The Sights and Sounds of UW Fall Football Camp

Jimmy Lake was asked if he had a timeline for having his starting quarterback in place during the University of Washington's fall football camp.

The Husky coach looked at his inquisitor as if that other guy had just returned from a year in isolation on the International Space Station.

"Dylan Morris is our starter," Lake said, leaving no room for debate on this topic, "so that sounds solidified to me."

On Friday afternoon, the coach went on to explain that Morris, the redshirt freshman from Puyallup, Washington, won the job for last year's abbreviated pandemic season and he's done nothing since to give it up.

"You're the starter until someone comes in and plays better than you," Lake added.

For that matter, Morris turned in the play of the day midway through the first training camp practice. He accepted the snap, glanced to his left and let fly with a perfect pass that was all touch, hitting Terrell Bynum in stride for 40 yards and an electric touchdown.

This set off the camp's first scoring siren once Bynum hauled in the ball on the 5, just over the outreached hands of sophomore cornerback Kyler Gordon, who dropped his head once he got beat.

Since spring ball was held, some fans and media alike have considered the Husky quarterback position an open competition, one that also involves Colorado State transfer Patrick O'Brien and one-time 5-star recruit Sam Huard.

Lake doesn't see it that way.

"I feel very confident in our quarterback starter," he said. "Dylan Morris is our starter."

The Rookie Relaxes

Speaking of Huard, the lefthander from Bellevue, Washington, looked as comfortable in a Husky uniform on Friday as he ever has. The young quarterback left his feet to make an acrobatic throw to Jalen McMillan, connecting on a play that went for 20 yards and was as fluid and improvisational as any he's served up at the UW.

College Ball Hurts

Within a few snaps of each other's misfortune, true freshmen defensive backs Dyson McCutcheon and Zakhari Spears each pulled up lame while in camp coverage. McCutcheon grabbed at his hamstring and left the field after trying to cover Bynum and Spears limped badly while running with a receiver and likewise took himself out.

Mr. Big

Edge rusher Sav'ell Smalls came to camp a much more physically defined player, now carrying an ample 6-foot-3 and 250-pound frame. He's in the mix with a host of players to keep the starting outside linebacker job warm until Zion Tupuola-Fetui makes his midseason return.

Sunday School

Three months of offseason did nothing to quell the practice antics of Texas running back Jay'Veon Sunday. In spring ball, he drew the ire of several UW defensive players for showboating at their expense, even catching a forearm from cornerback Trent McDuffie on a non-contact play in April.

This guy named Sunday once more came out spinning, high-stepping and pointing his finger skyward on his practice carries. He largely went about his business unheeded until junior safety Alex Cook came up and cracked helmets with him, in yet another no-contact drill.

To Catch a Thief

Redshirt freshman cornerback Elijah Jackson stepped in front of a Sam Huard pass for the first interception of fall camp, this coming after he had the only pass theft of the spring game.

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