Huskies Hope To Turn Dominic Harris Into Dominant Guy

The adjustment from high school to Husky football sometimes can be a daunting task.

Players have to better account for their time, know the playbook inside and out, and become fully acquainted with the weight room.

Yet sometimes it's the little things that can really test a University of Washington freshman wandering through a new landscape without any sort of map or direction, such as offensive tackle Dominic Harris.

For his very first spring football practice in April, the 6-foot-7, 356-pound newcomer from Las Vegas made the long walk from the locker room through Husky Stadium and onto the East Field only to make an urgent request.

"Where's the bathroom?" he asked.

Once he got all of that sorted out, Harris settled in and took part in all 15 spring practices as a novice player who was carrying an unusual distinction.

He was the heaviest Husky football player by a good five pounds over the next thickest UW big body.

Dom Harris crouches down in a spring drill. | Dave Sizer photo

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the UW roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did in spring practice and what to expect from them going into fall camp.

By now, Harris reactively knows where the rest stops, the dinner hall and his locker room cubicle are located.

He's a veteran of spring ball, which was both an initiation and baptism all wrapped into one.

Dom Harris leans in to hear Dempsey Indoor instructions. | Dave Sizer photo

Harris spent much of the month moving between the No. 2 and 3 offenses while coming out of a stance at right offensive tackle.

Again, he holds the distinction of tipping the scales more than anyone else on the 90-plus roster, with his 356 pounds outweighing 6-foot-6, 351-pound redshirt freshman Jack Shaffer and 6-foot-5, 344-pound redshirt freshman Champ Taulealea, both offensive guards.

He mostly used all of his bulk to lean on people through his 15 practices, but seemed to be moving more spryly by the end.

While Jedd Fisch's staff wants its Husky linemen meaty, Harris likely will need to tone up some and play in the 330- to 340-pound range.

No matter how you slice him, he's a huge guy coming out of a stance, who could be scary once he builds the proper strength.

Dominic Harris is the heaviest Husky at 356 pounds. | Dave Sizer photo

What he's done: Plenty of others saw what the Huskies envisioned in Harris, who had more than 30 offers in his recruitment, with Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, South Carolina, Tennessee, UCLA and USC among them.

Starter or not: The UW brought in Harris to be a bookend tackle with fellow freshman Kodi Greene at some point. Greene, of course, became an immediate starter. Harris likely will need at least a couple of seasons to get his body Big Ten in proper competitive shape.

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