UW Spring Preview: Huskies' Husky Could Get Makeover

One of the more intriguing things about Kalen DeBoer and his coaches is they seem to tinker more with University of Washington football personnel than the previous staffs.

It's almost as if these guys, with candles flickering late at night while running and rerunning videos, turn into mad scientists in their Montlake offices and continually move players around like jigsaw puzzle pieces, looking for a fit.

Since their arrival, DeBoer's coaches have implemented the Ulumoo Ale transfer from offense to defensive line, the Jaxson Kirkland position flipflop with Troy Fautanu on the left side of the offensive line, Julius Irvin's in-game switch from safety to cornerback, and edge rusher Jeremiah Martin and offensive guard Geirean Hatchett filling in as blocking tight ends.

The UW staff, if a recent Seattle Times disclosure is accurate, could be ready to shuffle bodies at the year-old Husky hybrid position, which enlisted Dominique Hampton as an 11-game starter last fall.

The Huskies could go any number of different ways by giving veteran cornerback Mishael Powell a trial here, elevating Kamren Fabiculanan or Dyson McCutcheon as the starter or bringing back Hampton in this safety/linebacker role rather than sending the latter to safety.

With spring football practice getting an extra-early start next Monday, we're taking a hard look at each personnel group going into the 15 workouts stretched out over 47 days that end with a spring game, and the Husky hybrid role is on the clock here.

Mishael Powell, after starting 11 games in two seasons at cornerback, could get a spring trial at the Husky hybrid position.

Kamren Fabiculanan breaks up a pass against Michigan State, a game in which he started at free safety. He started at both Husky hybrid and safety.

Dyson McCutcheon hails from an NFL family as the son of Daylon and the grandson for Lawrence, a defensive back and running back.

Dominique Hampton could be headed back to safety, where he's played before. He has 42 Husky games played between three secondary positions.

With a flood of promising cornerbacks joining the program amid suggestions that a complete makeover is coming for those responsibilities, this could be a way to keeping Powell, a 6-foot-1, 204-pound junior who has 11 career starts at corner, on the field by putting him in the Husky hybrid role and upgrading the overall pass coverage this way.

Fabiculanan, a 6-foot-1, 191-pound junior, last season drew five secondary starts, four at free safety and one at Husky hybrid, while McCutcheon, a 5-foot-11, 178-pound sophomore launched his Husky career in 2022 with nine game appearances.

Hampton seemed to hold up well in run support, but got beat deep a couple of times. He enters his sixth UW season having played a team-high 42 games at Husky hybrid, safety and even cornerback, so he will play somewhere.

This UW position possibly will be one of more spring experimentation than any of the others.

UW HUSKY HYBRID CANDIDATES

Mishael Powell, 6-1, 204, Jr., 21 games played, 11 starts

Kamren Fabiculanan, 6-1, 191, Jr., 22 games played 6 starts

Dyson McCutcheon, 5-11, 178, So., 9 games played

Dominique Hampton, 6-3, 221, Sr., 42 games played, 14 starts

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