Sizing Up Dezmen Roebuck and His Rise to UW Starter

For a regularly scheduled media session, Dezmen Roebuck sat next to John Mills and this freshman pair couldn't have been more different as University of Washington football players in size and appearance.

A wide receiver, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Roebuck was seven inches shorter and roughly 160 pounds lighter than the offensive guard. Picture Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger together in the movie Twins.

In terms of body mass, Roebuck was half a Mills.

They were two of the four UW freshmen who started the Ohio State game, joined in that accomplishment by wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright and cornerback Dylan Robinson, for the fifth game of the season it was finally time to meet all except Vines-Bright.

Yet unlike the others, Roebuck came lightly recruited. He emerged from Marana, Arizona, and the UW, UNLV, Arizona State and Portland State were the only schools to offer him a scholarship in the end, making his college ascension even more impressive.

"It is what it is," Roebuck said. "Again, I come from a small town, a small high school, so not a lot of people knew about it or even like heard of the name or been out in Marana down in Arizona. It just proves it doesn't matter what you're ranked. If you're good at football, they'll come and find you."

Dezmen Roebuck (81) lines up next to Denzel Boston at UW wide receiver. | Dave Sizer photo

Consider Roebuck found, uncovered in the winsome desert town offering a population of 62,380 and located 20 miles north of Tucson.

While previously coaching at nearby University of Arizona, Jedd Fisch's staff knew all about the local pass-catcher who would finish with a state-record 352 receptions and offered him a scholarship when he was just a high school freshman.

Even with Fisch changing football jobs, leaving Tucson for Montlake last year, Roebuck never lost touch with those coaches.

"Obviously, you know, I would have loved if they would have stayed in Arizona, [near] my hometown," Roebuck said. "But they left and came up here and they stayed in contact with me. I got up here for my visit, mostly with the same coaches. The campus is beautiful. The way their offense is, I just like it was the perfect fit."

He was right about that. Through four games, Roebuck currently ranks third in UW receiving, with 10 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown, trailing only junior Denzel Boston and senior running back Jonah Coleman, who have 17 and 11 receptions, respectively.

He started the past two UW games, moving up when sophomore wide receiver Rashid Williams fractured his collarbone on the first offensive play against UC Davis and was lost to the team for six weeks or more.

Dezmen Roebuck celebrates a big play against Ohio State. | Dave Sizer photo

Unlike most players in his freshman class, Roebuck didn't enroll at the UW until the summer, missing out on winter workouts and spring football practice. He had to learn the Husky playbook and all of its intracacies in a rush.

Lucky for him, he had known quarterback Demond Williams Jr., another native Arizonan, since they were in grade school and seven-on-seven teammates.

"Not a lot of people know this, but growing up we actually played on the same team," Roebuck said. "I think it was fifth grade, or sixth grade, so we played on the same team for a couple of tournaments. I've always known him."

Even better, he closer resembles Williams in body shape than Mills, which lends to his UW comfort zone.

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