Hatchett Hopes To Wrap Arms Around Starting Right Guard

When Geirean Hatchett takes the field for the University of Washington football team from here on out, he'll be wearing matching knee braces, combat gloves, heavy-duty socks and cleats.

Oh, and one more thing that comes in a set: the 6-foot-4, 300-pound offensive guard from Ferndale, Washington, will line up in the trenches with a pair of once torn and repaired bicep muscles.

Hatchett ripped the left one at Oklahoma in 2024, the right in Montlake in April.

As Madonna might say, strike a pose.

Some guys such as his younger brother and fellow Husky offensive lineman Landen Hatchett suffer damaged knees and wrists.

When misfortune strikes for him, Geirean Hatchett destroys the muscles that connect the elbow and the shoulder.

He barely made it through a half a game with the Sooners, one in which he started the 2024 season opener against Temple at offensive guard, moved to center after a few plays to replace an injured teammate, completely tore his bicep and was done for the season by halftime,

Geirean Hatchett (56) was injured in the Huskies' second practice. | Dave Sizer photo

During this past spring football a year after transferring back home, this older Hatchett didn't last even two full practices while playing center in place of his injured sibling when he ripped the other one.

Yet he's a true survivor, now playing in his seventh college football season because of redshirting, drawing a waiver for the 2020 COVID season and receiving a medical reprieve from his brief time spent with the Sooners.

"I'm going to do the thing I love the most one more time," Hatchett said.

If coach Jedd Fisch had accurate information, this veteran player was set to receive medical clearance to practice again on Sunday. If it didn't happen, he's close.

In fact, he's just in time to reclaim his starting job from Champ Taulealea, who went out with an unspecified injury on Saturday night in an odd turn of events.

Taulealea was Hatchett's understudy in 2025, backing up the only UW lineman to start all 13 games for a 9-4 team and claimed the job in the spring.

However, Hatchett will have every opportunity to win back his starting role at right guard over the next two weeks.

Geirean Hatchett and Drew Azzopardi hold the Apple Cup trophy up high. | Dave Sizer phot

Where once it seemed as if Hatchett had suffered a most unfair injury, while subbing for his brother at center, it might be Taulealea who has done that. He was two weeks away from locking up his first career starting assignment when he had to leave Saturday's scrimmage before it ended.

Hatchett was just being a team player when he became an injured team player.

"I knew I was the most available and ready to snap during spring ball because a lot of the young guys hadn't snapped yet and I've been snapping my whole life," he said. "When coach Fisch and coach [Michael] Switzer asked me to play center, I had nothing against it at all. I knew it was something I had to do."

Now if he can stay healthy and hold off Taulealea, Hatchett and his healthy biceps will find right guard something he has to do again.

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