Inside The Huskies

Ex-Husky Michael Watkins Finds New Team

San Diego State, a recent landing spot for UW transfers, will take on the offensive guard.
Dan Raley|
Michael Levelle Watkins takes a drink during UW spring ball in 2024.
Michael Levelle Watkins takes a drink during UW spring ball in 2024. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Offensive guard Michael Levelle Watkins, one of three University of Washington football players to enter the transfer portal during spring practice, has committed to San Diego State, he revealed on social media on Tuesday night.

The 6-foot-2, 320-pound Watkins originally signed with Arizona, drew his scholarship release and followed coach Jedd Fisch to the UW and redshirted as a freshman last season.

Buried on the Husky depth chart with new and much larger freshmen moving past him, Watkins entered the portal on April 22.

San Diego State has been a landing spot for former UW players looking for more opportunity to get on the field, with edge rusher Cooper McDonald, offensive guard Myles Murao and safety Jakson Berman going to the Aztecs in recent seasons.

Current No. 1 UW right tackle Drew Azzopardi, of course, came to Montlake from San Diego State.

From Glendale, Arizona, Watkins was a 3-star player coming out of Apollo High School, where he teamed with Husky running back Adam Mohammed. Together, they played five football seasons together, counting Apollo and the UW.

However, Mohammed appeared in all 13 games for the Huskies last season, while Watkins didn't stir from the sideline.

A year ago, Watkins received far more opportunity to run with the UW's first- and second-team offensive lines, with just seven scholarship players available to Fisch's staff and the front line in a serious rebuilding mode.

Other Huskies in the transfer portal but unattached are cornerback Caleb Presley and long snapper Cameron Warchuck.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Mohammed Patiently Waits for Chance to be UW's Top Running Back

Huskies Find New Punter, Another Australian, in Eugene, Oregon

Former UW Punter Goes from Montlake to Nebraska to Purdue

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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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