of eight healthy running backs with two other guys out with injuries.

D'Aryhian Clemons converted to running back this spring. | Dave Sizer photo

It took him until the fourth spring practice before he drew a scrimmage run -- and he got dropped for a 3-yard loss by Fruean, who obviously was relishing his new role.

Clemons picked up just a stray carry here and there the rest of the spring as he learned the playbook and got acclimated to offense again.

He unofficially had 10 scrimmage runs over the 15 practices. His long gainer was 7 yards and he looked quick scampering through the hole.

The problem with him running the ball when he did in practice is his chances came with young Husky linemen blocking for him and they didn't always get the job done up front.

Clemons pulled a final carry late in the Spring Game and he was tackled for a 1-yard loss by defensive tackle Darin Conley, the Ball State transfer.

Cornerback might have looked pretty good to him about that time.

D'Aryhian Clemons was one of 10 UW running backs on the spring roster. | Dave Sizer photo

What he's done: Clemons played in two Husky games as a true freshman cornerback, getting on the field and making a tackle against UC Davis and finishing up against Boise State in the LA Bowl.

Starter or not: It wouldn't be a huge surprise if Clemons returned to corner at some point while in Montlake. Either way, he'll need to settle firmly on a position before he can make a serious run at a starting job.

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