Huskies Have No Shortage of Ready-To-Play Linebackers

The UW has four veteran and well-decorated playmakers sharing time on the second row.

No matter what they say, each and every University of Washington football player wants to be out there starting on Saturdays and most assuredly he privately seethes when that doesn't happen.

While these guys insist publicly that they're forever team players and will do whatever they're asked, foremost they're high-level competitors who are out to win games, their coaches' affection and their position battles. That's no surprise.

So it is with great wonderment everyone watches a fairly intense Husky linebacker competition play out this season among seniors Edefuan Ulofoshio and Ralen Goforth, and juniors Alphonzo Tuputala and Carson Bruener.

They're all similar in dimensions, toughness and accolades. All of them play nearly every UW defensive series, with Bruener and Goforth rotating in and out in third-down passing situations besides pulling full reps as the games go on.

Until last Saturday at Oregon State, Ulofoshio and Tuputala served as the linebacker first-teamers uninterrupted for this perfect 11-0 and fourth-ranked football team before Tuputala sat out the game in Corvallis presumably because of a late-week injury — and not his aborted pick-6 play against Utah the previous week.

Consequently, the 6-foot-2, 226-pound Bruener drew his first start since 2021 and produced a 14-tackle game, the highest total this season among all of these second-row Huskies.

Asked about the competitive margin separating this foursome, UW coach Kalen DeBoer said, "Very thin. They all bring a little something different. The snap counts at the end of the game a lot of times are not that far off and there's a reason why — they all have qualities that help us win football games."

Yes, they are a competitive bunch. A year ago, the 6-foot-1, 236-pound Ulofoshio returned as a reserve after bicep and knee injuries and subsequent surgeries sidelined him for 13 months. 

Following a couple of game appearances to shake off the rust, Ulofoshio was quizzed whether he was ready to start again, to which he responded, "Tell them I'm ready, tell them I'm ready," referring to his coaches. Presumably he was kidding, but he was more likely half-kidding or not kidding at all.

In spring practice, William Inge, UW co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, was asked what Bruener needed to become a starter again and he diplomatically responded that his player was getting his mind and his speed in the right place.

To which Bruener said of his perceived football swiftness, "I'm doing good for now. If you want the numbers, you can ask him."

The 6-foot-2, 237-pound Goforth was a 17-game starter at USC who came to Montlake after playing the 2022 season for new coach Lincoln Riley, who made him come off the bench, even though he was a high-tackle guy and returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown against Rice.

Tuputala became a first-time starter for DeBoer's staff, even after watching these new coaches bring in linebacker transfers in Pittsburgh's Cam Bright and UAB's Kris Moll to bolster the position and having Bruener return as a five-game starter and 2021 Husky sensation from a bad season. He's opened 23 of 36 games in his UW career. 

"When I found out guys were coming in, I kept my head on straight and couldn't listen to outside noises," the 6-foot-2, 240-pound Tuputala said of being resolute about the changing roster.

Goforth seems content enough in Seattle, even though he hasn't regained his starting status. He did beat his old team USC 52-42 in Los Angeles, his new team is unbeaten and his defensive coordinators, unlike the guy for his old team, haven't been fired.

"We all have the same amount of goals, which is to win at the end of the day," he said of his playing situation. "However, we get that done, I'm happy."

DeBoer has taken note of their mature approach to what otherwise could be a testy and uncomfortable situation, with a bunch of overly aggressive guys having to temper their enthusiasm, at least when presenting a public face that everything is fine in coming off the bench.

"The really cool thing is they've done an awesome job of setting aside their individual accolades and things like that that they could accomplish for the betterment of their unit as a linebacker corps, our defense and our football team," the Husky coach said.

Picking two UW linebacker starters certainly is a challenge. Ulofoshio, who started 23 of 42 Husky games he's played, is second on the team in tackles with 72, Bruener, a starter in 6 of 35 games, third with 59 tackles, Tuputala fifth with 46 and Goforth eighth with 33.

As for career bests, Ulofoshio posted an 18-tackle game against Stanford in 2020, Bruener piled up 16 on the Cardinal in 2021, Goforth had 12 against Utah in 2020 and Tuputala twice finished with a personal-best 9 tackles last season.

Ulofoshio and Goforth have pick-6s in their college careers, while Tuputala should have one, but has to settle for a 76-yard return after dropping the ball before crossing the goal line for an unforced fumble against the Utes. Bruener returned a 2021 interception against Oregon 50 yards and as close to scoring as the Ducks 6.

As for individual accolades, Ulofoshio received 2020 second-team All-Pac-12 recognition before his string of injuries and Tuputala was chosen 2022 All-Pac-12 honorable mention, while Bruener in 2021 drew Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week recognition following his first career start.

Entering Saturday's Apple Cup, Ulofoshio and Tuputala could be the starters again, with business as usual. Or Bruener might be rewarded with another start for his Oregon State heroics or  be called on once more if Tuputala can't play. 

Either way, Bruener and Tuputala stand a good chance of playing side by side as Husky starters in 2024 after the older guys at the position have moved on, so it's never too early to begin bonding.

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