Here's a UW Player Worth Watching in Saturday's Scrimmage
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You're coming out to Saturday's scrimmage bent on taking a critical look at the University of Washington football team, needing to see real progress following the 4-8 disaster of a season.
First off, expect the pace to be frenetic, making last season's Huskies look like they was trudging through mud.
Plan on on watching the UW, under new coach Kalen DeBoer's direction, to come out throwing, and flinging it deep. The former Fresno State leader does not wear a "Run the Damn Ball" hat.
Among the Husky quarterbacks, note that Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr. has great feet and moves well in the pocket. That Dylan Morris looks confident, responding well to the imported competition. That Sam Huard is still a few steps behind them.
Where offense is DeBoer's calling card, his defensive coaches, in most cases, are a step up over last season's crew. They're more demanding. They don't kid around. Inoke Breckterfield, Chuck Morrell, Eric Schmidt and William Inge, in particular, set a decidedly serious tone.
What about individual star power, you ask? Who will be the next Trent McDuffie or Kyler Gordon, now waiting to turn into NFL millionaires next week?
Well, don't expect to see two-time All-Pac-12 offensive tackle Jaxson Kirkland, still waiting for the NCAA to rule on his eligibility for a sixth season.
Nor will linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio, a 2020 second-team All-Pac-12 selection, be in uniform; he's recovering from a torn knee ACL.
Much anticipated running back Emeka Megwa won't be unveiled either; in fact, he hasn't attended spring drills yet after having more surgery for presumably a knee injury.
With 11 practices complete, one guy continues to draw plaudits from the new staff, which shouldn't be that big of a surprise, considering the old staff talked him up a lot, too.
Bralen Trice.
Bralen Trice has drawn spring raves.
Skylar Lin Visuals
He's a sophomore edge rusher with a well-proportioned 6-foot-4, 256-pound frame. Started for the first time last season, against Colorado and Washington State to close out the schedule. Went 72 yards to score after scooping up an Arkansas State fumble.
Former UW outside linebackers coach Ikaika Malloe suggested that Trice ultimately would be better than the Huskies' NFL first-round draft Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, which sounded like a lot of hyperbole at the time.
With a second coaching staff mirroring those comments with some of its own, maybe it's realistic.
"He's impressive," DeBoer said of Trice. "He's been the same all through the spring. He's hard to handle because he's strong; he's strong enough so he really gets into you off the edge. If you get on your heels, he's going to really work through you with some physicality."
Trice seemingly is on the verge of exceeding the hype once directed at junior Zion Tupuola-Fetui, a 2020 short-season sensation with seven sacks who was selected third-team All-American and first-team All-Pac-12, and now trying to regain his form 12 months after rupturing an Achilles tendon.
The Phoenix native has been on a faster track than the more heavily recruited Sav'ell Smalls, a 5-star prospect who could have gone anywhere, and Jeremiah Martin, who spent his first four seasons at Texas A&M.
Trice is probably reason alone to come out and watch the Husky scrimmage. Unless everyone's wrong, he's got star potential.
"He's also a high-effort guy that runs well," DeBoer said. "He brings it all. He's just a well-rounded football player. I like his energy. I like who he is. He's been fun to watch."
On Saturday, Husky followers will be remiss if they don't take a look.
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