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Inside The Huskies

It's A Numbers Game: Dillard-Allen Takes On Yet Another UW Identity

The sophomore safety just claimed his third Husky jersey digit in seven months.
Dan Raley|
Taylor Mays runs with Rylon Dillard-Allen (3) in spring ball.
Taylor Mays runs with Rylon Dillard-Allen (3) in spring ball. | Dave Sizer photo

Take a number.

Once more, the University of Washington football team has gone through a flurry of offseason jersey changes, though with a slight variation.

Rylon "Batman" Dillard-Allen has become a repeat customer.

A 5-foot-11, 187-pound sophomore safety from Phoenix, he just claimed his third different number over the past seven months with the Huskies.

Dillard-Allen has gone from No. 18, which he wore in the LA Bowl against Boise State, to 3, which he pulled on during spring football practice, to No. 4, which will become his game-day shirt this coming fall.

He was one of a dozen players recently who either switched numbers or drew one for the first time with the Huskies.

Three of these changes involved fairly visible defensive backs, beginning with Dillard-Allen.

Once the player nicknamed "Batman" gave up No. 3, Virginia junior cornerback transfer Manny Karnley requested it after wearing No. 8 throughout spring ball. Karnley answered to No. 19 last season for his ACC team.

Virginia transfer Manny Karnley has switched numbers since spring practice ended, going from 8 to 3.
Virginia transfer Manny Karnley has switched numbers since spring practice ended, going from 8 to 3. | Dave Sizer photo

And once Karnley turned No. 8 back in, redshirt freshman nickelback Ramonz Adams Jr. claimed it. Adams previously wore 16.

For that matter, Dillard-Allen now has a number previously worn by fellow safety CJ Christian, who tore an Achilles tendon midway through spring football and was lost for the coming season.

There's no word yet on whether Christian, a senior and one-time Florida International transfer, will attempt to play again for the Huskies.

Walk-on junior running back Beck Walker also went for a new identity, switching to No. 27 from 25.

Eight newcomers checked in this summer and were assigned UW numbers.

The roster additions include freshman cornerback Rahsjohn Duncan (13), walk-on freshman long snapper Ben Ferber (42), freshman defensive tackle David Schwerzel (50), freshman defensive lineman JD Hill (54), freshman defensive lineman Ta'a Malu (56), walk-on linebacker Jesse Ewell (57), freshman offensive lineman Ah Deong Yang (71) and freshman defensive lineman Joseph Peko (94).

Freshman defensive lineman JD Hill will wear No. 54 for the Huskies.
Freshman defensive lineman JD Hill will wear No. 54 for the Huskies. | Utah

Hill received a number worn last season by defensive tackle Anterio Thompson, who was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons in April.

Ewell will pull on a jersey worn by graduated special-teams leader Anthony Ward.

Yang will wear a shirt that previously belonged to offensive lineman Davit Boyajhan, who transferred to Cal Poly over the winter.

Finally, Peko takes over a number worn the previous four seasons by departed defensive tackle Jayvon Parker, who with his twin brother Armon, now plays for Maryland.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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