Huskies' New Kids on the Block are a Fearsome Bunch
They are the talk of this University of Washington football team.
Big men described by big words.
Massive.
Muscular.
Menacing.
As expected, the new Husky offensive line — biggest in school history — got out of its stance last weekend and off to a rousing start against Oregon State.
These guys, all painted up in eye black and full of snarl, threw their considerable weight around, continually put defenders on their backs and helped pile up 267 yards rushing on 51 tries.
They'll try to surpass that impressive ground-game standard against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday night at Husky Stadium.
Jax, MJ, Watt, Hank and Big Vic.
Three Washington dudes, a Californian and a Texan.
Offensive-line coach Scott Huff uncovered these guys, convinced them to come to the UW and molded them into an eye-opening, pad-popping group in the trenches.
"He's brought in some giant human beings," Husky coach Jimmy Lake said of Huff.
These players average just under 6-foot-6 and exactly 324 pounds per man.
They have everything except a catchy nickname.
Washington's NFL team once described its offensive line as "The Hogs" and the Buffalo Bills offered an escort service for O.J. Simpson called "The Electric Company."
How about "The Dawg Hogs" or "The Puget Power?"
Even better, what about "The Monsters of Montlake?"
Any and all clever identifying labels are welcome.
It begins with Jaxson Kirkland, a 6-7, 305-pound junior who's started all 26 games he's played in since he was unleashed as a redshirt freshman.
Kirkland is an honors candidate, maybe this team's top NFL prospect. He accumulated five pancake blocks against Oregon State and took charge by calling out pre-snap directives for his linemen. The coaches named him one of the team's four players of the week.
How about calling Kirkland and his friends, while referencing a popular Oregon beachside restaurant, "The Pigs 'n Pancakes?"
Lake came away from the season opener greatly enthused by his enormous offensive guards, 6-6, 355-pound sophomore Ulumoo "M.J." Ale and 6-6, 335-pound junior Henry Bainivalu.
"Our two guards, Bainivalu and M.J., have to be two of the [most] talented guards in the Pac-12 and they're young," the coach said. "They're earth-movers."
Luke Wattenberg, the old man of the group and the California import, made his 33rd start in his 39th game played, but it was his first appearance at center after moving over from left guard. It went well.
"Wattenberg has played a lot of football for us and it was seamless the way he operated," Lake said of his 6-5, 300-pound senior.
The coach couldn't ignore the play of his right tackle either, sophomore Vic Curne from Houston, the little guy up front, height-wise, at 6-3 and 330 pounds.
"Big Vic, Big Vic on the right side, had a really good game, as well," Lake said. "The whole offensive line did."
After talking up his starters, the Husky coach still wasn't done handing out offensive-line accolades. He had a few words of praise, too, for junior tackle Corey Luciano, Curne's back-up and a situational blocker.
Luciano doesn't quite have the size of the others, checking in at a mere 6-4 and 295, but his prickly personality is more than enough to bring him consideration for a Monsters of Montlake membership.
"He had a physical, nasty training camp, which I love," Lake said.
Kickoff against Arizona is at 5 p.m. The real punishment begins shortly thereafter.
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