A Peek at the Progress of the Huskies' 9 Portal Transfers

Eight games in, here's how the UW newcomers have fared.

Looking for instant help to supplement inherited talent, the University of Washington football team under new leadership brought in nine portal transfers. Nine wandering souls. Nine guys with nine lives. 

Nine weeks into Kalen DeBoer's first season in Montlake, it seems like a good time to take stock of each newcomer's contribution.

For some, coming to Seattle was a very good football move. For others, things haven't worked out well at all.

Here's a breakdown of the nomadic but necessary nine, ranked by levels of participation and/or contribution.

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HUSKY PORTAL PROGRESS

1. Michael Penix Jr. — The former Indiana quarterback and second-team All-Big Ten selection rates as one of the very best portal pick-ups anywhere in college football. The 6-foot-3, 213-pound junior from Tampa, Florida, leads the nation with 2,934 passing yards and 366.75 passing yards per game. He's a UW captain. He's a large reason the Huskies are 6-2. Unlike at Indiana, he's remained healthy while starting all eight games, playing in two more than in any of his four seasons with the Hoosiers. 

2. Wayne Taulapapa — The veteran Virginia transfer has started every game at running back and leads the Huskies in rushing with 449 yards on 84 carries, scoring 4 times. The 5-foot-11, 207-pound senior back from Honolulu, Hawaii, turned in the first 100-yard game of his collegiate career, picking up 120 against Stanford. He averages 5.3 yards per carry. He's caught 20 passes for 199 yards and another score. He's also provided 4 tackles while playing special teams. He's a captain. He's been solid rather than flashy, but he's done what's been expected of him.

3. Cam Bright — Mirroring his Pittsburgh career, Bright has been a solid linebacker, though not an all-conference type player, such as the man he replaced, the injured Edefuan Ulofoshio. He's started all eight games, averaging 5 tackles an outing, with a high of 10 at Arizona State. A little undersized, the 6-foot, 222-pound senior from Montgomery, Alabama, has an interception, but he hasn't been the turnover-producing playmaker the Huskies might have hoped for in finding a replacement for Ulofoshio. He said learning the playbook was tough. Yet another captain.

4. Jordan Perryman — This guy was as key to Husky success as much as any player brought in, at least on defense. He was asked to help offset the loss of All-Pac-12 cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon, who were so good they became instant NFL starters. Perryman made the step up to UW starter from All-Big Sky selection at UC Davis with little trouble. However, he injured his leg halfway through the season opener against Kent State and hasn't been completely sound since. The 6-foot, 202-pound senior corner from Hanford, California, has started five times, but he's really only played in three full games so far. Stat-wise, he has a pass break-up.

5. Kris Moll — The UAB transfer has appeared in all eight Husky games as a reserve linebacker and a special-teams player. At 6-foot and 217 pounds, the senior from Miami is undersized on the second row similar to Bright. A two-time All-Conference USA selection, he's been a sure tackler at the Power 5 level, with a high of 5 against Stanford. He's provided depth, but hasn't been able to crack the opening lineup. The Huskies could use a few turnovers caused by him.

6. Will Nixon — The new guy from Nebraska has appeared in all but one game as a reserve running back for the Huskies and provided an interesting change of pace for the offense. A receiver only at his previous stop, the 5-foot-11, 192-pound redshirt freshman from Waco, Texas, has rushed 19 times for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he's caught 7 passes for 66 yards. He's a notably physical back. His role will increase steadily the longer he's at the UW.

7. Lonyatta Alexander Jr. — Returning home from Arizona State, the wide receiver basically was a pick-up for the future, but he's appeared in seven games as a reserve and special-teams player. He has a catch for 9 yards so far. Expect the confident Auburn, Washington, product to play a greater role in the seasons to come.

8. Aaron Dumas — In one of the more head-scratching moves on the roster, the New Mexico transfer and Lobos' leading rusher in 2021 with 658 yards came in, took nearly all of the spring practice carries because others were injured and absolutely disappeared in fall camp. He hasn't played in a game yet and has been in uniform for only a few of them. The 5-foot-9, 208-pound sophomore from El Paso, Texas, had no receptions for the Lobos last season and that appears to be at least one of the problems here. Running backs don't play in a Husky system that demands rushing, receiving and blocking skills at a high level. 

9. Kevin Ryan — Similar to Dumas, Ryan hasn't played in a Husky game. He's been in uniform and traveled to all of the road games, but he got beat out by walk-on redshirt freshman Jack McCallister and appears to be only an emergency option. The All-Big Sky punter from Mesa, Arizona, who averaged 45.6 yards per kick in 2021, stands to go the way of quarterback Kevin Thomson, who came to the Huskies from Sacramento State and the same conference for the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, seemingly capable, but he never played.

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