Husky Roster Review: Mencke Was Out to Get Noticed In Spring

It's really easy to get lost in the crowd when 100 players show up for a month of University of Washington spring football practices, especially if you're a freshman or redshirt freshman who hasn't played yet on Saturdays for the Huskies and you wear an obscure jersey number.

Paul Mencke, however, did his best to get noticed in April and into May. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

In practice No. 6, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound safety from Cibolo, Texas, and son of a former Washington State quarterback and wide receiver, made a diving interception of a Kai Horton throw and got up and ran around celebrating enthusiastically for all to see.

For the seventh practice, Mencke got beat on a 25-yard pass from Demond Williams Jr. to Chris Lawson on a sideline route, but that wasn't the worst of it. He hit the cement just off the East field and skidded across it like an unsteady ice skater and let out a loud "ooooh!"

Paul Mencke Jr. goes through a UW safety drill. | Skylar Lin Visuals

In practice No. 10, Mencke grabbed redshirt freshman receiver Justice Williams at the end of a play and spun him around, without the ball anywhere in their vicinity, and drew a stern rebuke from defensive coordinator Ryan Walters presumably for his impertinence.

And, finally, in the 12th session, fellow defensive back Leroy Bryant broke through to block a Sam Finnigan field-goal attempt and Mencke scooped it up and ran 50 yards, again celebrating his good fortune.

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 getting noticed was his objective, Mencke accomplished that.

Paul Mencke Jr. gets loose during a UW spring practice in Dempsey Indoor. | Skylar Lin Visuals

"You look at Paul and he passes the eye test because he's big and he can run and he's physical," Husky safeties coach Taylor Mays said. "He's a guy who you say is a rep guy, but everybody is a rep guy. .... You don't want to get through your freshman year and into your sophomore and say, dang, I didn't [do it]."

Translated, that means Mencke, while gaining ample experience with some advances and also some hiccups, got noticed this spring.

"Paul is a guy who continues to get better and better," Mays concluded.

PAUL MENCKE JR. FILE

What he's done: Mencke originally was a Kalen DeBoer recruit from the San Antonio area -- committing to the UW while it prepared to face Texas in the 2022 Alamo Bowl in his backyard -- who stuck with the Huskies following the coaching change to Jedd Fisch. He didn't appear in any games as a freshman.

Starter or not: He spent the spring rotating in and out of the second and third units. His continued development will determine if he becomes a safety starter or not. This Husky position recently has had a history of making guys such as Alex Cook, Kamren Fabiculanan and now Makell Esteen wait until they become seniors or even fifth-year players to start at safety.

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