UW Fresh Start (No. 21): Hampton Could Make Husky 'Husky' His Landing Spot

Husky coaches Chris Petersen and Jimmy Lake tried hard to find a regular spot for Dominique Hampton in the University of Washington football lineup.

Cornerback, safety, special teams.

They played him in 30 games over four seasons.

They put an extra 20 pounds on him to make the switch from corner to safety.

Last fall, Hampton started for the first time against Stanford, Oregon and Arizona State and seemed to do well at times. However, the Husky interim coaching staff made him come off the bench again in the final two games.

The good news for the 6-foot-2, 220-pound junior from Glendale, Arizona, is new UW coach Kalen DeBoer just might have a permanent job for him. It's a hybrid safety/linebacker position. Even before arriving in Seattle, DeBoer utilized it and called it "the Husky."

In explaining how it works, DeBoer first mentioned Hampton as a likely candidate for the new slot that rewards the physical player.

Hampton the Husky Husky — it sounds like it was meant to be.

Dom Hampton can't prevent Oregon's Travis Dye from scoring.

Dom Hampton takes on an airborne Michigan player.

Dom Hampton runs through a Husky tradition.

Dom Hampton pulls down an Arizona player.

Dom Hampton runs on to the field for the 2021 spring finale.

A month until spring practice, we're offering intel and observations gathered on the UW football personnel in a series of stories on every scholarship player from No. 0 to 99. We'll review each Husky's previous starting experience, if applicable, and determine what comes next under DeBoer.

As is the case with any coaching change, it's a new football beginning for everyone, including for the Huskies' No. 21 on defense.

Hampton spent all of the spring and fall trying to crack the lineup, running with the first-unit defense much of April. While it appeared that he had made inroads, he watched as the younger and untested Julius Irvin and Kamren Fabiculanan opened the season as the safety starters.

When they couldn't hang onto the jobs, Cam Williams and Alex Cook took over. And when those two got banged up, Asa Turner and Bookie Radley-Hiles took their turns as No. 1 safeties.

The Huskies also turned to Hampton, who had 5, 8 and 6 tackles as a starter with a couple of pass break-ups and a forced fumble. Yet he could be a little out of control and drew four penalties, including a pair of unsportsmanlike calls.

Now he gets yet another opportunity to become a starter in a role that might best be suited for him and his physical approach to the secondary.

UW Starter or Not: Give Hampton credit, he's been trying for a long time to earn the trust of his coaches and show he can be a reliable figure in the secondary. While this new Husky position will demand a certain amount of responsibility, it also is somewhat of a freelancer assignment. We can see Hampton already mouthing the words "thank you." Husky starter? It's a strong possibility for him.

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