Huskies Enter Spring Home Stretch Having Made Lot of Progress

With 13 practices in the books, no one among the 100-plus University of Washington football players pulling on a helmet and pads is a stranger.

Everyone has had a chance to get acquainted with all things Montlake, to audition, to show what he's got, to prove he belongs.

This includes 17 newcomers, nine of whom are freshmen and passed up the last half of their senior years in high school to enroll and get started as Huskies.

By now, everyone knows the UW has a lot of veteran talent walking around, with 14 starters returning from Kalen DeBoer's 11-2, Alamo Bowl-winning team.

"I'm really proud of the guys the way they continue to find that rhythm in practice, playing hard and competing against each other, but taking care of each other in the end, knowing we need every guy on the football team," DeBoer said.

As the Huskies turn to a walk-through on Friday morning and a final scrimmage on Saturday afternoon, they've settled on a new offensive line, plugging in three veterans to fill vacancies; restored two former standouts to starting roles in linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio and edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui; and found a confident and battle-tested cornerback in Jabbar Muhammad, the Oklahoma State transfer.

Still to be determined: the other starting cornerback and possibly the No. 1 running back, though returning Huskies Elijah Jackson and Cam Davis have been making strong bids for those jobs, respectively.

Throughout the fast-paced and well-organized practices — with 7 of the 13 sessions held in Dempsey Indoor because of the Northwest's continuous poor weather conditions — photographer Skylar Lin has been there to document each one with his keen eye and long lens. Take a look at his lastest gallery here:

Newly arrived UW defensive backs Diesel Gordon (26) and Thaddeus Dixon (9) share in stretching exercises in Dempsey Indoor.

Veteran defensive tackles Faatui Tuitele (99) and Jacob Bandes (55) pause for a camera shot to let everyone know exactly who they play for.

Sioux Falls transfer Zach Durfee shows good mobility as he turns the corner in this spring drill, demonstrating that he belongs at a higher level of football.

Walk-on junior safety Sean Toomey-Stout played in six games in 2022. He'll forever be remembered for going viral in high school by running back a kickoff for a score with a deer passing him.

Freshman linebacker Jordan Whitney (33) has been introduced to college football this spring, which is a combination of learning the Husky playbook and getting used to the faster pace.

Linebacker Demario King, who missed the entire 2022 season with an injury, chats up co-defensive coordinator William Inge during Wednesday's stretching exercises.

The Huskies' high-performance engine, also known as Michael Penix Jr., lobs a pass with coach Kalen DeBoer and fellow quarterback Tyson Lang looking on.

Freshman center Landen Hatchett sets himself over the ball as he prepares to snap it and meet coaching resistance in Wednesday's practice.

After missing multiple practices while injured, Richard Newton returned to action on Wednesday, and is shown picking his way through a footwork drill.

Coach Kalen DeBoer confers with defensive-line coach Inoke Breckterfield during pause in Wednesday's spring football practice in Dempsey Indoor.

The Huskies seem to have got a lot accomplished this spring with the coaches and the bulk of the players knowing exactly what to expect from each other following last year's coaching change.

Injuries have been minimal for this Power 5 football team, which has been a spring bonus.

Eleven more freshman will enroll in June and participate in fall camp.

Once spring ball is over, it's a certainty in today's game that a few UW players will enter the transfer portal, looking for playing time elsewhere or encouraged to go elsewhere, victims of competition.

Yet that's a small price to pay for what's happening for the Huskies, who are projected to be a Top 10 team with all sorts of possibilities.

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.

Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.

Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12

Follow Dan Raley of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @DanRaley1 or @UWFanNation or @DanRaley3

Have a question, direct message me on Facebook or Twitter.