Re-Assessing Washington's Edge Depth

Kalen DeBoer announced on Saturday that Zach Durfee's eligibility for the 2023 season is up in the air due to the NCAA's waiver process. With Durfee possibly sidelined, who's set to step up in his stead?

Two edge rushers have really impressed throughout fall camp and could ease the potential hit to the depth chart. Senior Sekai Asoau-Afoa and redshirt freshman Lance Holtzclaw have stood out for different aspects of their game.

Asoau-Afoa has been solid against the run, setting a strong edge and rarely letting ball carriers get by him. After Tuesday's practice, edge rushers coach Eric Schmidt praised Asoau-Afoa and his development since he arrived on campus.

"There was a [significant] learning curve for him coming from where he was at, but he's really taken a huge step in spring and now in fall camp," Schmidt said. "I feel like he's a better pass rusher right now than he's ever been, he's competing with some of our top guys, doing a good job against them, and is still able to put pressure on the quarterback."

The junior college product has generated good pressure on the quarterback in spurts, but Holtzclaw has taken a major step in his development as a pass rusher. The redshirt freshman has an elite first step and without Durfee, he could carve out a role for himself on passing downs.

If Durfee were to miss time because of his waiver situation, the ideal second-team edge rushers are Voi Tunuufi and Asoau-Afoa. Tunuufi has the most experience of anyone in the room and has improved as a run defender, even though he's playing on the edge for the first time in his career.

Behind them should be Holtzclaw and Maurice Heims, who could end up being interchangeable with the second-teamers depending on the situation. However, both players have barely any playing time under their belts, so they still need to prove themselves on the field before the coaching staff can consider moving either player into a bigger role.

With any luck, Durfee's waiver will go through and he can participate for the entire 2023 season. But if he isn't available, the staff has plenty of talent at its disposal — the question is, can the talent execute when needed?

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