Parker Brailsford Tabbed for First Husky Start at OG Against Boise State
When it came to the University of Washington football lineup, everything looked so settled almost from the first day of spring practice and throughout fall camp.
Redshirt freshman Parker Brailsford, however, had other ideas.
The 6-foot-2, 275-pound offensive guard will draw his first Husky start on the right side against Boise State on Saturday, pushing junior Julius Buelow to uncertain status, according to UW lineups released by the school.
Mississippi State transfer Dillon Johnson likewise will receive his first game-opening assignment against the Broncos, replacing the injured Cam Davis, who's out for the season.
Brailsford, who's from Mesa, Arizona, redshirted and didn't appear in a Husky game last season, the only healthy first-year player who didn't get a token outing.
Yet with his elite strength and ability to use leverage, he was impressive throughout the 30-plus practices since spring used to rebuilt the Husky offensive line, which will replace three starters from last season.
"It's a competition between everybody," said Brailsford near the end of camp. "I don't think anybody's job is really solidified. I just think we're going at it every day."
Now it's clear he's a budding star reminiscent of another Husky lineman.
"We played him at tackle, too, just for the record," UW line coach Scott Huff said of fall camp auditions. "He's a little Nick Harris-esque."
Harris, of course, was a UW offensive lineman who similarly was a little undersized but didn't let his physique or youth prevent him from playing right away. Now with the Cleveland Browns, Harris handled multiple Husky line positions, started four games as a true freshman in 2016 and became a solid starter the next season.
Now comes Brailsford, trying to match him for expedient play and corresponding success.
"He's really athletic, he's really strong and he plays with really good technique, and it's really a good combination," Huff said. "We play him at a lot of positions. He's really smart."
The 6-foot-9, 318-pound Buelow, a five-game starter in 2021, is listed as a possible first-teamer with junior Nate Kalepo at left guard.
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