Osborne Joins UW Receiver Deep Route to the Portal
Hey, football is highly competitive at the University of Washington.
Austin Osborne found this out as a 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver coming in with sizable recruiting credentials from Mission Viejo High School in Rancho Santo Margarita, California.
Big and fast, 14 schools pursued him, including Michigan, Miami, Tennessee and much of the Pac-12.
Offers are one thing, playing time is another.
On Friday, five days before spring practice begins, Osborne made a move, announcing through social media he was entering the transfer portal after three years in the UW program. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining if he wants it.
He played in one game last fall, the blowout against Arizona, which was one more than his football classmate Marquis Spiker got.
Osborne leaves with one Husky catch for negative yardage.
Five games total.
There had been outward concern in the Osborne camp that this might not work out.
And it didn't.
The UW wide receiver departure list now reads Puka Nacua to BYU, Ty Jones to Fresno State, Jordan Chin to Sacramento State and the aforementioned Spiker to places unknown.
Asked about Osborne before last season, Husky receiver coach Junior Adams simply said, without getting into specifics, "He's waiting for his opportunity."
Osborne couldn't wait any longer.
"You've got to make plays," Adams said, generalizing for all of his guys. "It's who's going to make plays on a consistent basis and be in the right place at the right time."
Osborne arrived with plenty of fanfare, but now he's headed out, looking for another place land. Or take off.
Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven
Find Husky Maven on Facebook by searching: HuskyMaven/Sports Illustrated
