With Return of Geirean Hatchett, Huskies Treat O-Line Like Family

After a season at Oklahoma, this offensive guard is bidding for the job he once held in Montlake.

Geirean Hatchett is shown at the 2024 CFP National Championship game for the UW. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Geirean Hatchett has the same position, jersey number and little brother that he had before leaving to study abroad for a year in Oklahoma.

What's different since returning to the University of Washington is he has a head of hair, though hardly as long and flowing as his rock-band-roadie-in-training sibling Landen, whereas he wore a neatly trimmed crewcut during his 2023 season in Montlake.

What's also new is, as a veteran player, this Hatchett appears to have a leg up on the competition at starting right guard that involves many challengers, whereas previously with the Huskies he usually was one of those challengers.

In putting together a No.1 offensive line, the Huskies brought in the 6-foot-4, 304-pound Hatchett from Oklahoma and Carver Willis from Kansas State, now a left tackle, as outside talent to bolster this position group. Tney team them with holdover Huskies in Drew Azzopardi at right tackle, Paki Finau at guard and Landen Hatchett at center.

In his sixth year of college football, Geirean Hatchett is the guy who started his career at the UW, left and came back, which is unique but maybe not such a rarity anymore with so much freedom given today's players to change teams.

"Been really pleased with him," UW line coach Michael Switzer said of the older Hatchett. "He brings that experience of playing a lot of games and coming back, and it's a pretty cool deal to be with his brother. He's been fantastic in terms of being coachable. He comes off the ball in that [way] I'm trying to get going, and that's run off the ball to be aggressive and strain."

Hatchett has been in what appears to be a steady three-man battle to become the starting right guard. He's done this before, opening four of the 12 outings he appeared in for the UW's national runner-up team in 2023.

Last year, Hatchett transferred to Oklahoma following the coaching change, from Kalen DeBoer to Jedd Fisch, going to a place that had heavily recruited him coming out of Ferndale High School, which is some 100 miles north of Seattle.

For the Sooners, he was inserted as an emergency fill-in at center during their opener last year and then started the second game at left guard before tearing a biceps muscle and having his season end abruptly.

At the UW, he's in a spirited competition at right guard with sophomore Zach Henning, who also has been the back-up center to the other Hatchett, and touted freshman Champ Taulealea, who carries nearly 340 pounds on his 6-foot-5 frame.

They all continue to take turns with the No. 1 offense. Henning and the older Hatchett are so versatile, each have been used as blocking tights at the UW, with the former even starting a game there last season.

Geirean and Landen Hatchett have be reunited as UW teammates. / UW

Hatchett always has been considered an elite run blocker, but ran into some difficulties two seasons ago in trying to provide pass protection for Michael Penix Jr. If he can master pocket blocking, it might be the difference in him winning this position battle and maybe even having an NFL career or not.

"That's an area he's still improving, but I do like how he's running off the ball in the run game," Switzer said. "But protection for sure is the emphasis for Geirean as we continue to go."

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