Inside The Huskies

With Drew Azzopardi, He Plays With No Pressure

He ranks among the Big Ten leaders in fewest negative plays involving his UW quarterback.
Dan Raley|
Drew Azzopardi has been an effective blocker so far for the Huskies.
Drew Azzopardi has been an effective blocker so far for the Huskies. | Dave Sizer photo

Back for another football season in Montlake, Drew Azzopardi held the distinction as the lone returning starter on the University of Washington offensive line, which should have been a badge of honor of some sorts.

However, that didn't land the right offensive tackle the undying respect of everyone around him or an exclusive parking spot near the Husky weight room.

In fact, the 6-foot-7 315-pound Azzopardi must have felt like he was being treated less than honorably at times, with a wise-guy defensive back, in a heated fall camp moment, informing him that he had been one of the weakest Big Ten linemen from the season before.

On top of that, the UW coaching staff came to him and asked him to take Yoga classes to work on his flexibility. There's no words if he wore tights and a cute top to these workout sessions.

Well, whatever was done, it seems to be working for Azzopardi, who, according to The Big Ten Huddle, ranks tied for third in the conference for fewest quarterback pressures -- 3 -- which involves any kind of negative impact on a signal-caller's play.

UW coach Jedd Fisch told how his staff challenged Azzopardi, who spent his first two seasons at San Diego State, to lower his body fat and improve his blocking technique.

"We felt his return after his first year as a full-time starter that he was going to be able to make a big jump -- and I think he has," Fisch said.

Azzopardi, the only UW lineman to start all 13 games in 2024, continues to be a survivor up front. With starting left tackle Carver Wills and and left guard John Mills going down with injuries in the past two games, he and the Hatchett brothers are the only Huskies to open all five games up front so far.

The right tackle from Pacifica, California, has improved from head to toe when a complete laundry list is contemplated.

"He was taking guys and walking them back, which is always good to see," Fisch said. "He plays with a nastiness, which is good when it comes to offensive-line play. He did a good job in communication and pass protection. He and Quentin Moore were a pretty tough duo when you start dealing with combination blocks, when the two of them worked together. And I felt he improved in his pass protection, as well."

Only Northwestern's Martes Lewis and Ohio State's Austin Siereveld -- with 1 and 2, respectively -- have been responsible for fewer quarterback pressures allowed than Azzopardi.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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