Durfee Is In Home Stretch Of Unique College Football Career

While it feels as if someone out there still owes Zach Durfee another season of playing time, the University of Washington edge rusher is down to his final three games of Husky football.

Coach Jedd Fisch confirmed as much this week when asked where the 6-foot-5, 258-pound defender stood with his time served in his college career.

"There's been some mix and match, like his path has been so unique," Fisch said. " But I do believe his eligibility is done at this point."

Durfee, in fact, wasn't sure at all whether this season would be it for him or not when it began, simply because of where he'd been stretching back to the COVID pandemic.

"The road I took here was kind of a long one, but I wouldn't trade it for the world," he said before facing Illinois. "It's still a blessing. I'm definitely excited I'm back out there and healthy enough to play. I feel pretty good."

Zach Durfee is down to three games in his UW career. | Dave Sizer photo

He's started all eight UW games in which he's played this season, missing two after suffering an elbow injury against Ohio State. He ranks seventh on the team in tackles with 24 and second in sacks with 3, with two of the latter coming against Wisconsin and Purdue in the past two games.

A year ago, Durfee suffered double turf toe and finished the season as a spectator at the Sun Bowl, using a cane to move around on the sideline.

The Dawson, Minnesota, product appeared in six Husky games and started three times, but really only played no more than a series or two in three outings.

Defensive teammates Zach Durfee and Xe'ree Alexander celebrate the win over Purdue. | Dave Sizer photo

In 2023, the NCAA ruled Durfee ineligible at the UW as a double transfer, a rule since rescinded. He was forced to sit out the regular season, needing to be enrolled in school for a full year before he could play.

The all-clear for him came after he sat out the first 13 Husky games and before entering the four-team College Football Playoff. Durfee drew five plays in a 37-31 victory over Texas in the Sugar Bowl, which was used for the semifinals.

In 2022, he played as redshirt freshman for the University of Sioux Falls, a Division II school, piling up 11 sacks in 11 games, curiously starting only twice and still receiving all-conference recognition.

Durfee redshirted at Sioux Falls in 2021. Where any confusion emerged came because he briefly attended classes at North Dakota State but didn't play sports with the pandemic at its zenith.

Poked and prodded with injuries and regulations, he's in the home stretch of a college career ending soon with the Huskies.

He's played solidly since his latest injury. He's made more than one quarterback nervous in coming off the edge. He's fully aware of his career surroundings, that the end is near.

"My sense of urgency has definitely picked up," he said.

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