Takeaways From A High-Energy Third Spring Practice
Head coach Kalen DeBoer had his team put pads on for the first time on Friday at Washington's Dempsey Indoor Center. As a result, the energy in the building was way higher than normal, and three or four skirmishes broke out over the course of practice.
"I really like where we're at... that's probably as much energy as I've ever seen us come to a spring ball practice with," DeBoer said following Friday's workout. "Guys are playing hard and they're super competitive, probably had a little too much action at the end of practice, but those are just some of the things you go through when you're building a team."
There didn't seem to be any animosity that carried over after practice, as the team got together at midfield at the end of practice and dapped each other up. DeBoer singled out edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui and wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk as some of the "new leaders" who stepped up after practice and spoke to the team.
Outside of the skirmishes, the team had a very solid practice on both sides of the ball. There seemed to be an emphasis on run-blocking and installs. After practice, DeBoer said that the offensive line is "hungry" to repeat the success that they had in 2022.
On the offensive side, Rome Odunze made the play of the day. During the second to last team session, he took the first play from scrimmage for what would've been a 90-yard touchdown on a quick screen from quarterback Michael Penix.
Defensively, the only turnover of the day was caused by cornerback Elijah Jackson, who stripped receiver Denzel Boston after he caught a quick slant. Defensive tackle Jayvon Parker also recorded a "sack" of Michael Penix, when he broke through the offensive line with ease and touched him down while he was still attempting to roll out of the pocket.
Notes and quotes:
Junior college transfer cornerback Thaddeus Dixon took reps with the starters on Friday, and showed off his physical presence opposite Elijah Jackson. Dixon and safety Tristan Dunn both dropped interceptions during full team sessions.
DeBoer offered a positive update on edge rusher Maurice Heims, who suffered what appeared to be a neck injury during the first practice of the spring on Monday. He said that Heims is back in the building and has attended some team meetings this week, and is in good spirits while receiving treatment.
Speaking of cornerbacks, Oklahoma State transfer Jabbar Muhammad took some reps with the second team as he works his way back from a minor injury he suffered during winter workouts.
The coaching staff experimented with some different personnel packages, including offensive lineman Gaard Memmelaar at left tackle, and edge rusher Zach Durfee lining up in the nickel slot across from a tight end.
True freshman offensive lineman Zach Henning got some snaps with the second team at left tackle, and DeBoer had some high praise for the product of Grandview High School in Colorado.
"It's been really impressive to see what he's made of," he said. "Those winter workouts are gut checks and he's not just staying alive, he's thriving."
Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.
Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.
Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12
Follow Roman Tomashoff of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @rtomashoff34 or @UWFanNation
Have a question? Message me on Twitter!
