Skylar Lin Gallery: UW Spring Preview in Photo Review

University of Washington spring football practice, the second held under the direction of Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff, came to a close on Saturday on an upbeat note.

No one got injured in a sport that always comes with plenty of physical risk at all times.

If they had to open against Boise State next Saturday rather than in fourth months, the Huskies confidently have 22 starters in place, though the other players are always encouraged to keep pushing and wrest those jobs away.

Coming off a highly encouraging 11-2 season debut season for the DeBoer regime, the UW still looks every bit like a Top 10 team, which it was when 2022 finished up.

Husky football remains on a steady upward spiral just 18 months after experiencing its worst season (4-8) since 2008 and undergoing a second coaching change over 24 months — from Chris Petersen to Jimmy Lake to DeBoer.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. comes off one of the UW's finest passing performances in program history, with the opportunity to do it again and even better, and maybe make the Huskies' strongest bid yet for a Heisman Trophy.

Giles Jackson hauls in a pass just over the outstretched Mishael Powell in Saturday's closing spring football scrimmage.

Michael Penix Jr. signals touchdown after handing the ball to Cam Davis, one of two short scoring runs for the No. 1 tailback.

Thaddeus Dixon, blanketing Rome Odunze with Mishael Powell, is one reason the Husky secondary looks to be much improved this season.

Tight ends Devin Culp (83), Quentin Moore (88), Josh Cuevas (85) and John Frazier (91) gather around their coach, Nick Sheridan, for marching orders.

Edge rusher Zach Durfee, who had a productive closing scrimmage, celebrates with an unidentified teammate after reaching the backfield and putting on pressure.

An unexpected spring standout was Owen Coutts, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from local Ballard High School, who caught a 30-yard TD pass to end the scrimmage.

UW wide receivers Denzel Boston and Taj Davis share a spring scrimmage moment, trading intel, on Saturday at Husky Stadium.

Wide receiver Jalen McMillan closes out Husky spring football with impromptu dance moves in the west end zone.

Freshman center Landen Hatchett and quarterback Dylan Morris warm up with a few practice snaps in Saturday's closing spring scrimmage.

Michael Penix Jr. steps out of the huddle to look for a play call from the sideline during Saturday's closing spring scrimmage at Husky Stadium.

Edge rusher Bralen Trice and wide receiver Rome Odunze already are mentioned as among the very best at their positions across the college football landscape.

Hey, the Husky cornerback position, last season's Achilles heel, appears far more improved with the addition of Oklahoma State transfer Jabbar Muhammad and JC transfer Thaddeus Dixon, plus the re-emergence of a fully healthy holdover player in Elijah Jackson, one of Lake's last recruiting finds.

Skylar Lin is a UW student, not a Husky football player. Still, he showed up for every one of the Huskies' 15 spring practices as a photographer for our Fan Nation/Sports Illustrated site, something no other organization did.

His work always is first rate, memorable, worthy of a bowl bid if there was such a thing for great photos. By now, the UW players know Skylar and often stop whatever they're doing to look into the camera and give him an expression or gesture that's memorable.

Take a look at the accompanying Lin photo gallery. After having the luxury of new images multiple times a week since early March, we'll have to wait until August for Skylar's next photos.

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