6 Husky Position Battles to Keep an Eye On

Nearly two weeks before the opener, the UW still has plenty of openings to settle.

Just over two weeks from the season opener, Jimmy Lake and his coaching staff are still holding auditions for a number of starting jobs across the University of Washington football lineup.

Six to be exact. 

Lake likes to say virtually every position group remains unsettled, to keep his players properly motivated, but that's actually not true. 

Like a house going up, the framework needs to be in place before you can put on the roof and the siding.

Dylan Morris is the starting quarterback. Lake guaranteed as much early in fall camp. That simply won't change over the next dozen or so practices. The Huskies need to reward his steady play and build team continuity.

Neither are the first-unit assignments for tight end Cade Otton, offensive tackles Jaxson Kirkland and Vic Curne, center Luke Wattenberg, guard Henry Bainivalu and wide receivers Rome Odunze and Terrell Bynum, all of whom should feel fairly comfortable about their job security, too. 

Defensively, the building blocks appear in place with defensive tackles Tuli Letuligasenoa and Taki Taimani, inside linebackers Edefuan Ulofoshio and Jackson Sirmon, outside backer Ryan Bowman, cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon, and nickelback Bookie Radley-Hiles from Oklahoma.

How does a transfer from the Sooners not start? Tyrone Rodgers became a lineup mainstay three decades ago, and so will Bookie. 

Where the real fun remains is in the following six position areas, where the competition is fierce and careers can be made or launched:

Edge rusher

To replace the injured Zion Tupuola-Fetui or at least babysit his position for a minimum of two months, Bralen Trice appears to have the advantage over Sav'ell Smalls and Cooper McDonald. Unlike the others, however, the 6-foot-4, 260-pound redshirt freshman from Phoenix hasn't played a down for the Huskies on game day. He opted out last season. Trice since has rebuilt his physique, giving him increased size, speed and strength. His coach, Ikaika Malloe, boldly continues to insist this young Arizonan will be better than Joe Tryon. Smalls will keep the competition close. McDonald may have to move back inside to beef up the depleted depth there. Projected starter: Trice

Bralen Trice is making a strong bid for OLB / Dan Raley

Strong safety

Asa Turner is the returning starter, but he's had more things happen to him to distance himself from his first-unit assignment than anyone else. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound sophomore experienced a subpar season in 2020, where he was criticized for not being more of a physical presence. Turner next missed much of spring football with some sort of injury. He's now been gone for nearly a week for health reasons, with pandemic issues strongly suspected behind his absence. Cam Williams and Dominique Hampton are the leading candidates to unseat him. Williams is a former starter and a savvy player who could stand to be a little more physical, too. Hampton is a converted cornerback who's carries a 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame made for the position, but is still learning the role. Projected starter: Williams

Free safety 

Alex Cook, a junior, is the incumbent, a converted wide receiver who opened in three of four games in 2020 and is pushing again for the starting job. He's in competition with Julius Irvin, a sophomore and the son of former NFL cornerback great Leroy Irvin. Cook is a solid rather than a flashy player. Irvin, who's dealt with injuries to begin his UW career and gave up a couple of touchdown passes against Arizona last season, has become more of a playmaker and was running ahead of Cook this week. Sophomore Kamren Fabiculanan also is in the mix, but he's been playing more nickel back. Projected starter: Irvin 

Left guard 

Much has been made about the continuity presented with all five starting linemen returning from last season and forming the largest offensive line in Husky history. Except now it appears one of these regulars, guard Ulumoo Ale, has lost his grip on his job and might be hard-pressed to get it back. Ale, at 6-foot-6 and 355 pounds, is the biggest player on the team. Consistency has been an issue for him. He has not one, but two challengers for this position in redshirt freshmen Julius Buelow and Nate Kalepo. Ulumoo. The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Kalepo has the necessary size, but he's not nearly as athletic as the other two. At 6-foot-8 and 330 pounds, Buelow is the team's tallest player. Admittedly a passive personality coming out of his Hawaiian high school, he's made his move by becoming a more aggressive player and he's drawn more snaps than the others this week. Projected starter: Buelow

Julius Buelow is pushing to start at left guard.  / Dan Raley

Running back 

With what began as a five-player competition seems to have narrowed itself to a pair of runners: sophomore Richard Newton and redshirt freshman Cameron Davis. They were the No. 3 and 4 backs to begin last season but for two games they were utilized as much as the veteran starters ahead of them, Sean McGrew and Kamari Pleasant. The 6-foot, 215-pound Newton, benched for two games for what he's hinted at was an attitude problem, has rededicated himself, while the 6-foot, 205-pound Davis remains on a steady course for more playing time. Both run the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds. Newton has an edge in that he's a power runner, too, and he seems highly motivated to have a breakout season.  Projected starter: Newton

Wide receiver

The starting receivers seemed like an impenetrable group until freshman Jalen McMillan left practice with a thumb or hand injury early in the week. It looked serious enough. If he's unable to bounce back, redshirt freshman Taj Davis or Michigan transfer Giles Jackson, two decidedly different body types, will replace him. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Davis is a physical receiver who thrives in traffic, while the 5-foot-9, 185-pound Jackson is a speedster made for the fly sweep and deep routes. Or the Huskies could go with two tight ends or H-back Jack Westover far more often. Projected starter: Davis

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