Inside The Huskies

DeBoer Fallout Continues: Rogers, 3 Others Re-Enter Portal or De-Commit

The Mississippi State quarterback was handpicked to replace the graduating Michael Penix Jr.
Dan Raley|
DeBoer Fallout Continues: Rogers, 3 Others Re-Enter Portal or De-Commit
DeBoer Fallout Continues: Rogers, 3 Others Re-Enter Portal or De-Commit

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Washington Huskies

While Kalen DeBoer if fully entitled to do what's best for his coaching career, the damage done to the University of Washington football program because of his sudden departure is now approaching epic proportions.

In an hour's time on Friday night, while DeBoer was introducing himself to his new Alabama football team in Tuscaloosa, the Huskies lost four incoming players, one after the other, including its next quarterback.

In order of their posted announcements, Vanderbilt linebacker transfer Ethan Barr, Mississippi State quarterback transfer Will Rogers and Fresno State tight end transfer Tre Watson each re-entered the transfer portal, while unsigned Ohio edge rusher recruit Dominic Kirks de-committed from the Huskies.

This comes on top of Washington state's No. 1 recruit, linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale from Bethel High School in Spanaway de-committed from the UW, as well.

If the moves hold up, the Husky football team has been weakened considerably, especially when adding in the departures of other players such as starting nickelback Mishael Powell and offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten, who were considered returning possibilities.

Rogers, Barr and Watson each enrolled in school and accompanied the Huskies to Houston among a group of 11 newcomers for the College Football Playoff championship game last Monday against Michigan, which the Wolverines won 34-13.

Wearing a No. 15 Husky jersey, Rogers, the 12,000-yard passer and replacement for Michael Penix Jr., even picked up a football and played catch with UW running back Dillon Johnson, his former Mississippi State teammate, well before warm-ups.

It's safe to say Husky No. 15, which freshman wide receiver Taeshaun Lyons gave up when he left before the CFP semifinals game and was briefly claimed by Rogers, is available again.

Barr came to the UW from Vanderbilt, where he had played on a defense that counted Inoke Breckterfield as its defensive-line coach and they were to be reunited in Montlake. Breckterfield stands to join DeBoer at Alabama.

Similarly, Watson played tight end for DeBoer at Fresno State and likely wasn't interested in sticking with the Huskies without a guarantee of the coach's high-powered offense.

Kirks supposedly has been waiting on an offer from his home state team in Ohio State, hence he hadn't signed with the Huskies after committing to them.

Now waiting for him to turn up at the second signing period without a Buckeyes offer has become moot, if it was a reality at any time.

DeBoer probably never meant to damage a UW program that he so purposely built into a CFP contender for two years and made championship worthy, but it's coming apart at the seams without him or any coach in place, for that matter.

Following DeBoer agreeing to coach Alabama in early afternoon, the UW called a players' meeting. One father posted that roughly only 25 percent of the team attended it.

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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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