Durfee Never Has it Easy, But UW Pro Day Seems to Go Well

When it comes to his football career, Zach Durfee never gets to take the easy way.

As University of Washington Pro Day came to an end on Monday, the edge rusher was the last guy to meet separately with the NFL scouts, finding himself surrounded in Dempsey Indoor with guys jotting down notes using clipboards.

Once that over, Durfee was one of the last players to meet with waiting media members.

While some of his NFL-bound teammates had been in Arizona or California getting specialized training for this next step, Durfee shrugged and said he was one of two Huskies who remaining in Montlake and used the Husky staff.

"Coach Mo," said Durfee, referencing Morris Henry Jr., the UW's assistant strength and conditioning coach, "probably made me a lot of money today."

Durfee was one of 15 departing Huskies, including former running back Sam Adams II with a shaved head, who went through three hours of inspection in front of scouts from all but four NFL franchises.

He measured out at 6-foot-4 and a half and 247 and half pounds, so there was no real surprise there.

He chose not to bench press, but he run 4.55 seconds in the 40-yard dash, still lower than than the 4.49 he was aiming for.

While he was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine last month, Durfee seemed satisfied with how things went after showing everyone his athleticism.

"I have a very good chance to have my name called," Durfee said of the draft. "I have a shot to be at a training camp or whatever at least."

This is the guy who was a walk-on player at Division II Sioux Falls, initially a tight end, who was converted to edge rusher.

An 11-sack season in 2022 brought him to the attention of then UW coach Kalen DeBoer, who had both played and coached at Sioux Falls.

Zach Durfee slams into a Washington State ball carrier. | Dave Sizer photo

Once in Seattle, the Husky staff, beginning with edge-rusher coach Eric Schmidt, gushed over the physical tools that Durfee brought to the game.

Unfortunately for him, he had to sit out the 2023 regular season as a transfer before he made his UW debut in the Sugar Bowl and CFP semifinals against Texas.

Following the coaching change to Jedd Fisch, he became an immediate starter in 2024, but double turf toe injuries limited him to sxi games.

This past fall, Durfee played in and started 10 games, his career interrupted once more by an elbow injury that cost him two and a half games.

He finished with 17 game appearances, which included 13 starts, and 53 tackles, which included 8.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

For Durfee, he has to keep convincing people of who he is and what he can do. Pro Day left him upbeat.

"I feel like I crushed it honestly," he said. "I feel good right now. Happy."

Zach Durfee stares down the Weber State quarterback. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Durfee proved to be an interesting test case in this day and age of the transfer portal because he didn't follow DeBoer to Alabama or Schmidt to San Diego State, two coaches who were among his biggest boosters.

"I love U-Dub, but I wa a big fan of DeBoer and that staff," he said. "They brought me into the Division I level. I knew them. Like I could trust them. Everyone was so great."

Yet it was time to make his own way and the UW felt right. He didn't want to deal with transfer rules either, after losing a season in coming to Seattle.

Durfee momentarily looked at applying for another year with the Huskies, but that seemed complicated, as well.

So he's on to the NFL if it will have him. He's got a skill set that seemingly resonates at that level. He's motivated to see what he can do.

"This is all really exciting, this part of the journey," he said.