Husky Roster Review: McCallister Puts Best Foot Forward for UW

He has a chance to be a four-year starting punter in Montlake.

Jack McCallister has the Huskies' starting punter for two seasons. / Skylar Lin Visuals

For all of the lineup readjustments Jedd Fisch has had to make in taking over the University of Washington football team, the kicking game hasn't been one of them.

The new Husky coach had to be pleasantly surprised to find that his inherited punter and place-kicker were reliable veterans who have put in a lot of game time under all kinds of pressure-packed situations.

Fisch's punter is Jack McCallister, a 6-foot, 216-pound junior from Edmonds, Washington, who has been the No. 1 guy for two seasons and 68 punts, averaging 41.4 yards per boot in his Husky career, with 11 going 50 yards or more.

He launched a season-best 56-yarder, two off his career long, against Michigan in the College Football Playoff national championship game, had just eight returned all of last season and hasn't had a punt blocked.

McCallister curiously is still a walk-on, probably the next most deserving Husky to receive a scholarship who hasn't.

Jack McCallister punts on the East field. / 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.

If Fisch wants to do a deep background check on McCallister, he will find the guy punted once against his Arizona team in 2022, and served up a 50-yarder in the UW's 49-39 win in Husky Stadium and he had two punts against the Wildcats last season in Tucson, supplying 48- and 37-yarders in the Huskies' 31-24 victory.

He hails from tiny King's, a private high school in northern Seattle that supplied basketball forward Corey Kispert to Gonzaga and the NBA's Washington Wizards.

McCallister, who succeeded notable big foot Race Porter, has a chance to be the UW punter for four seasons. If the punting shoe fits, then he should wear it.

Jack McCallister shows off his punting form. / Skylar Lin Visuals

JACK MCCALLISTER FILE

What he's done: The only real problem McCallister has had with the Huskies is simply getting on the field at times. In 2022, he had just one punt in six of the 13 games played, with Kalen DeBoer's staff choosing to to go for it a lot on fourth down. McCallister didn't even punt against Tulsa last season.

Starter or not: McCallister has been dependable, so he's the guy, probably for two more seasons. He also was a place-kicker in high school should the Huskies have an emergency need there. Now, about that UW scholarship.

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