Husky Roster Review: Elinneus Davis Gets His Shot to Start

Entering fall camp, the defensive line remains the most questionable position group for the University of Washington football team.

Again, it might be the difference between the Huskies being good or great during the upcoming season.

Yet Jayvon Parker is coming back from an Achilles tendon tear and will need time. His brother Armon Parker has missed two of the past three seasons because of knee injuries and hasn't played in a UW game. And Utah transfer Simote Pepa was unavailable for more than half of spring ball with unspecified issues.

Out of all of this defensive-line uncertainty steps Elinneus Davis, the 6-foot-2, 315-pound sophomore defensive tackle from Moorhead, Minnesota, someone who might receive more responsibility than his experience dictates.

He's played just one season for the Huskies and not been a starter before.

During spring practice, Davis was the only interior lineman to run with the No. 1 Husky defense basically from start to finish. He was paired with every other viable candidate at some point.

"I feel like I'm getting there for sure," he said. "[I'm] never satisfied with what I have, but I feel really blessed and fortunate to be in the position I am today."

For the first practice, Davis came out as part of a five-man front that included Anterio Thompson and Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei on the inside and Jacob Lane and Isaiah Ward on the edge, an alignment certain to get a lot of traction this season.

From there, he lined up on separate occasions in four-man fronts alongside Bryce Butler, Logan Sagapolu, Pepa and Thompson as the two starters down in a stance.

For the Spring Game, Davis initially teamed with Armon Parker for the Purple team.

Elinneus Davis drops into a stance against Northwestern. | 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.

Davis comes into this season with 12 game appearances, all as a reserve, for the Huskies in 2024.

This happened after he was a spring football surprise last year, earning a spot in the rotation after remaking his body and playing confidently in practice.

Elinneus Davis (90) waits his turn in a spring strip drill. | Skylar Lin Visuals

During this most recent spring, Davis drew attention to himself in practice No. 6 when he stepped into the hole and literally threw down No.1 tailback Jonah Coieman for a 2-yard loss, with his physicality showing at times.

In another practice, he was left flat on his back while trying without success to bring down quarterback Kai Horton on a keeper. Such is the respect he now commands, Davis was helped to his feet by starting offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi.

if there's a concern regarding his game, Davis is a fairly low-key personality whereas his position logically requires someone with a nasty attitude to be a dominant player. He has everyone's permission to be a little less polite.

ELINNEUS DAVIS FILE

What he's done: He played in every UW game in 2024 except the Apple Cup against Washington State and finished with 14 tackles during the season. Davis came up with a sack against Eastern Michigan, a pass break-up against Michigan and a tackle for loss against USC. He made a lot of progress as a second-year player who had redshirted and been somewhat anonymous in 2023.

Starter or not: With the way he was used in April and into May, Davis seems headed for a starting role at some point, especially with others coming off injuries. Davis' athleticism and size will get him onto the field. Sacks and tackles for loss will keep him out there.

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