Sights and Sounds from UW Fall Camp Practice No. 1

The Huskies put in a near two-hour practice in perfect weather conditions.

At 8:35 a.m., Husky Stadium was quiet, deathly quiet. 

Within a few minutes, reserve defensive tackle Jacob Bandes was the first player to wander out on the field for the first University of Washington fall camp practice, closely followed by Ulumoo Ale.

Players next came out in spurts. The three Midwest defensive tackles Armon and Jayvon Parker, plus Elinneus Davis emerged from the tunnel as music began to echo through the facility. Jayvon showed off deft dance steps, covering a good 30 to 40 yards.

Behind them, the Husky cornerbacks raced onto the field, with JC transfer Thaddeus Dixon letting out a few yells. 

By 9 a.m., the music was shut off as Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff began putting everyone through the typical rapid-fire and often imaginative drills, with some coaches multi-tasking. 

Receivers initially caught tennis balls. Offensive-line coach Scott Huff stepped away from everyone and held his phone high over his head to face-time someone, presumably letting a recruit see all the action behind him.

Within an hour of drills and stretching, the Huskies lined up for the first offensive sets. With improving the defense a big team emphasis, it was apropos that edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui dropped back in coverage and knocked Michael Penix Jr.'s first pass on the first play, drawing a loud ovation from his teammates.

The first lineups to begin fall camp closely resembled the ones that closed spring ball, with the exception of Ale stepping in at one of the defensive tackle slots next to Tuli Letuligasenoa, both sixth-year seniors.

"I remember the conversations a year ago with him, just as a staff, in regards to him, if he could do it, if he could, if, if if," DeBoer said of the trim 6-foot-6, 327-pound Ale. "You see it as fall camp went along, hey, it's just going to take time. He can be a guy who wreaks havoc up front."

In perfect Seattle weather, as seagulls, sea planes and even an F-18 Super Hornet Blue Angel jet flew overhead, the Huskies seem to get a lot done.

The No. 1 offense had, from right to left, Troy Fautanu, Julius Buelow, Matteo Mele, Nate Kalepo and Roger Rosengarten up front, with Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk at the wide receivers, Devin Culp at tight end, Cam Davis at running back and Penix calling the shots.

The first running backs to sub in were Mississippi State transfer Dillon Johnson and sophomore returnee Will Nixon. Richard Newton was as healthy, DeBoer said, as he had seen him in 18 months. 

Defensively, the Huskies put edge rusher Bralen Trice and ZTF on the field first, with Letuligasenoa and Ale in the middle, Edefuan Ulofoshio and Alphonzo Tuputala at linebacker, Jabbar Muhammad and Elijah Jackson at the cornerbacks, Asa Turner and Dom Hampton at the safeties and Mishael Powell at the Husky, or nickel slot.

While acknowledging the familiar faces filled nearly every position early on, DeBoer said his staff would immediately grade every repetition that's on film in the afternoon and see who wants to challenge for a starting job that doesn't have one. 

A year ago, then true freshman Jayvon Parker looked lost when everyone paired up for the first day of stretching, with his brother out with a knee injury and he stood there looking lost until a coach jumped in to help him out. This time Jayvon and Armon were side by side, stretching out Jake Jennings and Maurice Heims, respectively, looking like confident veterans.

Twelve months ago, then freshman tight end Ryan Otton didn't make it through his Husky practice because he severely pulled a hamstring muscle, one that made him miss several practices. This time, Otton seemed to struggle again as he was seen with a trainer drinking a lot of water near the tunnel for the longest time and doing light exercises, yet he finished practice, just the same.

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