Kalepo Joins the Husky Rush to Transfer Portal
In the aftermath of the Pac-12 championship game and a 34-31 victory over Oregon, Troy Fauntanu was holding court, speaking with a media member, when fellow University of Washington offensive lineman Nate Kalepo excitedly crashed the party.
"He's the best left tackle in the [bleeping] country," Kalepo shouted twice, later forcing a careful edit of the phone video before it was published.
Those were carefree times for Kalepo and the Huskies just six weeks that no longer exist, with players fleeing Montlake as if a tsunami was coming.
On Sunday, the 6-foot-6, 327-pound Kalepo, a junior who started all 15 games on the left side for the national runner-up UW, joined the rush to the transfer portal.
Kalepo from Renton, Washington, departs after appearing in 40 Husky games and starting 18, leaving just two starters on the offensive line in center Parker Brailsford and right guard Julius Buelow.
Linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala, cornerback Elijah Jackson and Brailsford and Buelow are the only UW starters remaining for the national championship game against Michigan a week ago.
The amount of scholarship players leaving with eligibility remaining or not even used is staggering.
Out the door are wide receivers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk; quarterbacks Will Rogers, Austin Mack, Will Haskell and Dylan Morris; cornerbacks Jabbar Muhammad and Jaivion Green; nickelbacks Mishael Powell and Dyson McCutcheon; offensive tackles Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten; edge rushers Bralen Trice and Noah Carter; defensive tackles Faatui Tuitele and Keona Wilhite; and linebacker Ethan Barr and tight end Tre Watson.
Add in 15 graduating seniors and the de-commitments from Ohio defensive lineman Dominic Kirks and Washington state linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, and the Huskies have lost three dozen scholarship players in a week's time.
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