Once an Opt Out, Taj Davis Was All in as UW Scrimmage Standout

The freshman wide receiver came up with 13 receptions on Saturday at Husky Stadium.

A year ago, there was no fall August practice for the University of Washington football team.

No non-conference schedule.

No featured game against Michigan.

And no Taj Davis.

While the pandemic hasn't gone away, all of the above has returned.

On Saturday afternoon, Davis made his presence much more obvious to the estimated 1,500 fans who attended the pre-game Fan Fest and the accompanying scrimmage by catching 13 passes for 180 yards.

With the season opener against Montana two weeks away, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound redshirt freshman from Chino, California, continuously got open after opting out of football in 2020.

"I want to give credit to Taj on that," inside linebacker Eddie Ulofoshio said. "There are not a lot of guys who are going to catch 13 balls on us, regardless of who you are. Kudos to him."

Davis' return to the Husky program in the spring and now his fall emergence couldn't be more timely considering the suddenly shaky state of the wide-receiver room.

Returning one-game starter Jalen McMillan, a redshirt-freshman, watched the scrimmage while standing on the sideline, dealing with an injury it is feared could keep him out for a substantial amount of time.

Fellow returning starter Terrell Bynum, a junior, missed the scrimmage and the practice before that, with some unexplained malady and an unknown return.

That leaves Rome Odunze as the only regular Husky first-teamer who's available. For Saturday's two-hour workout, he shared the flanks with Sawyer Racanelli, back from a one-week absence due to injury or illness; Texas Tech transfer Ja'Lynn Polk, Michigan transfer Giles Jackson, true freshman Jabez Tinae and Davis.

A redshirt in 2019, Davis passed up football and went home last year for health reasons. He has yet to appear in a UW regular-season game.

"It was a tough one for Taj," Lake said. "I commend him for coming back and getting into shape. I think it really have him a feeling of gratefulness for what he missed out on." 

Davis caught balls of 9 and 17 yards from quarterback Dyan Morris to get the Huskies in position for their first score on the fourth series of the scrimmage, capping a 70-yard drive. He got open in the flats and over the middle, and picked up a generous number of yards on his own.

Odunze went over the middle, got sandwiched between hard contact from safeties Cam Williams and Julius Irvin, but hung on to the ball for a 27-yard scoring catch.

Morris was his usually efficient self, completing 17 of 26 passes for 210 yards, on a day where the receivers as a group weren't perfect. They dropped no fewer than five passes. Even Davis had one or he might have surpassed 200 yards receiving.

Davis also was in sync with true freshman quarterback Sam Huard, catching passes of 27 and 24 yards from him. Huard, looking more comfortable with each practice outing, completed 17 of 30 passes for 229 yards and a score. 

His touchdown pass of 16 yards went to Racanelli, who outleaped safety Asa Turner for the ball, and capped another 70-yard series and ended the scrimmage. Huard took snaps with the No. 2 offense. Colorado State transfer Patrick O'Brien is out with some sort of health issue. 

In spite of the drops and missing bodies, Lake insisted his receivers give him great comfort.

"I love where they're at," the coach said. "This is the toughest, grittiest group we've had."

And it includes Taj Davis.

today was a good day 😃

Thanks for coming out, Husky Nation. See you back at the #GreatestSetting on Sept. 4!#GoHuskies x #PurpleReign pic.twitter.com/lHPV0eRJV5

— Washington Athletics (@UWAthletics) August 21, 2021

Game Routine

The Huskies treated the Fan Fest and scrimmage much like they would a regular-season game. Lake had them stay in the team hotel, have dinner and hear an inspirational pregame speech before bussing to Husky Stadium. A large segment of the roster had never gone through this experience before. 

Safety First

While not naming them as starters just yet, Lake said expect to see sophomores Cam Williams and Julius Irvin play at safety in early and often this season. "There are still things that could happen in two weeks," Lake said. "I would definitely say those guys will play against Montana, and early."

Hit of the Day

Three plays from the end of the scrimmage, JC transfer tight end Quentin Moore caught a 19-yard pass from Huard and took a shot from walk-on cornerback Mishael Powell. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Moore, four inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than Powell, had to be helped off the field by a pair of trainers. Powell slapped hands with freshman defensive tackle Kuao Peihopa and no doubt heard his father yelling about the play from the stands.

New Face, Old Name

A standout throughout the scrimmage was 6-foot-2, 230-pound freshman Carson Bruener, who only recently moved from outside linebacker to the inside because of injuries and attrition. The son of former UW and NFL tight end Mark Bruener, the young defender. He shot through to drop Texas running back Caleb Berry for a 4-yard loss near the end of the afternoon.

Draw a Line 

Redshirt freshman Julius Buelow continues to hold down the No. 1 spot at left guard, playing ahead of sophomores Nate Kalepo and Ulumoo Ale, the latter last season's four-game starter. While Buelow's 6-foot-8, 330-pound size is an obvious advantage, the light sort of came on for him. "He's playing more physical and nasty," Lake said. 

Lights Out

Saturday's scrimmage was the last chance for media and fans to see the Huskies practice and note the lineups. From here on, Lake will close down practice leading up to the Montana game.

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