Inside The Huskies

Finau, Dumas Bring UW Spring Departures to 7 as Roster Gets Overhaul

The Huskies have had 31 players leave since DeBoer's staff took over.
Dan Raley|
Finau, Dumas Bring UW Spring Departures to 7 as Roster Gets Overhaul
Finau, Dumas Bring UW Spring Departures to 7 as Roster Gets Overhaul

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Washington Huskies

Defensive tackle Siaosi Finau and running back Aaron Dumas on Tuesday left the University of Washington football team, bringing the number of spring roster departures over the past month to seven.

In all, the Huskies have had 31 players depart the program since Kalen DeBoer and his staff took over 18 months ago.

The 6-foot-3, 279-pound Finau was a Jimmy Lake recruit and somewhat of a gamble because he was new to the game and had played just one football season for Renton High School in the Seattle suburbs.

Finau, whose weight fluctuated from 225 pounds as a high school player up to 310 and down 30 to his current level, appeared in just three games for the Huskies.

Lake, who was fired during the 2021 season and now works for the Los Angeles Rams, was effusive in his praise for the defensive lineman at the time, downplaying the fact that Finau was lightly recruited. 

"We saw a player that we believe is going to be a big-time player for us and in the Pac-12 and against anybody in the country," Lake said. "He's got traits, the size, the immeasurables you want."

Dumas was a personnel mistake for DeBoer's coaches, who brought him to Montlake from New Mexico and were at Fresno State when the Texan rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown against them.

With most Husky backs injured for 2022 spring football and the arrival of the new staff, Dumas pulled a majority of the practice snaps. 

However, he clearly lacked speed and was a non-factor throughout last season while accepting a redshirt year. In the recently completed spring ball, Dumas received just a handful of scrimmage snaps and seemed destined to leave the Huskies for a better opportunity elsewhere. 

The Huskies have had four running backs transfer out since DeBoer became coach — and all were Texans.

Finau and Dumas follow the earlier departures of sophomore center Owen Prentice, junior edge rusher Sav'ell Smalls, junior wide receiver Taj Davis and sophomore offensive guard Myles Murao, all Lake or Chris Petersen recruits, and junior linebacker Demario King, who was brought in by DeBoer's staff. 

The Huskies appear to be at 82 scholarships, barring any more player exits, which puts them three under the maximum.

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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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