Ranking Husky Freshmen By How Much They Played, Fared This Season

This past week, the University of Washington football team officially welcomed more than two dozen more players to Montlake, ending their feverish recruitment after receiving their scholarship agreement paperwork.

If they're anything like the first-year players Jedd Fisch's staff brought in for this current season, Husky football fortunes should be overly encouraging for moving up in the overly difficult Big Ten in the future.

With only a bowl game to go, the Husky scorecard on its current freshman class goes something like this: 28 players brought in, 15 of them made game appearances, six of them started and nine won't redshirt.

Ranking them in order of their talent level, number of starts, immediate contributions and team impact, here's what the young guys have done after a dozen games into their UW football careers:

1. John Mills, OG/OT, 6-foot-6, 342 pounds -- He started 10 games, missing two because of a high-ankle sprain. He seamlessly made the move from the starting left guard to a game-opening right tackle for injury relief purposes. He turned 18 in October. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention on the media team.

2. Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, LB, 6-foot-3, 225 pounds -- He was cleared to play just before the midseason mark after recovering from a high school knee injury and surgery, appeared in seven games and started for the first time against Oregon. He has 19 tackles, a sack, an interception and a pair of pass break-ups. He showed himself to be an instant playmaker.

Dezmen Roebuck hangs onto the football after taking a big hit against Oregon. | Dave Sizer photo

3. Dezmen Roebuck, WR, 5-foot-11, 180 pounds -- Roebuck played in all 12 games, started nine times and ranks as the Huskies' second-leading receiver. He has 41 catches for 554 yards and 6 touchdowns, all numbers that trail only junior Denzel Boston. He also became the leading punt returner once Boston was injured.

4. Raiden Vines-Bright, WR, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds -- With a concussion against Purdue requiring a hospital trip and forcing him to miss an ensuing outing, he played in 11 games and started seven times. He ranks fourth on the team in receiving with23 catches for 235 yards while still awaiting his first scoring opportunity.

5. Rylon Dillard-Allen, S, 6-foot, 180-pounds -- The kid known as "Batman" drew three starting assignments this fall against Michigan, Wisconsin and Oregon, unfortunately all losses, though not necessarily his fault by any means. He ranks seventh on the team in tackles with 37, including a game-high 11 against Oregon, and has a pair of tackles for loss.

Dylan Robinson chases after Oregon's Jeremiah McClellan. | Dave Sizer photo

6. Dylan Robinson, CB, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds -- He played in 11 games and started four times in place of the injured Tacario Davis. He got beat a few times, but he has 13 tackles, a pass break-up, a fumble recovery and a sack in which he nearly took Dante Moore's head off for Oregon.

7. Devin Hyde, ER, 6-foot-5, 255 pounds -- He played in all 12 games as a special-teamer and in several outings coming off the edge. He has 5 tackles and a sack, the latter coming in the season opener against Colorado State.

8. Chris Lawson, WR, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds -- Lawson played in seven games for the Huskies and has 9 catches for 97 yards, burning his redshirt status.

9. Baron Naone, TE, 6-foot-4, 250 pounds -- He appeared in six games, including the closing three against Purdue, UCLA and Oregon, so he won't redshirt either. He's still awaiting his first reception. He played two more games than the redshirt limit.

10. Champ Taulealea, OG, 6-foot-5, 330 pounds -- He played in four games, including the past three against Purdue, UCLA and Oregon, and preserved his redshirt.

11. Ramonz Adams Jr., CB, 6-foot-1, 175 pounds -- He played in three games, against UC Davis, Purdue and Hawaii, and maintained his redshirt.

Austin Simmons made two game appearances during the UW regular season. | Dave Sizer photo

12. Austin Simmons, TE, 6-foot-5, 245 pounds -- He made two appearances, against Purdue and UCLA, and redshirted.

13. Quaid Carr, RB, 5-foot-11, 190 pounds -- He appeared only against Purdue, ran once for 8 yards and caught a pass for 5 yards. He retained his redshirt status.

14. Jack Shaffer, OT, 6-foot-6, 330 pounds -- Shaffer made his college debut in the UCLA game and redshirted.

15. D'Ayrian Clemons, CB, 6-foot, 180 pounds -- He played against UC Davis, came up with a tackle and redshirted.

Thirteen other UW freshmen have remained in development and didn't draw a game snap.

They are quarterbacks Dash Beierly and Kini McMillan, wide receiver Marcus Harris, edge rusher Caleb Smith, linebackers Jonathan Epperson Jr. and Donovan Robinson Jr., running back Julian McMahan, edge rusher Victor Sanchez-Hernandez, center Lowen Colman-Brusa, offensive tackle Jake Flores, wide receiver Desi Ajose, long snapper Hunter Sowald and defensive tackle Dominic Macon.

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