Petersen Imprint on the Huskies Still Highly Visible

Twenty-one players who signed with the former UW coach are still on the roster and contributing in a big way.

Twenty-one players remain, nearly enough to fill out a starting offense and defense, older, seasoned and talented guys.

These are the roster remnants of Chris Petersen's University of Washington football regime, two coaches ago now, playing out the string for Kalen DeBoer in glorious fashion.

Eight of them showed up in the Class of 2018 and four of them actually played in Husky football games that fall as fresh-faced freshmen, with edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui and linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio even taking snaps in the UW's most recent Rose Bowl appearance against Ohio State.

OKGs, or our kind of guys, as they were called by Petersen.

While Jimmy Lake sort of ran the program into the ground even with all of the inherited talent at hand, DeBoer gladly put the Petersen foundation to good use as the Huskies currently hold up a 13-0 record and prepare for the College Football Playoff semifinals against Texas. 

Troy Fautanu, a first-team All-Pac-12 offensive tackle and a 2019 UW arrival, vividly remembers the attraction to the Petersen-led Huskies.

"Going through recruiting it was like, when me and my parents were in his office and after that we walked out of there, we all kind of felt the same thing," Fautanu said. "After that, like I knew recruiting was over. Who wouldn't want to run through a wall for that guy? Coach Pete was the man."

In preparation for the Apple Cup, DeBoer brought in Petersen to readdress the troops, with a good sixth of the players on the roster having signed with that staff.

Fautanu remembers being unhappy when his original coach stepped down following the 2019 season, the lineman's first with the program. He was overly pleased to reconnect with Petersen three weeks ago.

"Seeing him through the Apple Cup was really awesome, getting to talk to him and kind of say just 'What's up?' " Fautanu said. "I was a little upset [at him leaving], but he did what he had to do."

Fautanu, in answering to three Husky coaches during his five-year career, said what made it manageable was the retention of his offensive-line coach throughout the staff changes. 

"The thing that we did get to keep was Coach [Scott] Huff, so it wasn't so bad for us," he said. "That's something that I'm truly blessed is to have him stay through all of the coaches who have come through here."

Eleven of these 21 players, including Fautanu, have been highly decorated for their UW football efforts, receiving all-conference honors of some sort, and some even All-America honors.

Roughly half of these Petersen-signed Huskies still could return for the 2024 season, up to 10 if they choose. So the coach and his imprint on the program isn't going away anytime soon. 

Meantime, Fautanu and others similar to him likes to use their experiences to goad the younger guys who all are sharing in a perfect 13-0 season together.

"In the midst of all the chaos, it's really hard to think that this was possible this year through all of the coaching changes," Fautanu said. "We talk about it every day and it's something we use to make fun of all the younger guys, like, 'You didn't have to go through what we did with three head coaches,' and this and that."

The Petersen guys, they're a funny, resilient and successful bunch.

. 

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PETERSEN PROGRAM PILLARS

Ulumoo Ale, DT — started 22 of 53 games played, 10 at offensive guard.

Jacob Bandes, DT — started 3 of 44 games.

Julius Buelow, OG — started 12 of 30 games

Devin Culp, TE — started 22 of 52 games, 2023 All-Pac-12 honorable mention 

Cam Davis, RB — started 3 of 29 games

Kamren Fabiculanan, S — started 10 of 32 games

Troy Fautanu, OT — started 29 of 39 games, 2022 second-team All-Pac-12, 2023 first-team All-Pac-12, 2023 third-team AP All-America

Drew Fowler, LB — walk-on played in 34 games

Dominique Hampton, S — started 27 of 55 games, 2023 All-Pac-12 honorable mention 

Nate Kalepo, OG — started 16 of 38 games

Tuli Letuligasenoa, DT — started 32 of 52 games, 2021 All-Pac-12 honorable mention 

Dylan Morris, QB — started 15 of 28 games, 2020 All-Pac-12 honorable mention

Richard Newton, RB — started 3 of 39 games

Mishael Powell, NB — started 24 of 34 games

Bralen Trice, ER — started 27 of 38 games, 2022 first-team All-Pac-12, 2023 first-team All-Pac-12, 2023 third-team AP All-America

Zion Tupuola-Fetui, ER —started 21 of 46 games, 2020 first-team All-Pac-12, 2020 third-team AP All-America; 2022 All-Pac-12 honorable mention, 2023 All-Pac-12 honorable mention

Alphonzo Tuputala, LB — started 25 of 38 games, 2022 All-Pac-12 honorable mention

Faatui Tuitele, DT — started 20 of 41 games

Asa Turner, S — started 26 of 41 games, 2022 All-Pac-12 honorable mention

Edefuan Ulofoshio, LB — started 25 of 44 games, 2020 second-team All-Pac-12, 2023 first-team All-Pac-12, 2023 third-team AP All-America

Jack Westover, TE — started 14 of 50 games, 2023 All-Pac-12 honorable mention

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