If the Huskies Had a Game next Saturday, Here's Who Would Start
Surpassing the halfway point for University of Washington spring football, with a pair of scrimmages to come, and a number of players nursing a variety of injuries, the Huskies would use the following starters if they had to play a game next Saturday.
An all-new backfield from the transfer portal.
A holdover receiving corps as solid as any group of Huskies.
Just one offensive lineman who played full-time last fall.
Edge rushers who are a handful.
Two new inside backers.
A defensive line with a budding star in the making.
Familiar safeties.
Young and somewhat untested corners.
A hybrid Husky role giving someone a second chance.
From the Apple Cup lineup that was settled on by an interim staff, new coach Kalen DeBoer would wave just 11 of the 22 starters onto the field who did battle against Washington State that day.
At quarterback, Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr. appears to have an edge on Dylan Morris, last season's 11-game starter, and Sam Huard, the Apple Cup starter. Penix would hand the ball off to New Mexico transfer Aaron Dumas, who's been ahead of Jay'Veon Sunday and the five injured or ill scholarship running backs, with two more new runners arriving in the fall from Virginia and Nebraska.
Michael Penix Jr. brought 17 starts from Indiana.
Skylar Lin Visuals
From the outset, DeBoer's coaches have said that wide receivers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and one-time Texas Tech transfer Ja'Lynn Polk were a perfect fit for their spread offense. Nothing's changed. They seem to work well with any coaching staff. After all, each one started the Apple Cup.
Tight end Devin Culp, so streamlined and advanced now as he turns himself into a desired NFL prospect, also opened against WSU last November.
Across the offensive line, only Vic Curne returns as a full-time starter from all 12 games last season, but he's moved from right tackle to right guard. Troy Fautanu holds down left tackle, at least unless two-time All-Pac-12 selection Jaxson Kirkland receives NCAA approval and comes back. Fautanu, who started the Apple Cup at left guard, will start somewhere. He's emerged as a steady player no matter where he lines up. Corey Luciano, Nate Kalepo and Matteo Mele have been running out there this spring as the starting center, left guard and right tackle, respectively. They have a collective one Husky career start among them, with Mele opening at center way back in 2019. These three will be pressed to keep their starting roles with touted redshirt freshmen Geirean Hatchett, Myles Murao or Gaard Memmelaar and Roger Rosengarten, in that order, ready to play.
For those keeping score, that's six returning offensive starters from the Apple Cup.
Defensively, DeBoer seems to relish the idea of making opponents highly uncomfortable by sending edge rushers Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui at them at all times. Their credentials are weighty. Trice projects to be better than first-round draft pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and ZTF is a former third-team All-American and a first-team All-Pac-12 pick. Trice has a 72-yard fumble runback for a score on his resume, ZTF seven sacks in three games in 2020. Trice is a returning starter from the WSU game.
Fixing the defensive line has been a DeBoer priority. One of the starting jobs currently belongs to returnee Tuli Letuligasenoa, an honorable-mention All-Pac-12 choice who opened against the Cougars. He's been paired with the potential breakout player of the spring, redshirt freshman Kuao Peihopa, who's looking more and more like the playmaker that's been missing up front.
At inside linebacker, the Huskies have had to do some considerable mixing and matching this spring and rely on the greatly underrated Alphonzo Tuputala and proven Pittsburgh transfer Cam Bright. Had injuries not got in the way, Edefuan Ulofoshio and Carson Bruener might be ahead of them. But those others will hold up well if they were needed to carry a full load.
Alphonzo Tuputala has made a move at linebacker for playing time.
Dan Raley
In a week's time, former UW cornerbacks and first-team All-Pac-12 selections Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon should become instant NFL millionaires. They've left their Husky jobs to sophomore Mishael Powell and for now redshirt freshman Davon Banks. UC Davis transfer and first-team All-Big Sky selection Jordan Perryman was in the middle of things before suffering some sort of minor injury. Powell was a starter in the Apple Cup, one of three games he opened last season.
At safeties, the Huskies have been running Alex Cook and Asa Turner out there, two guys who seem like they've been around forever. Cook actually played in the 2019 Rose Bowl against Ohio State and started at wide receiver. Turner has been a starter on and off for three seasons. He and Cook both opened the most recent Apple Cup.
The hybrid Husky position is new, replacing the nickelback role, and Kamren Fabiculanan currently occupies the No. 1 slot in this freelance position. It was Dominique Hampton, but he tweaked something and was sidelined. Both of them received spot starts at safety in 2021. However, Fabiculanan didn't even play in the Apple Cup, and Hampton pulled limited snaps that day.
Altogether, that's five defensive starters who return from the Apple Cup and are currently available.
There you have it, a starting lineup to behold, halfway through spring practice, subject to great change between now and the Sept. 4 opener against Kent State in Husky Stadium.
Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Husky FanNation stories as soon as they’re published.
Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.
Find Husky FanNation on Facebook by searching: Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated
Follow Dan Raley of Husky FanNation on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven
