5 UW Players We'd Like to See More of After the Bye
The University of Washington football coaching staff has a solid plan for all of its players, which is to use as many of them on game day as early in their careers and often as possible, in tough situations no less. There's no babying anyone.
The expectation is if someone is on the roster, he should be able to contribute in some meaningful manner, especially if he's on scholarship, and not just join the team to hang out and receive free swag not found elsewhere on campus.
However, this unbeaten and seventh-ranked Husky team ready to face Oregon this week is filled with veterans, including a large number of sixth-year seniors. They came all came back to win something big, hence temporarily delaying the upward mobility of others.
With those obstacles in place, we've singled out five UW players who've been hailed as future cornerstones yet have received limited snaps this season or none at all.
Not wishing misfortune on the others ahead of them, here's to favorable circumstances enabling this quintet of Huskies more of an opportunity over the remainder of the regular season to demonstrate what each guy can do.
First up is Zach Durfee, a 6-foot-5, 255-pound sophomore edge rusher and Minnesota native who is, as Husky coach Kalen DeBoer calls him, "a big guy who can run."
The NCAA won't let him play this season after determining he is a double transfer following previous stops at Sioux Falls and North Dakota State (as a student only) and ruled he must sit out and lose a year of football eligibility.
Durfee has the size, speed and intense desire to be a very disruptive player for the UW whenever that time comes. He best resembles another Bralen Trice, as a guy who smolders as he goes into battle and doesn't give up. He appears capable of becoming an all-conference player of some sort whenever he gets his paperwork straight and is cleared to play.
Among an all-star cast of Husky wide receivers, Denzel Boston ranks No. 5 in the pecking order. With a pair of touchdowns in the closing spring scrimmage, the 6-foot-4, 207-pound redshirt freshman, a local guy from South Hill, Washngton, appeared to be on his way. So big and fast, he dominated at times in spring and fall practices.
However, once the season began, Boston has played in all five games yet received limited opportunity because he just wasn't going to dislodge All-America candidate Rome Odunze, leading returning receiver Jalen McMillan, proven deep threat Ja'Lynn Polk and even the highly elusive Germie Bernard. Boston has 2 catches for 23 yards.
As it stands, this tall and speedy Boston simply will have to be patient and wait before he and Bernard can take over the Husky receiving corps in 2024 and possibly become the main targets and position headliners.
"He's a tough, big, strong, physical kid," receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard said of Boston.
Cal Poly tight end transfer Josh Cuevas has NFL written all over him. At 6-foot-3 and 239 pounds, this California native is big and fast, has reliable hands, and, unlike most Huskies at that position before him, an elite blocker.
The sophomore has appeared in all five games, sharing snaps with veterans Jack Westover, Devin Culp and Quentin Moore, and worked his way into the lineup more. He has a pair of 57-yard catches, the longest in five seasons for a UW tight end, and a 31-yard touchdown catch among his season total.
Cuevas, however, likely won't be a starter and pull excessive Husky snaps until the others leave and it's 2024.
Coming fast up the depth chart is freshman running back Tybo Rogers, who's appeared in three consecutive games, led the Huskies in rushing with 74 yards on 15 carries against Michigan State and demonstrated the potential for more elusiveness than any ball carrier in Montlake since Myles Gaskin.
He has similar attributes to Gaskin in speed, shiftiness and a confidence that has earned him increasing playing time as a first-year Husky. He's got himself back in good standing with the UW coaching staff after drawing a temporary suspension for breaking team rules early in fall camp.
At some point beyond this season, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Rogers from Bakersfield, California, could become the Huskies' No. 1 running back and a high-profile player.
Finally, people have been waiting to see what redshirt freshman defensive tackle Armon Parker has to offer the UW.
One of twin brothers from Detroit, this 6-foot-3, 307-pound Parker hasn't played in a Husky game yet after gaining medical clearance to practice following knee surgery, apparently still learning the nuances of his position before making his debut.
His brother Jayvon, 10 pounds lighter, proved physical and confident enough to play in eight games as a freshman in 2022 — and Armon has been described as being a quicker player than his sibling when coming out of a stance.
These five Huskies some day could or should find their way onto a big college football stage and command plenty of attention. Until then, it appears they'll have to keep everyone in suspense and wait their turn.
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