UW Offensive Line Down to Bare Bones for Seventh Spring Practice

The Huskies had just eight players available at the position group, just five on scholarship.

The University of Washington football team has 138 days and one portal transfer window to put together an offensive line for next season, and it can't be understated how much this has a bearing on the success of next season.

Tuesday's seventh spring football practice, while held under sunny skies and in an energized fashion, might have marked the low point in this process.

The Huskies had just eight offensive lineman available for the two-and-a-half-hour workout, only five on scholarship -- or one third the normal paid-for players on hand in this position group -- as injuries and illness have made a bad situation worse.

For a No. 1 offensive line, Jedd Fisch's coaching staff went with redshirt freshman Soane Faasolo at left tackle, redshirt freshman Zach Henning at left guard, walk-on redshirt freshman Parker Cross at center, freshman Michael Watkins at right guard and sophomore Drew Azzopardi at right tackle.

"Give me a little tiny dancer," Husky line coach and offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll called out referencing an Elton John song, trying to keep things light.

No matter what the talent level is with these guys, the Huskies won't win too many Big Ten games up front with a crew that is this young and inexperienced.

Freshman offensive guard Paki Finau and redshirt freshman tackle Kahlee Finau were in sweats or shorts, presumably dealing with some sort of health issues, while sophomore Landen Hatchett and junior Gaard Memmelaar were still in recovery from knee injuries suffered last season. Memmelaar, in fact, was seen boxing in the end zone at one point with a team staffer, both wearing gloves, as part of his rehab. Good workout, wrong sport.

Operator, connect me to the transfer portal.

Things got so bad, the Huskies couldn't field a second offensive line and went with 7-on-7 lineups in some scrimmage drills usually reserved for full lineups. Or certain players doubled up and pulled snaps with both the first and second lines.

Former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, Brennan's dad, made his first visit to Husky practice, as just a solitary figure in an unmarked sweat shirt -- which ran counter to the other NFL VIPs who recently have come through wearing UW gear. He was someone standing outside the metal fencing on the East practice fielde who simply mixed in with the fans, who didn't bother him.

Carroll watched the offensive skill players for the longest time before walking to the other end to see what the line coached by his son looked like. He just stood there with his chin in his left hands, watching the shorthanded UW line, probably wondering hot it got to that point.

Pete Carroll was a lonely figure watching UW football practice.

Dan Raley

Reinforcements, of course, should be on the way. With the transfer portal reopening this week, the Huskies are expected to be very active shoppers for no fewer than three players capable of starting right away, plus four or five overall newcomers who will go on scholarship.

Marcus Bryant, a 6-foot-8, 318-pound senior offensive tackle formerly of SMU and a Husky practice visitor last Saturday, has generated crystal-ball predictions that have him transferring to the UW, but who knows. The big man from Texas has more visits to take elsewhere.

Justin Hylkema, an incoming freshman OT, was a practice visitor on Tuesday.

Dan Raley

Somewhat ironic, but incoming freshman offensive tackle Justin Hylkema from Santa Clara, California -- a 6-foot-8, 315-pound kid nicknamed "Moose" -- was a Tuesday practice visitor while all of these line woes were going on. If only the Huskies could have put pads on him on the spot. He seemed eager to get started, but won't enroll in school until this summer.

Hylkema spent time chatting up veteran players such as Hatchett and Memmelaar on the sidelines, plus various staffers. Physically, he looked like he could step in and play right away. He can get back to Montlake soon enough.

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