Fisch Discusses Signees, Need for a Lot More OLs, His Final Coaching Hire

Jedd Fisch came in at noon to meet with the media in sort of a whirlwind, not a minute late or early. As the new University of Washington football coach for three weeks, he remains on an exhaustive, rapid-fire pace. There's no time to waste.

For the next 30 minutes or so on Wednesday, Fisch sat down and addressed several topics concerning new players and newly hired coaches, all as if he were selling you an expensive high-end car at the local dealership. He's very persuasive.

For example, take new cornerback Ephesians Prysock, who followed him to Montlake from Arizona. Fisch told how Prysock broke a finger or his hand in the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma, had it wrapped up and hurt it again. The defensive back next pulled on a club and finished out the game.

"He's tough, he physical, he's 6-3 — he's an NFL cornerback," Fisch said. "Our goal is to get him to meet his dreams."

As he went down his laundry list, Fisch mentioned how nine new players had signed that morning, among them wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter, the California transfer, with the expectation that 5-6 more letter of intents would arrive in the afternoon.

He told how center Landen Hatchett, Gaard Memmelaar and one other offensive lineman he couldn't readily name were recovering from injuries and wouldn't take part in contact drills during spring football, which will begin April 2 and last a month. All practices will be open to the public to generate interest.

Fisch candidly said he needed to add another 4-5 veteran offensive linemen, which would come from the transfer portal in May. He added he had no problem using freshmen if necessary, and mentioned how new signee Justin Hylkema was 6-foot-8 and 315 pounds, was nicknamed "Moose" and would report in June.

The coach said the Huskies will have to make due in spring ball with whoever is available and healthy on the offensive line, and fill out the position group with more bodies when it's over.

"You're always looking to get big, especially in the Big Ten," the coach.

Fisch still needs to hire a linebackers coach, rather than an edge-rusher coach as first thought. New defensive coordinator Steve Belichick will handle an all-encompassing role where he's involved with all defensive position areas, while Jason Kaufusi will oversee the entire defensive front, interior and edge.

The coach acknowledged the Huskies lost a few defensive signees along the way, not naming them but likely referring to edge rusher Noah Carter and defensive lineman Ratamanu Bulabalavu, because he didn't readily have position coaches for them and they got impatient.

"We didn't have a defensive staff so they left," said Fisch, next showing his competitive side. "They're probably looking at it now and going 'hmmm.' "

He talked about convincing Mississippi State transfer quarterback Will Rogers to stay by citing stats from Arizona to UCLA to the Los Angeles Rams showing he's always had one of the leading passing offenses, regardless of which level of football.

He called Arizona junior transfer Jonah Coleman potentially one of the best running backs in the country, because he can catch, block and run, and told how freshman quarterback Demond Williams Jr., an Arizona scholarship flip, comes with an "unbelievable skill set" to the UW.

"He reminds me of the elite quarterbacks that are the true definition of dual threat in regards to his ability take off and scramble and run," he said of Williams. "He's not someone I would design a lot of run game for because he's such a pure passer."

While Fisch was meeting with the media, Rashawn Clark, a defensive back and wide receiver from Seattle's Garfield High School, was across town, announcing he was flipping from Arizona to the UW and would sign soon. Imagine that, a local recruit.

Fisch got up and went out the door, stopping briefly to do a radio interview and then, with a staffer following closely behind him with a legal pad in hand, he strode down the tunnel at a brisk pace and on to the next chore.

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