3 Players We'd Like to See More Involved in UW Football

This Husky trio is surrounded by great expectations, but progress has been slow.

Caleb Presley and Anthony James haven't got their UW careers launched yet. / Skylar Lin Visuals

They come out for University of Washington spring practice in various stages of football attire, without or without pads, minus a helmet, wearing shorts rather than pants. They hang with their position groups, but often times they're off to the side, juggling thick strands of rope, riding a stationary bike or getting stretched out by trainers.

Anthony James, Caleb Presley and Deven Bryant are three of the highest-rated members of the UW's 2023 recruiting class -- all defensive players who arrived with sterling 4-star recruiting reputations -- yet these redshirt freshmen haven't really been able to fully launch their Montlake careers.

Bryant, a speedy 5-foot-11, 217-pound linebacker from Los Angeles, took part in 2023 spring football, appeared in four Husky games at the beginning of last season and showed great promise. Unfortunately for him, he's out this spring with a protective boot covering his left foot just when it could have been time for him to push all the older guys for playing time.

The 6-foot-5, 272-pound James, a defensive tackle from the Dallas Metroplex and once considered the UW's most prized player for the 2023 class, suffered an upper-body injury the season before, didn't appear in any games and still hasn't fully regained his health. The defensive line is looking for candidates to step up. He's not involved in any contact or in the mix just yet.

Presley, a 6-foot, 177-pound cornerback from Seattle, has some unspecified injury that has slowed his progress, which is especially untimely because the UW corner talent pool has continued to expand and become more impressive. He showed up for spring ball last year and made it through, but has been in limbo since. His limited intro to Husky football has to be disappointing to him.

Deven Bryant, out the for the spring with an injury, does his best to stay fit. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Emerging from St. John Bosco High School, Bryant was the first UW freshman to draw game-day plaudits last season and someday could be a cornerstone of the Husky defense, much in the same manner that corner Trent McDuffie went from that same Southern California football powerhouse to make plays for the Huskies. Bryant appears very motivated to make things happen, but he's just been unlucky.

James, who flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to the UW, carries an impressive thick frame that would seem to make him a can't-miss player when fully filled out, but he hasn't been able to stay on the field long for the Huskies. He didn't suit for many 2023 games, let alone play in any. His healthy return is unclear.

It was hoped that Presley, who flipped from Oregon to the Huskies, would come in as a freshman and establish himself right away as a player in the corner competition, much like McDuffie did, yet that didn't happen. Presley played in no games and has needed more time to get acclimated to college football. The good news for Presley is he got in line and took part in extended spring practice drills for the first time over the weekend and just might be ready to stick his nose in there and be able to compete.

In this day of the transfer portal and nonstop player movement, the Huskies need to get these guys fully engaged in the program before any of them considers Montlake an unlucky place and looks for something new.

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