Zammit Goes Through Challenging Husky QB Initiation

Over the first five University of Washington spring practices, freshman quarterback Derek Zammit threw exactly one pass during 11-on-11 team play. A solitary spiral. A solo flick of the wrist.

Standing in the pocket, he delivered a 10-yard throw over the middle to sophomore tight end Charlie Crowell.

Now this 6-foot, 208-pound newcomer from Lincoln Park, New Jersey, could have felt a little lonely or even ignored while watching the older quarterbacks continuously rotate in and out of the position without him.

Yet Zammit hardly sat off to the side, twiddling his thumbs, looking for something to do. Naturally, he was learning the playbook. He also was being dissected like a lab rat.

Often he had quarterbacks coach JP Losman in his ear, with the former NFL signal-caller offering pointers in an animated fashion.

Once Losman moved on, Matt Cavanaugh, another ex-pro QB who carries the title of senior offensive assistant, would seek Zammit's attention and maybe address his footwork.

And then there was Jedd Fisch, the head coach who doubles as the Husky offensive coordinator. He wasn't adverse to taking Zammit during practice to the big screen showing replays on the sideline and offering his input.

For a month, this was the education of Derek Zammit as a UW quarterback being administered all at once.

Derek Zammit scrambles during the Spring Game. | Dave Sizer photo

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the Husky roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did in spring practice and what to expect from them going into fall camp.

The initial observations of Zammit were he throws a hard fastball. Sometimes a low football. More than one right to linebacker Donovan Robinson.

Rather than label his spring a success or a failure, call it an intensive boot camp.

At the outset, starter Demond Williams Jr. advised Zammit that he would be nervous initially during scrimmage play, and he was right.

"i had a lot of nerves my first couple of days out there," Williams said. "I was talking to Derek and I said, 'I know exactly what you feel, like I got your back and I got you if you need anything, any help.' "

Derek Zammit runs the huddle during the Spring Game. | Dave Sizer photo

Through the first 13 practices leading up the Spring Gam, Zammit unofficially completed 5 of 12 passes for 47 yards. He got sacked hard by freshman edge rusher Ramzak Fruean for a 9-yard loss. He dropped a snap. He had passes knocked down by redshirt freshman nickelback Ramonz Adams Jr. and freshman cornerback Ksani JIles.

In the Spring Game, Zammit drew 16 snaps for the Gold team and immediately wanted one back.

On his fourth play, he threw a ball in the direction of walk-on running back Beck Walker on the right sideline and redshirt freshman linebacker Donovan Robinson made a perfect break on the ball, intercepted it masterfully and raced 36 yards for a touchdown.

Two series later, it nearly happened again.

Zammit threw one into the flat right at Robinson and he dropped it, slapping his helmet after missing out on a possible 79-yard interception return.

The Jersey kid finished with 7 completions in 21 attempts for 68 yards on the final day alone to close the spring.

On a positive note, he scrambled for 26 yards on a third-and-5 play, showing elusiveness.

Overall, he now probably avoids running into Donovan Robinson wherever he goes, including the locker room, because so far nothing good has happened from these encounters.

What he's done: Zammit was slotted anywhere from the Huskies' third quarterback to the fifth guy. He went through his initiation and it was determined he wasn't another Jake Browning, who became a freshman starter 11 years ago, but who else has done that? He took team snaps in just seven of the Huskies' 15 practices. Otherwise, he was in study hall.

Starter or not: Zammit's spring performance did nothing to dissuade anyone that he won't be the Huskies' starting quarterback some day. It just might be a while, probably in 2028, post Demond Williams Jr., at the earliest.

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