Weight a Minute: These Huskies Already Look in Much Better Shape
In this story:
Current University of Washington football coaches, out of respect, say they're not going to badmouth the previous ones.
Besides, they're far too busy still getting acquainted with their players and installing a totally new offense that will stress spreading the field and tweaking a defense that will bring more pressure.
Yet one thing is fairly obvious after looking every player up and down as they run through a month of spring practices — last year's Huskies weren't in the best football shape.
They might have thought they were, but they weren't. They left a lot in the weight room and on the running track.
This argument first was made after retracing the 2021 schedule and noting that a greatly underachieving 4-8 UW team tailed off badly and lost five games in the fourth quarter.
It also was going to be a badge of honor that the Huskies would field the heaviest offensive line in school history, but it proved to be a detriment as those guys struggled all season to get off the snap and block anyone.
New weight and conditioning coach Ron McKeefery attacked this problem with everyone right away with creative winter workouts that players uniformly described as difficult and overly taxing.
"Definitely I want to shout out coach Mac's workout program, it's huge, definitely one of the best I've ever been a part of," tight end Devi Culp said, down 6 pounds to 244. "There's no jokes from the gimmicks. They're definitely going to throw a lot at you, make your body adjust and it's going to be really hard."
Forty-two players have lost weight in moving from one Husky coaching staff to the next.
Even if they haven't shed many or any pounds, UW players appear noticeably more buff, sleeker, when just walking around.
The biggest body transformation was made by redshirt freshman defensive tackle Siaois Finau, who has dropped 49 pounds after hitting a high-water mark of 315.
Ulumoo Ale topped out at 368 pounds a year ago, making him the second heaviest football player in the Pac-12 last season, but the current staff has him down to 344 and headed to 330 by next August after moving him from the offensive line to defense.
Edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui currently weighs 241, down from a high of 278 two seasons ago, with some of that weight loss attributed to his rehabilitation from an Achilles injury suffered a year ago. He'll actually try to put on more pounds, seeking a happy medium.
"I like 240 though it's probably not the best number to have as a linebacker," he said, suggesting that 255 or 260 still might a better target weight. He'll use the spring drills to figure out what's best.
Tight end Caden Jumper and edge rusher Jordan Lolohea each have shed 16 pounds, lowering their weight to 249.
Wide receiver Jabez Tinae is down 20 pounds from 205.
Walk-on offensive lineman Gage Harty is practicing at 244, down 26 pounds.
Others with double-digit weight loss are cornerback Zakhari Spears, 11 pounds to 184; offensive guard Owen Prentice, 11 pounds to 299; cornerback Elijah Jackson, 11 pounds to 184; and offensive tackle Julius Buelow, 11 pounds to 319.
With so many slender frames and spring practices that burn a lot of calories, the new Husky staff has made sure to have a table full of smoothies, energy drinks, fruit and snacks readily available to the Huskies has they walk off the field.
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
