Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes: Huskies Keep Everyone Guessing with Manpower Use

For the final play of the University of Washington-Oregon football game, wide receiver Rome Odunze was put on the field in deep coverage.

Yes, defense, not offense.

Standing in his end zone, the 6-foot-3, 201-pound sophomore lined up at safety in a prevent defensive formation to secure the Huskies' 37-34 victory at Autzen Stadium.

Odunze was just another example of the overly creative means to which Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff will go in utilizing its manpower to win a football game. Nothing is out of the question.

In the case of Odunze, his coaches noted his exceptional leaping ability on the basketball floor before the season began and decided to put it to good use when the situation arose as it did at Oregon.

"We had our little hoops sessions at fall camp, when we all went and shot free throws, and I was dunking and they saw I had some hops," Odunze said. "So they put me back there, on it's called the victory play, where we were trying to bat the ball down if they threw a 'Hail Mary.' I'm just a guy who can get up there."

He wasn't the only player to go from offense to defense or from one position to a radically different one, if only briefly in situational stuff.

Here's a breakdown of some of the mosts unusual or unexpected moves DeBoer's first-year staff made:

Rome Odunze

The first-team, All-Pac-12 wide receiver drew just that one play on defense during the regular-season showdown with Oregon and he watched as a last-ditch Bo Nix pass hit the ground near the 10-yard line well in front of him to end the game. "I was comfortable with it," Odunze said. "I was in the huddle with the boys, with the DBs, and there was a cool photo of that. They had that confidence in me and I had that confidence in them."

Ulumoo Ale

The new staff took one look at the then 6-foot-6, 368-pound Ale, who was the second-heaviest player in the conference, and moved him from offensive guard, where he had started on and off for two seasons, to defensive tackle. By all accounts, the job change went smooth. Slimming down nearly 30 pounds, Ale played in 10 regular-season games, starting once against Colorado, and made 10 tackles, including one for last yardage, and he had a pass break-up. "We feel good about him," Husky co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell said. "He really started to pop out in practice where his movements and lateral agility were showing up again."

Jeremiah Martin

In a 49-39 victory over Arizona, the 6-foot-4, 267-pound Martin came up with a team-leading 9 tackles and 2 sacks, and was named Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week. This while he was on his way to being selected as a first-team, all-conference edge rusher at the end of the regular season. Against those same Wildcats, he also shifted to the other side of the line as a tight end for a play and provided blocking for running back Cam Davis' second-quarter, 1-yard touchdown run. "I said, 'I want him,' " UW offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb explained. "I've seen him push our guys the wrong way too many times [in practice]. I said, 'Why don't you go do that to one of [the opponents].' "

Landon Hatchett

Similar to Martin, the 6-foot-4, 303-pound Hatchett pulled some tight-end blocking duty as well in a couple of games, moving over from his normal slot at offensive guard. He did this for the first time against California in the 28-21 victory in Berkeley. "Hatch knows the calls and he's just one or two spots out extended from where he normally lines up," DeBoer said. "I think it's something we can certainly build on to use his strength and his athleticism. He's an athlete. He can go and catch the ball if we need to release him on routes here and there."

Michael Penix Jr.

Except for Jalen McMillan's slightly altered arm angle, Penix would have gone into the record books at the Apple Cup as a receiver scoring on a 30-yard catch against Washington State in the Huskies' 51-33 victory. Instead, the quarterback was credited as a rusher with a touchdown run when McMillan, on a double pass, unknowingly threw his ball backward to Penix. The Huskies got the six points, but not the uniqueness of the play. "After the game, I told him on the field I never had a quarterback that threw one, ran one and caught one," Grubb said of Penix's bid for a QB touchdown trifecta. "I was super fired up. Then somebody broke the news to me. It was a bummer."

Jalen McMillan

McMillan went in motion against the Cougars and caught a ball in the right flat from Penix, to what amounted to a planned lateral. He then threw it back to his teammate on the left side, in what turned out to be an unplanned second lateral to everyone's mild disappointment. "Yeah, I'm a quarterback," McMillan said, joking about the role change with his QB "My arm hasn't been put to use for awhile so they called me back there and said, 'Mike, you're not throwing that great.' "

Julius Irvin

The junior defensive back made the move from safety to cornerback, which doesn't seem all that unusual, except that he made the transformation in the middle of a game against Kent State, in an emergency situation when starter Jordan Perryman got hurt in the third quarter. Irvin played in six games, starting four at corner, before he, too, was hurt and lost for the season. He had a big day in his new position in a 39-28 victory over Michigan State, coming up with an interception, a pass break-up and a pair of tackles. "It was a scenario where he had to drink from the firehouse during the game," Husky co-defensive coordinator William Inge said of Irvin's cornerback debut.

Dylan Morris

This was just a subtle tweak, but Morris, the former quarterback starter and now Penix back-up, was sent onto the field as the kick holder, performing a job normally done by punter Jack McCallister, for games against Oregon State and Oregon, though he didn't handle either one of the snaps for Peyton Henry's game-winning field goals in either outing. His presence was done just to keep the opponents guessing, with the Huskies suggesting they might throw the ball rather than kick it on each instance."Dylan's preparation, honestly, is second to nobody on this team," Grubb said. "He is as prepared as anybody on this football team."

Jaxson Kirkland

The DeBoer staff returned Kirkland to his previous UW position at offensive guard for the Stanford game, which doesn't seem all that devious in nature. Yet it was a bold move because the 6-foot-7, 340-pound lineman had played well enough at left tackle to twice receive first-team, All-Pac-12 accolades. Kirkland was good with the change, earning all-conference honors once more at guard, and understood the coaches' reasoning. "We just feel like Jaxson can be a great, great guard," DeBoer said at the time. "You can see how powerful he is."

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