Husky Roster Review: Presley Hasn't Got Started Yet

Seated in front of a large media gathering, then-University of Washington football coach Kalen DeBoer absentmindedly toyed with a writing pen, an appropriate prop for him at the moment, as he sized up his 2023 recruits who had just signed national letters of intent.

Conducting an Alamo Bowl practice that morning, DeBoer had learned that Seattle cornerback Caleb Presley, a 4-star prospect from Rainier Beach High School, had flipped his commitment from Oregon and decided to play for the Huskies.

This was big news. Nearly all of the high-profile local recruits before him had passed on the Huskies in recent seasons -- JT Tuimoloau, Emeke Egbuka and Jayden Wayne, to name a few -- and Presley was one guy who wasn't leaving.

"It's a real cool thing for him to stay home," DeBoer said, discussing Presley for several minutes. "I couldn't be more proud of him for the process he's gone through to keep everything open in his mind and just see us for who we are. And to know that he can make a difference in our program, of course on the field, but really change and have a trajectory in his impact on what he can do as far as showing guys next year and the year after, who are local, that this is the place to be -- and staying home at Washington is the thing you're supposed to do."

Seventeen months later, DeBoer is long gone, finding a new coaching home at Alabama, and Presley hasn't played in any UW games yet, in fact only suited up for a few and not been the center of any lengthy discussions since.

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.

Caleb Presley works with a trainer while the Huskies practice. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Whereas some people might have thought the 6-foot, 177-pound Presley would come out and play right away, such as Trent McDuffie or Kyler Gordon did as freshmen, his introduction to Husky football has been agonizingly slow.

He redshirted last season, watching instead of playing on Saturdays as he got acclimated. During the recently completed UW spring practice, the defensive back was present but held out of all contact drills, dealing with an unspecified injury.

When he wasn't working with team trainers off to the side, Presley occasionally took part in April cornerback agility drills. Running sideways, he appeared as fast if not faster than all of the other corners. It was a glimpse.

For sure, Jedd Fisch's Husky coaching staff, which recruited Presley for Arizona, has to wonder some what it has with this local yet largely untested corner and when he'll be ready to compete with everyone else.

CALEB PRESLEY FILE

What he's done: Presley simply hasn't got started. No games played. No spring contact. Nothing really to grade him on. He was one of the first to post on social media what appeared to be an endorsement of Fisch at the time of the coach's hiring, so he seems on board with the new management.

Starter or not: Not any time soon. Presley is way behind a fairly concentrated collection of cornerbacks and has a lot of ground to make up.

Fro the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.coom/college/washington