How the 20 Husky Freshmen Have Progressed This Season

They run out of the tunnel on game day at Husky Stadium, warm up, gather around to hear a captain such as Edefuan Ulofoshio or Rome Odunze give everyone an inspirational message in the end zone and then it's time to find an unobstructed sideline viewing spot for the next few hours.

These are the University of Washington freshmen football players, mostly spectators this season for an unbeaten, fifth-ranked and older team, yet building blocks for the future if they can stay patient.

Every once in a while, one of them surprisingly turns up in a game with everything on the line, such as first-year edge rusher Jacob Lane, who played late at USC and drew snaps on the opening two defensive series against Utah over the past two weeks.

As the Huskies head into their final two regular-season games, most of these guys won't ever play against Oregon State, the longtime Northwest rival that will drop off the schedule with the dissolution of the Pac-12 as it currently stands and the UW headed for the Big Ten. They'll have to wait to take on Ohio State or Penn State.

Of the Huskies' 20 freshmen, 11 have played in games this season. Running back Tybo Rogers and offensive lineman Landen Hatchett won't redshirt, having exceeded the four-game minimum for preserving freshman eligibility, because they were mature enough to play right away and were needed.

One of those who hasn't entered a UW game yet, let alone dressed for one, is the Texas player who was considered the most touted player of this latest recruiting class, 6-foot-5, 272-pound defensive lineman Anthony James.

"What we say he's kind of in Navy SEAL training right now," UW co-defensive coordinator William Inge said with a simile.

The following is a progress update on each first-year player as the regular season winds down. In most cases, their game snaps have been calculated by Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff to get them a taste of big-time football.

HUSKY FRESHMEN GAME TIME

(Games played in parantheses)

Deven Bryant (4) — The linebacker from Southern California played the most of any freshman early on, appearing against Boise State, Tulsa, Michigan State and California, collecting 6 tackles while reaching his four-game limit, and hasn't played since.

Leroy Bryant (4) — The Northern California cornerback got on the field in games against Michigan State, Cal, Stanford and USC, mostly playing on special teams. He collected 4 tackles and reached his eligibility limit for appearances.

Elinneus Davis (0) — A defensive tackle from Minnesota, he hasn't appeared in a game yet after showing up for spring practice injured, getting himself back into shape and going into development.

Diesel Gordon (0) — The Texas safety got off to a rough start by receiving a fall-camp suspension for an unspecified team infraction. He hasn't appeared in a game, but he was singled out as a special-teams player of the week leading up to the USC game.

Soane Faasolo (0) — The Huskies are busy packing pounds onto this Northern Californian's massive 6-foot-8, 290-pound frame and the offensive tackle hasn't played in a game yet.

Landen Hatchett (6) — Along with Rogers, this ready-to-play local center and offensive guard gave up his redshirt opportunity by appearing in games against Michigan State, Cal, Arizona, ASU, Stanford and USC, now two over the limit, with more appearances to come.

Zach Henning (2) — The Colorado native is one of three freshmen now running with the second-team offensive line, operating at guard, and he has game-day appearances against Michigan State and Cal.

Vince Holmes (2) — This Southern California safety recently earned his chance to play, lining up on special teams against Stanford and USC.

Elishah Jackett (1) — The Huskies sent this 6-foot-7, 259-pound California native and aspiring offensive tackle onto the field against Tulsa for his only game appearance.

Anthony James (0) — The one-time Texas A&M commit hasn't played in a game while he puts on weight and tries to determine whether he's an edge rusher, defensive tackle or both.

Jacob Lane (4) — The local edge rusher has made so many strides he's played with games on the line over the past two weeks, and overall he's reached his redshirt limit after appearing against Michigan State, Cal, USC and Utah.

Taeshaun Lyons (2) — The California wide receiver has appeared in games against Boise State and Michigan State, and he had a potential touchdown pass from Dylan Morris bounce off his hands and into a goal-line interception for the Big Ten team.

Austin Mack (0) — The 6-foot-6, 226-pound quarterback from Northern Cal should be playing his senior year of high school football, but reclassified, reported early and is learning the college game on the fly. He's received plenty of practice reps but no game appearances.

Caleb Presley (0) — The highly regarded local cornerback hasn't appeared in any games as he learns the system. He's gone from not suiting up to pulling on a uniform on game day.

Curley Reed III (0) — The Louisiana cornerback, similar to Presley, hasn't played in any games yet as he gets tutored to be a reliable coverage man.

Keith Reynolds (2) — This speedster from the California high desert played against Michigan State and Cal at wide receiver, and has run with the second-team offense much of the season.

Tybo Rogers (8) — The running back from Southern California has been the freshman most ready to contribute, appearing in every game after coming off a fall camp suspension that kept him out against Boise State and Tulsa. He led the Huskies in rushing with 74 yards on 15 carries in his college debut against Michigan State, caught a 47-yard pass against Cal and ran 5 times for 21 yards and caught a 15-yard pass against USC.

Kahlee Tafai (0) — This 6-foot-5, 327-pound Southern Californian hasn't played in a game yet, but this guard is one of three freshmen running with the second-team offensive line alongside Hatchett and Henning.

Jordan Whitney (0) — This speedy Southern California linebacker hasn't played in a game yet after going through spring football practice.

Rashid Williams (1) — The wide receiver from Northern California received a chance to play against Cal and caught 2 passes for 30 yards.

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