Kodi Greene's Seamless Transition to UW Starting Left Tackle

At University of Washington spring football a year ago, a long-haired and gregarious John Mills showed up like some wild-eyed and bellowing Viking warrior, ready to pull out a sword and do battle with anyone and everyone willing to take him on.

You could hear this Norse god coming two practice fields away,

This month, a much more serious-minded and buttoned-down Kodi Greene quietly checked in to Montlake and went to work.

While their approaches vastly differ, these two Husky offensive linemen line up next to each other on the No. 1 offense and are somewhat mirror images.

Each is just 18 years old, five months apart.

One is from San Francisco, the other from Los Angeles by way of the Seattle suburbs.

Each looks extraordinarily trim for such huge teens, with Mills checking in at a more svelte 6-foot-6 and 335 pounds while Greene measures a taunt 6-foot-5 and 321.

With a 2025 season of 11 game starts at left guard and right tackle to his name, Mills is well on his way to garnering individual attention, a sterling football reputation among the scouts and likely untold NFL riches down the road.

With only eight spring practices behind him, Greene is just now getting comfortable as the new No. 1 left tackle and the first reviews are beginning to roll in. So far, so good. Actually, they're much better than that.

"He moves like a freak," starting right tackle Drew Azzopardi said. "He's only 18 years old and he's so fluid."

Greene has not been perfect, mind you. During an early practice, Ohio State edge rusher transfer Logan George seemed to get past him a few times when they went one on one. Yet it proved to be an isolated moment, a period of adjustment, a learning experience no less.

Otherwise, the reports one after the other have been riveting.

"Kodi Greene has been super impressive," said No. 1 center Landen Hatchett, recovering from a broken wrist this spring. "The very first thing that stood out in coming out of a stance is he just looked super athletic. A couple of guys looked at each other and said this guy is the real deal."

Kodi Greene pulls out of a stance in spring ball. | Dave Sizer photo

In practice, Greene draws a lot of personal attention from offensive-line coach Michael Switzer and quality control line coach Mike Brewster. They'll discuss things on the spot with the young prodigy, keeping him on a fast track.

Switzer willingly rubber stamps the existence of the physical possibilities that made Greene a 5-star recruit and such a recruiting conversation piece.

"He does some things naturally that are quite impressive," he said.

Yet for Switzer, knowledge of the Husky playbook lumped together with acquiring a certain level of strength in the weight room are prerequisites that have to be met, that can't be shortchanged, before any young lineman can play right away, no matter his credentials.

Greene easily passed that battery of preliminary tests, this all-important initiation.

"That's the single most important thing and the biggest jump in going from high school to college -- and he had no issues with it," the coach said. "I want to see what he can do."

Kodi Greene has been off to a good start as a freshman. | Dave Sizer photo

Greene supposedly was going to get pushed in competition to become the Huskies' left tackle starter, but that hasn't happened. He just took over and hasn't let go.

Sam Houston State transfer Kolt Dieterich, a 6-foot-6, 295-pound junior and an 18-game starter at his previous stop, arrived with some sort of nagging injury and hasn't been able to mix it up just yet and push him.

Then there's a slimmed-down Soane Faasolo, a 6-foot-8, 320-pound junior who started four UW games at left tackle in 2024 but hasn't been able to change up the rotation any and is the current back-up.

"Kodi Greene is always so good," said Husky senior edge rusher Isaiah Ward, who often lines up across from the newcomer. "He gives me great work. So I don't really look at him as a rookie. He's going to be good. He's going to be good."

Maybe the truest evaluation of Greene comes from that guy who came in and established a new standard for offensive linemen in Montlake. That kid with the long locks and burgeoning personality who started his very first game as a Husky in the trenches, which had never been done before in program annals.

Which very well could happen again with Greene on September 5th, when the UW hosts Washington State in the Apple Cup and the season opener at Husky Stadium, according to the trend-setting Mills.

"He's an absolute stud," he said of the player next to him when drop into a stance. "I'm so proud of just the way he's come in and worked every single day. He's never taken anything for granted."

If it's not clear by now, this new freshman left tackle has fit right in, lived up to all of the hype so far and spurred another love fest for a Husky football player packing a big body and considered way ahead of his time.

Even if he does things a little different from his teammate, there's a bond there.

"I like him as a person, for sure," Mills said.

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