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DeBoer Explains Departure of Husky Edge Rusher Sav'ell Smalls

Playing time was a big component in the defender's decision to leave.
Dan Raley|
DeBoer Explains Departure of Husky Edge Rusher Sav'ell Smalls
DeBoer Explains Departure of Husky Edge Rusher Sav'ell Smalls

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Washington Huskies

Edge rusher Sav'ell Smalls' decision to leave the University of Washington football team revolved around playing time and he'd been in ongoing discussions with the coaching staff for some time regarding his situation, Husky coach Kalen DeBoer said.

This past week, Smalls entered the transfer portal rather than finish out spring football practice. In three seasons with the UW, he played in all 29 games held, but started just once as a freshman.

"That's what you always want, is the opportunity, to understand that the role that is in place for you or that you envision is what they want," DeBoer said. "I think it's always ongoing."

A 6-foot-3, 257-pound senior, Smalls not only faced the prospect of playing behind Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui, both one-time All-Pac-12 selections, he had to contend with a pair of promising players in sophomore Maurice Heims and Sioux Falls transfer Zach Durfee.

Smalls came to the Huskies as a vaunted 5-star prospect from Seattle's Kennedy Catholic High School who held 31 scholarship offers from nearly every major program in the country, among them Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M and USC. 

It will be interesting to see if he ends up with one of his previous suitors.

"We've been talking with Sav'ell for a while," DeBoer said. "He's a great person, a great kid. Obviously we're always wishing the guys the best. Hopefully, he finds a place that he really feels good about and gets the opportunity he's looking for."

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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