Some Like What They See in the UW Defensive Front and We Explain Why

The Huskies have three people who could upgrade things considerably this season.

Lists generally come out of nowhere and can be easily dismissed as silly stuff. Yet admit it, if you're a University of Washington football fan, you look to see if the Huskies are on them and how high.

A lot of them can make sense, but here's one sure to draw some raised eyebrows and drawn-out debate, certainly around Seattle: Open up Lindy's preview magazine, and the UW defensive line is slotted No. 10 nationally.

Huh?

Aren't these the same guys who gave up nearly 200 yards rushing per game? Over consecutive seasons? Way more than 300 yards against both Michigan and Oregon? Ever so paper-thin in their resistance?

Isn't this one of the few Husky position areas where Kalen DeBoer's staff didn't add a portal transfer pick-up, leading rightful skeptics to conclude it didn't get much better?

And isn't this the group that DeBoer admittedly said concerned him when spring practice began?

Yes, yes and yes.

Top 10, really?

Yet Lindy's has these Husky defenders hanging out among the likes of Clemson, LSU, Baylor, Notre Dame, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Michigan and Ohio State, with no other Pac-12 D-Lines represented.

Hmmmm.  

Lindy’s Top 10 DL’s in CFB for 2022:

1. Clemson
2. LSU
3. Baylor
4. Notre Dame
5. Alabama
6. Oklahoma St
7. Pitt
8. Michigan
9. Ohio St
10. Washington

— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) June 11, 2022

As best as we can tell, here's what could elevate the Huskies to the level of a superior defensive front that might be capable of causing some havoc: Kuao Peihopa, Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Inoke Breckterfield.

In a sense, all three could be classified as Husky newcomers. As a true freshman, Peihopa played sparingly because of a foot injury. ZTF missed most of the season with an Achilles injury and a concussion. Breckterfield was coaching in the SEC at Vanderbilt.

Each of them is on board now, healthy, recovered and employed in Montlake 

If there's a common denominator among this trio, each one is a native Hawaiian who's either experienced football greatness or has been projected for it.

By now, everyone knows what ZTF did in 2020, running up 7 sacks in four games, making some people consider him more of a disruption than the pandemic at times. He's an elite player when not limping around.

Had he stayed healthy, Peihopa likely would have started as a true freshman. In 2021 spring football, he showed up after graduating early from high school and was ready to go. Only a walking boot kept him out of the lineup.

Breckterfield, for those who have forgotten, played on the defensive line at Oregon State and gave the Huskies and everyone else fits in the then Pac-10 Conference. As a senior in 1998, he was rewarded with the Morris Trophy as the best lineman in the league on either side of the ball, selected as a third-team All-American selection and became an eventual CFL player.

Once more, he tutored and helped turn NFL stalwart Aaron Donald into Aaron Donald when they were at the University of Pittsburgh together.

So you've basically got one new guy on the interior, one on the edge and one in a headset.

Since last season ended, five players who held or competed for spots up front have left the program or were urged to move on: Taki Taimani, Noa Ngalu, Draco Bynum, Cooper McDonald and Jordan Lolohea. 

Collectively, these guys combined last season for 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, which isn't a lot to show for the work of five players. Taimani, Ngalu, Bynum and Lolohea departed Seattle without registering a career sack. Taimani was in the program for four seasons and played in 29 games, starting 14 times, and he never got to the opposing quarterback once. He was a nice kid, but maybe too nice.

Breckterfield is a noticeable upgrade over his UW predecessors Rip Rowan and Ikaika Malloe, making him the third Husky D-line coach in three seasons. 

Rowan was a new coach just starting out last season and is now at Georgia Southern, where preferably it should have been the other way around. Malloe, the former Husky safety and linebacker, is at UCLA and coaching edge rushers, which is a better position fit for his expertise.

Top 10? 

Well, it's more realistic now than it was before.

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Husky FanNation stories as soon as they’re published.

Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.

Find Husky FanNation on Facebook by searching: Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated

Follow Dan Raley of Husky FanNation on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven