Husky Roster Review: In No. 90, Elinneus Davis Has Big Sleeves to Fill

He represents yet another Davis to turn up on the University of Washington football roster, the third in recent years. He also stands as the next guy to bear the considerable weight of wearing No. 90 in a purple shirt.

This would be Elinneus Davis, a freshman defensive tackle who enrolled in school early and arrived for spring football practice only to sit out the whole thing with some sort of an undisclosed injury.

E.D., call home.

This Davis comes to the UW as coach Kalen DeBoer expands the Husky recruiting footprint into Minnesota, where — get out your road maps — his staff found this defender from town of Moorhead in the Fargo suburbs on the North Dakota border, as well as transfer edge rusher Zach Durfee, who hails from Dawson, 130 miles east of Minneapolis, by way of the University of Sioux Falls.

While Davis was inactive for spring ball, he didn't go unnoticed as he unmistakably was this hulking figure wandering through practice from time to time before heading to his regular stints in the training room.

Going down the roster from No. 0 to 99, Davis, who wears No. 90 all to himself, is next up in a series of profiles about each of the Huskies' scholarship players and assorted walk-ons, summing up their spring football performances and surmising what might come next for them.

The big Minnesota defensive tackle enrolled early but missed spring football with some sort of injury.

Elinneus Davis watched Husky spring practice from the end zone as he recovered from an undisclosed injury.

Elinneus Davis carries 319 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame as a UW freshman defensive tackle.

Elinneus Davis grew up in the suburbs of Fargo, North Dakota, just over the state line in Moorhead, Minnesota.

These two, Elinneus Davis and Anthony James, could be playing side by side some day, either as defensive tackle and edge rusher or both as down linemen.

Elinneus Davis signs his national letter of intent in Minnesota with his family surrounding him.

Elinneus Davis wore No. 74 in high school and now has jersey 90 at the UW, which is what Steve Emtman did decades ago.

At 6-foot-2, and 319 pounds, this Davis already ranks as the third heaviest Husky football player on the current team, outweighed only by fellow defensive tackle Ulumoo Ale, a sixth-year senior who carries a 6-foot-6, 331-pound frame, and junior offensive guard Nate Kalepo, who checks in at 6-foot-6 and 323 pounds.

Davis, no relation to running back Cam or departed wide receiver Taj, is the next to pull on 90, a most visible jersey number for the Huskies that once belonged to the program's greatest defensive player ever: Steve Emtman.

The UW defensive tackle from Cheney, Washington, terrorized college football teams from 1988 to 1991, becoming a consensus All-America choice, the Outland Trophy winner and a No. 1 overall NFL draft selection while leading the UW to a 12-0 season and co-national championship in his final year.

However, future wearers of this shirt have either found 90 almost too hard to live up or maybe even bad luck.

Eleven Huskies have worn it since Emtman left Montlake three decades ago. Six were defensive tackles in Voi Tunuufi (2021-22), Josiah Bronson (2017-19), Taniela Tupou (2011-15), Chris Robinson (2009-10), Donny Mateaki (2003-04) and Nick Feigner (1997-99).

It should be noted that Tunuufi, Bronson and Mateaki all changed their numbers and discarded 90.

Others who gave it a try once Emtman moved on were wide receivers Bill Petrie (1992), Reilly Schanno (1993) and Andy Carroll (1996, 1997), plus linebacker Kai Ellis (2001). Most of these guys never saw the field on game day and didn't stay long.

Now comes Elinneus Davis, who wore No. 74 at Moorhead High School, often played opposite the center and was proficient at shucking opposing blockers and sliding into the hole to make a tackle.

The funny thing about all of this is Emtman also wore No. 74 in high school and wanted to own it as a Husky, only to lose out to higher regarded defensive tackle but less productive UW player Mike Lustyk and reluctantly turn to 90, of course, which he made forever famous.

It's Davis' turn to see what he can do with the number. He's about 15-20 pounds heavier than Emtman was in Montlake.

ELINNEUS DAVIS FILE

Service: Davis showed up early but an injury prevented him from joining spring football. He'll try again this fall.

Stats: He weighs 319, again making him the third heaviest Husky.

Role: With his size and mobility, don't be surprised to see him eased into the action this fall. Likely, he plays in a minimum number of games and redshirts.

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