Huff and Puff: UW Offensive-Line Coach Putting Intriguing Pieces Together

Almost as if he were promoting a new restaurant, Scott Huff offered a tip. You had check it out, he insisted

No, this wasn't a must-visit eatery.

It was someone who eats a lot.

Huff, the University of Washington offensive-line coach, got all enthused just speaking about 6-foot-6, 355-pound sophomore offensive guard Ulumoo "M.J." Ale and his first week of practice.

"Boy, I wish you guys could watch the guys kind of screwing around on the football field, throwing it around," the coach said.

Picture the aforementioned man-mountain running out for passes and striding around the practice field like some dainty wide receiver.

"M.J.'s got the rugby background and he can really move for a big guy," Huff said. "Think 355 pounds. He looks like he's got tree trunks for legs and he can move."

Based on his enormous size, which makes him the largest prospective starter in the Husky lineup, and his athleticism, Ale probably has more star potential than any other UW newcomer this season.

Certainly the man who answers to M.J. but prefers his given Samoan first name of Ulumoo now, and plays with plenty of emotion, will be a fan favorite.

"We're trying to get him up to speed with the different schemes and playing fast," Huff said. "He's a pretty special athlete. He can run and catch. He's not your typical 355-pound O-lineman. We're obviously excited about M.J."

Ale, pronounced Ah-Lee, is one of the notable developments in the trenches worth paying attention three weeks from the Nov. 7 season opener at California.

While moving players around every day like chess pieces, Huff listed a top 10 group of prospective starters, all of them 300-pounders. He lumped Ale with junior left tackle Jaxson Kirkland, senior center Luke Wattenberg, junior right guard Henry Bainivalu and sophomore right tackle Victor Curne, a group that if holds together will become the heaviest line in the history of the Husky program, averaging 324 pounds per man.

The other five linemen in Huff's two-deeps included left offensive guard Nate Kalepo, sophomore center Matteo Mele, sophomore right tackle Julius Buelow, redshirt freshman left tackle Troy Fautanu and right offensive Corey Luciano. This crew averages 314 per man. A lot of guys are learning dual positions.

"I feel confident in saying they can all move their feet at that size," Huff said.

Luciano made the switch from tight end to interior line in the offseason. He's actualy working at both tackle and guard. He just increased his weight to 300 pounds, 30 heavier than his tight-end body weight.

"He took one for the team last year," Huff said. "He's a pretty special athlete."

Behind the veteran players is a freshman class of touted lineman who hail multiple western states. Some may or may not crack Huff's 10 best.

The Husky line coach described freshman offensive guard Gaard Memmelaar from Caldwell, Idaho, as "super strong," acquiring his strength from baling hay and building fences.

Huff told of going to a Los Angeles high school showdown in which new center Myles Murano participated and he said the promising teen "looked like a gladiator."

Wattenberg, most likely the starting center after opening at tackle and guard in his previous seasons, saw something familiar in new Colorado-bred offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten.

"He looks like a young Trey Adams out there," the senior said. "He moves really well. He's nasty just like Trey was."

As the starting offensive line comes into view, this should be a Husky team strength, enabling a new quarterback to settle in and new offensive coordinator John Donovan to establish a ground game.

Huff won't need anyone to add any more pounds. He just needs them to shed the errant plays.

"We're really young and we're making mistakes," he said. "But we have a ton of potential."

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