Instant Reaction: What to do with Those Available UW Scholarships
With quarterback Jacob Sirmon and receiver Jordan Chin entering the transfer portal, the University of Washington football team has two additional scholarships to distribute.
The Huskies, with an 85-scholarship limit, have the following options:
Option 1
Check the transfer portal
Husky coach Jimmy Lake no doubt will see who's available for Washington in the transfer portal. It won't be a quarterback.
The Huskies back-filled the position after losing Jacob Eason to the NFL and Colson Yankoff to the transfer portal and UCLA over the past season and a half.
The transfer portal worked well for Washington in picking up Kevin Thomson from Sacramento State as quarterback insurance.
Redshirt freshman Dylan Morris, freshman Ethan Garbers, incoming 5-star recruit Sam Huard and possibly Thomson returning for another season have made the QB position a deep one for the Huskies.
No quarterback would want to transfer in to that situation have virtually no chance of playing.
Washington might look for another receiving threat.
Ty Jones and Terrell Bynum will either be juniors or seniors next season, depending on how they respond to the free season offered by the NCAA because of the pandemic. Even with Puka Nacua, Jalen McMillan and Rome Odunze, the UW could use another top-level pass-catcher.
Option 2
Make a late 2021 class offer
By signing Huard, the Huskies appear to be set at quarterback when filling out its 2021 class. However, after losing out to Ohio State on Steilacoom High's Emeka Egbuka the UW probably is seeking another receiver.
Chin would have been a sixth year-player had he stayed.
Option 3
Reward a walk-on
The Huskies have 14 roster spots for receivers and three are walk-ons. However, none of the non-scholarship guys, Fatu Sau-Godinet, Camden Verstrate or David Pritchard, have moved far up the depth chart.
Maybe one of the defensive backs or offensive linemen, someone such as sophomore cornerback Michael Powell, might prove worthy of financial assistance down the line.
Option 4
Offer more for 2022
With the 2020 football season not counting toward a player's remaining eligibility, and some players staying longer than they planned, Lake may simply choose to wait in handing out the extra scholarships available.
The coach could save them for the class of 2022.
