Taulapapa Was Starter As Soon As He Stepped on UW Practice Field
The quarterback competition lasted seven weeks over spring and fall camps, with three guys taking equal snaps in comparable situations before one was singled out. The edge rushers and linebackers needed time to determine their order of players.
However, Wayne Tualapapa became the tailback starter practically the moment he agreed to leave the transfer portal for the University of Washington.
Asked if he had any difficulty determining the Huskies' No. 1 ball carrier, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was emphatic in his answer.
"No, running back is Wayne, Wayne's definitely the starter," Grubb said without blinking. "He solidified himself as the starting tailback."
Behind the Virginia transfer and fifth-year player are Nebraska transfer and redshirt freshman Will Nixon and sophomore returnee Cam Davis, the latter starting last season only against Colorado. Both are expected to draw plenty of game snaps and carries in the games ahead.
Yet the 5-foot-11, 207 Taulapapa immediately looked impressive after pulling on a purple jersey in practice, with sharp cuts, a willingness to hit people and the ability to bounce off after contact.
There also was the matter of his vast college football experience factoring in, which involved him playing 40 games and starting 27 time for his Atlantic Coast Conference team.
"We had a belief in the mindset he would bring and the type of execution he would be able to provide," Grubb said. "He might be one of the most mature guys on our football team."
With Taulapapa, Nixon and Davis finishing 1-2-3 in the position hierarchy heading into Saturday's season opener against Kent State, the odd men out are Richard Newton, Sam Adams, Aaron Dumas and Jay'Veon Sunday.
Newton, a three-game starter last fall, hadn't been cleared to practice without limitations since coming off knee surgery when fall camp began. Adams, a redshirt freshman, made strides in practice but isn't ready yet to leapfrog the other players .Dumas transferred from New Mexico but the sophomore apparently hasn't been a been a good fit for the spread offense, nor has Sunday, a redshirt freshman who received a handful of carries in 2021.
Taulapapa brings 1,192 yards and 19 touchdowns rushing on 266 carries with him from those ACC Cavaliers, but more importantly, his position as an older, proven player makes him attractive to the Huskies.
"It means a lot to him," Grubb said. "He's on his last season. He's been through all the years of being a younger player and how to get on the field and mistakes, and how to do it right. I felt really strongly he'd be able to come in and take it."
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