3 Days of UW Spring Football as Told Through Lin's Camera Lens

Check out Skylar's latest photo gallery showing the Huskies in different clinches and situations.

Dan Raley | Mar 11, 2023

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Washington Huskies

Husky football spring practice is a lot like going to the beach in the middle of the summer. Everybody is looking around to see who's flexing and preening, and who brings something different to the table.

Veterans feel the clock ticking and the pressure to move up the depth chart in a highly competitive setting, or they're fearful of getting passed up by a wave of younger guys coming in.

Most of all, it requires the new freshman or transfer to feel his way around a totally different football environment than they're accustomed, one filled with elite players, and find a comfort zone.

Tybo Rogers is a newly arrived running back from Bakersfield, California, who has come in and looked like belongs in a talented position group.

"Tybo Rogers is a guy who shows really a lot of flash," coach Kalen DeBoer said. "He's got a lot of reps the last couple of days. ... He's definitely what we hoped we have with Tybo there."

While Rogers has got his feet wet with Husky football, fellow new UW student Skylar Lin has been there each day to photograph these moments of trial and error, and success and struggle. Lin spends an hour with this football team and then he heads class as architectural major.

Check out his accompanying gallery from Friday's third day of practice. There are a lot of little stories going on among the big picture.

Dominique Hampton pauses below Dempsey Indoor signage that is meant to inspire him and his Washington teammates whenever they practice inside.

The Huskies have an abundance of Pac-12 linebacking talent in USC transfer Ralen Goforth and sixth-year senior Edefuan Ulofoshio, fully recovered from a knee injury.

Co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell makes a point to Husky hybrid Mishael Powell during the UW's third spring football practice.

Safeties Diesel Gordon and Tristan Dunn collide with a blocking dummy involved. Gordon is a new freshman to the roster while Dunn is a redshirt freshman with some veteran experience.

Dylan Morris watches his pass spiral all the way into the hands of tight end Devin Culp during the Huskies' third spring football practice.

Tybo Rogers, freshman running back from Bakersfield, California, runs through staffers hitting him with pads to test his balance.

With defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell watching every move, safety Tristan Dunn prepares to slam into a dummy to simulate coming up to make a tackle.

Michael Penix Jr. has a variety of throwing deliveries, in this instance launching one off one foot during practice in Dempsey Indoor.

Daniyel Ngata, the Arizona State transfer, runs through plastic tubing framework meant to keep him low to the ground while carrying the football.

Giles Jackson goes fully extended in this Dempsey Indoor drill, reaching for a medicine ball in an effort to simulate possession.

Zach Henning is a 6-foot-5, 290-pound freshman offensive lineman from Centennial, Colorado, who seems physically mature enough to hold his own after arriving in January.

"Those winter workouts, those are gut checks," DeBoer said. "He's not just staying alive, he's thriving. He's been really impressive that way."

Others such as linebackers Deven Bryant and Jordan Whitney, wide receiver Germie Bernard, running back Daniyel Ngata, edge rushers Zach Durfee and Anthony James, tight end Josh Cuevas, defensive tackle Elinneus Davis and cornerbacks Jabbar Muhammad and Thaddeus Dixon each have had to feel their way around Husky football and fit in.

The biggest adjustment for each of them is the fast pace that DeBoer's coaching staff demands, where you really have to react and think on your feet. Their system is not for everyone.

There's definitely an initial shock that wears off the more these players acclimate to a system that promises a chance at football excellence.

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Published Mar 11, 2023

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.