Inside The Huskies

Previously Broken UW Defense Brings Hope, Appears in Preseason Ranking

The Huskies return just five available starters entering the coming campaign.
Dan Raley|
Previously Broken UW Defense Brings Hope, Appears in Preseason Ranking
Previously Broken UW Defense Brings Hope, Appears in Preseason Ranking

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Washington Huskies

As the University of Washington football team lost headliner after headliner, the Husky defense by the end of last season hardly resembled itself. In fact, it was in shambles. It was more impressive in street clothes than in uniform.

Watching the Apple Cup in slings, sweats and hoodies were linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio and edge rushers Zion Tuputala-Fetui and Ryan Bowman. That's a lot manpower to strip away from the fabric.

At best, it was now half a defense, centered around three exquisite defensive backs in Trent McDuffie, Kyler Gordon and Bookie Radley-Hiles who were ultimately headed to the NFL, with two of them ending up among the first 39 draft selections, and not many more established playmakers.

Season-ending starters Taki Taimani (Oregon) at defensive tackle, edge rusher Cooper McDonald (San Diego State) and inside linebacker Jackson Sirmon (California) each checked out in search of a new football destination. 

With fall camp just a few weeks out, a revamped Husky defense will go under the microscope once more. Rather than completely disappear in the preseason projections because of last season's shortcomings, list-maker Big Game Boomer optimistically projects the UW as 37th among its top 50 college defenses entering the season.

According to this impromptu grouping, there won't be any shortage of defense across the Pac-12, with Utah slotted fifth, Oregon at No. 10, California at No. 23, Oregon State at No. 33 and then Kalen DeBoer's UW stop unit. 

It's telling that USC and UCLA, the conference short-timers, don't have defenses included here at all.

As DeBoer and his staff reboots the Husky defense, they have ZTF back at edge rusher to try and rekindle his 2020 magic that made him a first-team All-Pac-12 selection; Tuli Letuligaseno, an All-Pac-12 honorable-mention pick, reclaiming his defensive tackle slot; five-game 2021 sensation Carson Bruener returning at inside linebacker; and veteran safeties Alex Cook and Asa Turner reclaiming starting jobs they've manned on and off for multiple seasons.  

That's five returning starters or fewer than half of the lineup. Ulofoshio, a former second-team, All-Pac-12 choice, is in recovery, not expected back until well into the upcoming season.

To fill in the starting holes the Huskies have brought in a pair of transfers in linebacker Cam Bright (Pittsburgh) and cornerback Jordan Perryman (UC Davis); groomed edge rusher Bralen Trice for greater responsibility; promoted one-time walk-on and past spot starter Mishael Powell to first-team cornerback; shifted Dominique Hampton from safety to the new hybrid Husky position; and have a potential standout at defensive tackle in redshirt freshman Kuao Peihopa, who is now healthy.

The Husky defense, with William Inge and Chuck Morrell sharing the coordinator responsibilities, might be a lot better than 37th. Or, if they still don't get nearly enough push up front, might struggle once more.

This will be one area worth watching closely as the DeBoer era begins and a big factor in how successful the next Huskies become.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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