Properly Debriefed, Limar Ready to Play Against Ducks Not For Them

One could say Jayden Limar, the former Oregon running back, has gone to great lengths to fit in with his new University of Washington teammates.

On one particular occasion, he demonstrated his newfound loyalties during spring football practice in Montlake while kneeling on a rehabilitative scooter that travels only a few feet at a time.

In one of the more amusing scenes from those April workouts, freshman wide receiver Jordan Clay made a difficult touchdown catch that brought his fellow offensive players spilling into the end zone to celebrate with him -- and that included the cart-powered Limar, furiously zipping through Dempsey Indoor to drive into the pile.

Limar is the latest player to change sides in one of the nation's more emotional football rivalries, joining cornerback Darren Barkins and punter Luke Dunne who came north while defensive tackle Sam Taimani and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad passed them going the other direction.

Asked about switching teams, this veteran running back offered a most diplomatic take on things.

"It's a rivalry -- we're going to win the game," Limar concluded in February. "That's all I really got to say on that."

Jayden Limar, center, sits between John Mills and Derek Colman-Brusa at a news conference. | Dan Rale

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the UW roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did in spring practice and what to expect from them going into fall camp.

Similar to Jonathan Stewart and Ahmad Rashad (nee Bobby Moore) before him, LImar emerged as a touted running back from this state, in his case Lake Stevens, who spurned the Huskies' recruiting advances and signed on with Oregon.

Only in this case, the 5-foot-10, 205-pound Limar swore to an Oregon newspaper writer that the Huskies, then led by coach Kalen DeBoer, simply didn't have an interest in him.

Jayden Limar looks for running room for Oregon against Penn State on the road. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Considering he piled up 4,246 yards and scored 78 touchdowns for Lake Stevens, that seems hard to believe he drew the UW cold shoulder.

Either way, he's a Husky now for Jedd Fisch's staff and pro-style offense. He's a much-needed veteran for the UW's most questionable position entering Fall Camp in August.

He should be healthy after having what Fisch described as "clean-up surgery" on his ankle, a procedure to deal with wear and tear.

His recovery period similarly has helped him be debriefed and redirect his Oregon-Washingon allegiances in a more forthcoming manner.

"Growing up, I hated Oregon," Limar said. "That's just what it is. I was a diehard Washington fan."

What he's done: For the Ducks, the compact runner was used mostly as a third back. While in Eugene, he appeared in 33 games and started just three of them. He had career stats of 95 carries for 442 yards and 4 touchdowns rushing while catching 20 passes for 207 yards and another score. He appeared briefly in recent playoff games against James Madison and Texas Tech before leaving the Ducks before the semifinals match-up against Indiana to enter the transfer portal.

Starter or not: He's capable of becoming the No. 1 back. This past season, Limar opened games against Northwestern, Oregon State and Penn State for the Ducks. He earned the promotion after rushing for a career-best 87 yards on 6 carries, breaking a 53-yard run in the process, in a 69-3 beatdown of Oklahoma State in Eugene. He'll likely battle Troy transfer Trey Cooley and redshirt freshman Quaid Carr for the starting job, with sophomore Jordan Washington's status unclear because of a neck injury.

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