Huskies At Near Full Strength For Fall Camp Opening

Three players won't be quite ready when everything begins on Thursday.

Jedd Fisch addresses the media before fall camp begins. | Dan Raley

With fall camp set to open on Thursday, the University of Washington football team will have everyone available at the outset with the exception of the Hatchett brothers, Landen and Geirean, and Mississippi State transfer Kai McClendon.

Coming off injuries, the Hatchetts, the returning starting center and right offensive guard, need a couple more days of rehabilitation before jumping into the competition while McClendon, a defensive tackle, is farther out before he gets the go-ahead.

"Overall, we're in a good spot," said Husky coach Jedd Fisch, who has 101 players on the roster. "Let's go play some ball."

Landen Hatchett broke his wrist against Illinois, played briefly at Wisconsin and missed the final three games of the season.

Geirean Hatchett, the only lineman to start all 13 games in 2025, tore a biceps muscle in the second spring practice while playing center in place of his brother and he was done.

McClendon, after starting five games in the SEC as a freshman, suffered a knee injury during fall camp a year ago with his former team and sat out the season, plus UW spring football.

As anticipated, the Huskies aren't as huge as their fall roster insinuated, but they're still fairly heavy.

The five projected starters average 327 pounds per player, not 337 as the roster foretold.

"We're 320 per man with the way everybody looks," Fisch said. "We're big. I love it. They're athletic as can be. We're an athletic bunch."

Offensive guard John Mills has a new look with a beard and his mullet cut up high on the sides. | Dan Raley

The UW coach rattled off 40-dash times for his linemen in the 5.2- to 5.3-second range.

"When you can do that at that size and that flexibility, than you're in a good spot," Fisch said.

Counter to the rosters handed out, second-year offensive guard Champ Taulealea is 345 pounds rather than 365 and fellow guard John Mills is 325 rather than 350.

"I don't know where they got those numbers from," said Mills, who was 360-plus when reported in the winter of 2025 as a freshman and played at 335 last season. "I saw those numbers and thought, damn, where did they come from?"

Of the others, right offensive guard Drew Azzopardi is close to his listed 330-pound weight, while Landen Hatchett and freshman left tackle Kodi Greene were right at their listed weights of 315 and 325, respectively.

Of the dozen or so players who met with the media, Mills brought out a new look with a full beard and his mullet shaved up the sides.

His fan club might have go out and buy different wigs to emulate him this coming season.

"I grew out the beard and I just cut off the top," he said. "It was a little too long on the top. It might be a little shorter; it is a little shorter than last year. I haven't cut the back, so all good."