Given A Chance To Run, Bonner Got Tested In Husky Spring Ball

UW Roster Review: The highly regarded freshman back from California was fully initiated.

Brian Bonner went through initiation during spring ball. | Dave Sizer phot

While everyone seemed respectful enough in the Montlake interactions between ball carriers and tacklers this past spring, one had to wonder if veteran University of Washington football players weren't bent on testing freshman running back Brian Bonner Jr. just a little more to see if he could take it.

After all, here was one of the most heralded runners to come to the UW in terms of recruiting hype. Bonner was someone rated right up there with Napoleon Kaufman, similarly pulled out of Southern California with a lot of fanfare and who was someone who would become the Huskies' all-time leading rusher temporarily and an NFL player.

A 4-star recruit, the 5-foot-11, 196-pound Bonner began auditioning right away. He seemed to glide when he carried the football. He also got dropped behind the line more than anyone else after taking an April handoff.

Even in the controlled contact atmosphere in place, Husky defenders seemed to relish getting extra physical with him.

They brought him down no fewer than six times for lost yardage throughout spring football, with defensive tackles Elinneus Davis, Darin Conley and Omar Khan, plus edge rusher Isaiah Ward and linebacker Xe'ree Alexander, each getting their hands on him for a tackle for loss, with Davis doing it twice.

"He's adjusting," UW running-backs coach Scottie Graham advised. "He's 17 years old. It's going fast."

Freshman running back Brian Bonner (34) heads to practice with Kini McMillan (10), Derek Zammit (15) and Elijah Brown (7). | Dan Raley

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the UW roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did in spring practice and what to expect from them going into fall camp.

With projected running back starter Jordan Washington suffering a spring-ending neck injury, and transfers Jayden Limar and Trey Cooley each recovering from surgery, Bonner got thrust into action in a meaningful way for all 15 practices.

He ran the ball an unofficial 32 times compared to redshirt freshman speedster Quaid Carr, who had a spring-best 57 carries, and fellow freshman Ansu Sanoe, the 6-foot-2, 241-pounder who packed the ball 39 times.

"The young guys got more reps than they ever normally would have gotten if this was just traditional spring football," UW coach Jedd Fisch said of his two freshmen.

While Bonner was duly initiated, he occasionally got loose for a 21-yard run here and a couple of 15-yard swing passes there.

Considering the constant demands placed on him, the coaches made sure to monitor his well-being amid his rigid introduction to Big Ten football.

"We're having a lot of conversations with him, making sure he's not homesick," Graham said.

Brian Bonner looked determined on this spring carry. | Dave Sizer phot

It should be noted that as good as Kaufman was when he joined a UW team that would win the 1991 national championship, he still ran the ball only 67 times for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns as a freshman, with a long run of 19 yards.

He was given full latitude to get settled in before he was asked to become a team headliner.

Similar ground-game heroics eventually are expected from Bonner, especially after he gets a little bigger and stronger to go with that natural foot speed.

"We're lucky to have Brian," Graham said. "He's special. When he puts that foot down, it's bye, bye. It's beep, beep. He can roll."

Brian Bonner went through stretching in Dempsey Indoor. | Dave Sizer phot

What he's done: Bonner came to Montlake after rushing for 3,043 yards and scoring 41 touchdowns in his career at Valencia High School north of Los Angeles. He was considered the 105th best player in the Class of 2026. Notre Dame, Penn State, Nebraska and UCLA all came in second in vying for his football services.

Starter or not: That's the plan is for Bonner to open games and carry the ball an excessive number of times when he's ready. He's expected to be a showcase back someday. How soon that happens is up to him.