Inside The Huskies

Husky Roster Review: DeGraaf Is Determined To Become DeGreat

The tight end has been on a high arc since the beginning of his UW career.
Dan Raley|
Decker DeGraaf celebrates his 33-yard touchdown catch on his first UW play.
Decker DeGraaf celebrates his 33-yard touchdown catch on his first UW play. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Demond Williams Jr. had his moments as a University of Washington quarterback. The departed Khmori House wasn't bad at linebacker either. Running back Adam Mohammed is a star in the making.

Yet from start to finish, tight end Decker DeGraaf was the Huskies' best freshman football player during the 2024 season.

He played in all 13 games and started five. He earned first-team Freshman All-America recognition from two different organizations. He made things happen.

He appears to be well on his way to becoming an NFL tight end from a school that traditionally produces them at a high rate. He's progressed even faster than Cade Otton, Devin Culp and Jack Westover, each of whom redshirted before turning themselves into pros.

"He's got fantastic hands," UW coach Jedd Fsich said. "He catches the ball really, really well."

A proven receiver from the outset in Montlake, the 6-foot-3, 245-pound DeGraaf has added weight and made it a priority to become a more physical player, especially a better blocker.

He emerged as one of the Huskies' top spring preformers. He caught more passes than anyone else by a wide margin, wide receiver or tight end.

"I think being able to be 245 pounds allows him to be a lot more sticky in terms of contact and knock-off at the point of attack," tight-end coach Jordan Paopao said. "That's where I've really been really, really surprised, just in terms in what he did this offseason and of what he's been able to carry in terms of body weight."

Decker DeGraaf hauls in a touchdown catch against Eastern Michigan.
Decker DeGraaf hauls in a touchdown catch against Eastern Michigan. | Skylar Lin Visuals

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the Husky roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did this past spring and what to expect from them going forward.

In one of his first college snaps during last year's season opener, DeGraaf caught a 33-yard touchdown pass against Weber State. He pulled in a 41-yard TD strike against Eastern Michigan. He scored on a 1-yard throw against UCLA. He got his hands on a 36-yard gainer against USC and grabbed a 34-yard pass against Louisville.

Catching the football was automatic for him as a freshman from San Dimas, California, and will continue to define him, with spring football rubber-stamping his talents once more.

Over 15 spring practices, DeGraaf caught more balls than any other receiver as Williams made him his top passing target. The quarterback continuously found him with swing passes to the right or crossing routes over the middle.

The tight end pulled in no fewer than 28 passes during scrimmage plays, with 21 coming from Williams and three going for touchdowns. On their longest completions, they connected on throws of 20, 24, 25, 30, 30 and 36 yards.

Decker DeGraaf is bigger and stronger, and he was very good as a freshman TE in 2024.
Decker DeGraaf is bigger and stronger, and he was very good as a freshman TE in 2024. | Skylar Lin Visuals

"You still see the athleticism," Paopao said of DeGraaf. "You see his ability to be a really big factor in the passing game and, if he continues to grow, the sky's the limit for this young kid."

DeGraaf seems determined to become a full-service tight end, if not one of the best the UW has ever had.

DECKER DEGRAAF FILE

What he's done: DeGraaf caught 15 passes for 233 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first year for the Huskies in a support role and he easily could double or triple those numbers as the main tight end and Williams wise to his receiving skills.

Starter or not: As a freshman, he started as a second tight end against Michigan, USC, Penn State, UCLA and Oregon. Even with senior Quentin Moore healthy again, after missing all except the first quarter and a half of last season with a knee injury, DeGraaf stands to be the No. 1 guy. An NFL career awaits this player someday.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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