Husky Roster Review: Parham Has Credentials, Challenge to Become UW Starter

Linebacker Bryun Parham somehow got a lot shorter yet slightly heavier after transferring from San Jose State to the University of Washington football team -- the Spartans listed him at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds while the Huskies have him at 5-11 and 212.

Such is the reality of going from the Mountain West Conference to the Big Ten, where, no offense to Parham's former football situation, things are about to get more real.

Parham arrived in Montlake after three seasons with San Jose State in which he was a 25-game starter, piled up 218 career tackles and earned All-Mountain West honorable-mention accolades in 2023, and he's basically had to start over, finding himself surrounded by established, veteran talent.

He's the sleeker, shorter guy when lining up alongside Carson Bruener, Alphonzo Tuputala and Drew Fowler, all seniors like him.

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.

Bryun Parham backpedals through a UW spring football drill. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Parham, originally from Long Beach, California, came to the UW, pulled on departed All-Pac-12 linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio's old jersey No. 5 and put himself out there for 15 spring practice to see how he measures up. He seemed to welcome the competitive environment.

"He's very excited to be here," new UW linebackers coach Robert Ballo said. "He's definitely been a bright spot for us through spring ball. He can definitely help us and add a lot of value for us."

Parham's best outing last season was a 12-tackle performance on the road against Boise State, one in which he recovered two fumbles and forced one. Unfortunately for him, his team blew a two-touchdown halftime lead and went home a 35-27 loser.

This came a month after the UW opened the season against Boise State in Seattle and won 56-19, with no Husky player staying on the field long enough to pick up more than 7 tackles.

Again, just a comparison to where Parham previously was and where he's at now.

Bryun Parham works on the sled during a UW spring drill. | Skylar Lin Visuals

"It’s like a dream to have this opportunity to go to a university like UW," Parham told 247Sports when he committed, hoping to improve his NFL chances. "It has been nothing but great since I’ve been here and I’m ready to come and take it all.”

He turned in his most productive outing for the Spartans as a sophomore in a 2022 game against Utah State in which he piled up 14 tackles, which included a sack, in a 35-31 loss in Logan, Utah. He can be a very active player, covering a lot of ground on the field.

Parham was lightly recruited coming out of a well-regarded Long Beach Poly high school program and proceeded to make a name for himself at San Jose State. At the UW, he's faced with a similar situation, of proving himself once more.

BRYUN PARHAM FILE

What he's done: Parham started those 25 games for his Mountain West team so he's a well-seasoned veteran player in his own right. However, he spent all of spring ball working with the No. 2 Husky defense alongside Fowler, rotating in behind Bruener and Tuputala.

Starter or not: Realistically, Parham will have to dislodge Bruener or Tuputala if he wants to be a starter again, no easy proposition. Tuputala is a 27-game UW starter while Bruener comes off an All-Pac-12 honorable-mention season in 2023. The competition on this Husky team might be no greater right now than it is at linebacker.

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