Here the Huskies Go Again In Breaking In a New Cornerback

Finding a pair of new University of Washington starting cornerbacks wasn't supposed to be this difficult, hardly the Easter egg hunt in the fall it has become.

Yet Kalen DeBoer's football team has gone from last year's lockdown All-Pac-12 corners turned NFL starters in Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon, who gave up virtually nothing to the Husky opposition in 2021, to, well, the next guy plucked off the street.

The UW has turned to a never-ending cast of characters in an exhaustive series of auditions trying to replace them.

Next up is Jaivion Green, a young Texan who is expected to become starting cornerback No. 6 if all goes as planned, and the 10th different defensive back to open a game this season when the Huskies (5-2 overall, 2-2 Pac-12) meet the California Golden Bears (3-3, 1-2) on Saturday night in Berkeley.

Green's insertion into the lineup will give the UW its eighth different starting secondary in eight games. He brings something a little different to the competition than the others.

He's a true freshman.

Green would become the first one of his kind to start in the DeBoer era if he's in there at kickoff. Without question, he will get put through a passing wringer.

"When they know there's a young player out there, they know he's going to be tested and challenged just as every corner will in the country," Husky co-defensive coordinator William Inge acknowledged.

Seeking a veteran cornerback, the Huskies plucked Perryman, a two-time All-Big Sky selection from UC Davis, out of the transfer portal. He lasted just two and a half quarters of the season opener against Kent State before injuring a leg. He's back now. His stat line: 4 games played, 17 tackles, no pass-coverage numbers.

A former walk-on, he was rewarded with a scholarship in January and then designated as one of the two starting cornerbacks opposite Perryman. He opened three games before going out with an injury against Michigan State. He still hasn't returned and isn't expected back for the Cal game. His stat line: 17 tackles, 1 TFL, no pass-coverage numbers.

The new coaching staff made a big effort to make Turner feel wanted as a starting free safety. He'd been in and out of the lineup for the prior three seasons. He got off to a good start, intercepting a pair of passes in the opener against Kent State. He was hurt in practice after appearing only in two games. He's back now. His stat line: 16 tackles and those two pass thefts.

Cook is the only original secondary starter who has avoided injury and appeared in every game. He's started parts of three seasons now after coming to the UW as a wide receiver. He's a team captain. His stat line: team-leading 49 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, no pass-coverage numbers.

He came to the Huskies as a cornerback, converted to safety and found a new home as the hybrid Husky, a position that is equal parts safety and linebacker. He started the first six games, got hurt at Arizona State and missed last week's contest against Arizona. It's unclear if he'll be back against Cal. His stat line: 24 tackles, half a TFL, 3 pass break-ups.

The son of legendary NFL cornerback LeRoy Irvin, young Julius began the season as a reserve safety, started three games at cornerback as a replacement for the idled Jordan Perryman and then got injured himself. His stat line: 7 tackles, 1 interception, 2 pass break-ups.

He began the season as the backup hybrid Husky, started four games at free safety when Asa Turner got injured and switched back to his original spot and started when Dominique Hampson got injured against ASU. His stat line: 33 tackles, 2 pass break-ups.

There is great hope that this redshirt freshman will turn into a lockdown corner, but he's not quite there yet. He started the Stanford game in Jordan Perryman's spot, but otherwise has come off the bench and played special teams. His stat line: 12 tackles, half a TFL, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble.

Another redshirt freshman, Jackson was injured when the season began and unavailable until playing and starting against Arizona State and Arizona. He should be available for the Cal game but will give way to Jaivion Green as the starter. His stat line: 4 tackles.

The Huskies wanted to redshirt him, letting him play in four games, the maximum before he expended his eligibility. They sat him against Arizona State, but injuries forced him to play against Arizona and now it appears he'll become the UW's 10th different secondary starter at Cal. His stat line: 2 tackles, 1 pass break-up.

For that matter Gordon didn't start for the UW until his second season as a redshirt freshman in 2019 and then he was replaced in the lineup after three games because he wasn't quite ready.

McDuffie started in his third game as a true freshman and came out of the lineup thereafter over three seasons only when he was injured.

The UW opened the season with a lot more experience at this position with grad transfer Jordan Perryman and sophomore Mishael Powell pegged for starting roles.

When those two came up injured, Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff urgently turned its attention to junior Julius Irvin, converting him mid-game from safety, and then to redshirt freshmen Davon Banks and Elijah Jackson, almost getting younger with each corresponding move.

Green, who will team with Perryman against Cal, has appeared in five games, one more than the NCAA allowance that enables players to preserve a season of eligibility. The Huskies needed him and couldn't hold back any longer.

The Houston product fills out a 6-foot-2, 202-pound frame, which is large for a corner. He has modest stats of 2 tackles and a pass break-up.

Ready or not, here he goes.

"The one thing we kept seeing was his performance," Inge said. "He's got a great skill set. He's long. He's athletic. He definitely prepares, we like to say, like a pro for a young guy.

"We think he's somebody who can give us a chance to win."

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