Husky Roster Review: Waiss Didn't Wait, Got His Chance to Play

The walk-on tight end earned double-figure game appearances.

Money isn't everything. Four non-scholarship players, or walk-ons, appeared in double-digit games for the University of Washington football team during the 2022 season, which is an almost unheard of situation — unless you were Nebraska in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Three were fairly obvious in now fifth-year junior linebacker Drew Fowler, who pulled steady back-up snaps and special-teams work in all 13 outings for the Huskies; sophomore punter Jack McCallister, who won the job and launched every fourth-down kick except one; and now sophomore kicker Grady Gross, who handled kickoff duties in every game except the opener.

Behind door No. 4, would you have guessed walk-on tight end Griffin Waiss was the other?

While his UW bio says he got on the field for all 13 games last fall, NCAA game stats show him appearing in 11 contests — all except those against Michigan State and UCLA.

Either way, his involvement was impressive, considering the Huskies aren't providing him financial aid. Waiss, a 6-foot-5, 238-pound sophomore from San Jose, California, drew a lot more game time than several guys on the roster with scholarships.

With the Huskies noticeably short of tight ends last season, Waiss filled in some of those gaps, but largely drew special-teams snaps. It was necessity, not charity.

"With where our roster is at, we need those guys that haven't had a lot of experience on the field," said UW coach Kalen DeBoer, when asked about the early assignments doled out to players such as defensive back Sean Toomey-Stout and Waiss. "We need them to keep growing."

Going down the roster from No. 0 to 99, Waiss, who wears No. 86 all to himself, is next up in a series of profiles about each of the Huskies' scholarship players and assorted walk-ons, summing up their spring football performances and surmising what might come next for them.

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Griffin Waiss (86) watches fellow tight end Jack Westover head upfield with the ball in his hands during spring ball. 

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Griffin Waiss, walk-on tight end, wore No. 89 while redshirting in 2021 and shifted to 86 last fall. 

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Offensive-line coach Scott Huff provides instruction, presumably blocking tips, to running backs and tight ends, a group that included Griffin Waiss (86). 

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Griffin Waiss (86) is sandwiched between offensive linemen Nate Kalepo and Troy Fautanu in this image while in a loosening-up exercise during spring ball.

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Now a sophomore, Griffin Waiss (86) listened as offensive-line coach Scott Huff offered spring practice instruction to a group of Huskies. 

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In 2021, for Jimmy Lake's Husky team, Griffin Waiss was a walk-on freshman who didn't see any game time. 

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Griffin Waiss played his high school football for Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose, California. 

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Waiss, who wore a protective boot on one of his feet, missed a good portion of spring football this past April, slowing his ascension some. 

While he showed up at the UW as a lightly pursued recruit — his 247Sports profile listed Cal Lutheran, Linfield, Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound in supplying his only offers — Waiss is a versatile guy with myriad interests.

On social media, he posted a high school transcript from Bellarmine College Prep in the Bay Area that listed the following classes: screenwriting, economics, calculus, engineering design and Spanish.

As a UW football player last season following a redshirt, Waiss had an inauspicious outing against Portland State in his second UW game appearance. He dropped a fourth-quarter pass from quarterback Dylan Morris at midfield during the 52-6 victory. 

He was much better given another chance to flag down a pass against Colorado, hauling in a 21-yard reception from Morris in the fourth quarter during the UW's final scoring drive in a 54-7 win.

"Seeing those guys go in and do their thing it gives you more confidence that, whether it be regular scrimmage plays or a bigger situation, those guys are going to have that confidence in themselves," DeBoer said. "We've got to build that depth all across the program."

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GRIFFIN WAISS FILE

Service: Waiss played in at least 11 Husky games in 2022, mostly as a special-teamer. His team bio notes he didn't take up football until reaching high school. 

Stats: He has that lone UW reception, his 21-yard catch against Colorado.

Role: As a walk-on redshirt freshman, Waiss did well in getting on the field as much as he did and should hope for similar game time this fall. As for a scholarship? Probably not right away. 

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