Husky Roster Review: Landen Hatchett Has His Health, Full-Time Job

A year ago, Landen Hatchett stood in an end zone, pulled on some gloves and boxed furiously with a coach. He strapped on a tension cord and strained as if he was part of a high-wire act. He rode a stationary bicycle as if being chased by a grizzly bear.

For University of Washington spring practice back then, Hatchett did everything but play football.

One of the prized players of the 2023 University of Washington recruiting class, the 6-foot-2, 320-pound Hatchett tore up a knee as a freshman while preparing for the Sugar Bowl against Texas and he spent the next eight months trying to reclaim his health.

While he sat out of spring ball, Hatchett was ready to go once last season opened. Still, it would be another six weeks before he was considered at full strength and drew his first career start at Iowa.

Landen Hatchett meditates before the Penn State game. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Demonstrating how versatile he is, Hatchett opened six of the final seven games in 2024 for Jedd Fisch's coaching staff and he did this by manning three different positions -- left guard, right guard and center.

For the more recent 15 spring football practices, the junior from Ferndale, Washington, settled in as the No. 1 center, his position of choice all along. He feels good.

"I'm getting my body where I want it," he said.

Landen Hatchett takes a quick step in this spring drill. | 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.

Barring any unforeseen mishaps, Hatchett will have two seasons in which to make himself a desirable NFL draft pick, stuff that's been projected for him all along.

"I love the fact that Landen Hatchett is not coming off an ACL," UW coach Jedd Fisch said.

Landen Hatchett attended the Sugar Bowl on crutches after suffering a knee injury and having surgery. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Overly athletic for a man his size, he has no limitations, rather he's being given the opportunity to show himself in is his full glory.

The knee is healed. His older brother Geirean is back from Oklahoma. The brothers could be side-by- side starters. They could be two of the few locally produced players in the UW opening lineup, with wide receiver Denzel Boston and nickelback Rahshawn Clark the other candidates to do this.

Landen Hatchett meets with the media during spring ball. | Dan Raley

LANDEN HATCHETT FILE

What he's done: The younger Hatchett has played in 22 Husky games, getting on the field almost as soon as he arrived at the UW. He has the longest hair on the football team, longer than John Mills and Champ Taulealea, which is a show of strength and makes him the Huskies' Samson. He's an extremely confident player, which bodes well for the Husky offense.

Starter or not: Hatchett has started at center just once, in the Sun Bowl against Louisville, and it went fairly well as the Huskies ran up 34 points, 374 yards passing and 472 yards of total offense. Not only he is the UW starting center for the next two seasons, he's likely a Big Ten honors candidate before he's done in Montlake.

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