Husky Roster Review: After Trying Freshman Year, Otton Turns Full Focus to Football

Family tragedy and an early injury disrupted the tight end's introduction to Montlake.

Dan Raley | Jul 13, 2023

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Washington Huskies

Hey, no pressure at all, but Ryan Otton hails from a football family in which his grandfather retired as Washington state's winningest high school football coach, his brother became a first-team All-Pac-12 tight end and currently plays in the NFL, and an uncle had a stint as a starting quarterback for USC.

What have you got?

If that wasn't enough high expectations in-house, Ryan Otton just went through a most challenging freshman year of college in which he suffered a troublesome hamstring injury on his first day of Husky football practice and, far more devastating, lost his 50-year-old mother, who died suddenly in September before he had attended his first class.

Those sorts of things all at once rapidly will turn a boy into a man, and the youngest Otton went through a difficult life transition while trying to get indoctrinated to college football.

Today, he is redshirt freshman with a 6-foot-6, 233-pound frame who still looks on the skinny side, but he's doing his best to physically and emotionally catch up to the college game.

"There was a lot he was dealing with, whether it was personal or his injury; he had a hamstring that was nagging him for a while," tight-ends coach Nick Sheridan said in the spring. "This is really the first consistent amount of time he's been able to practice."

Going down the roster from No. 0 to 99, Otton, who wears No. 87 all to himself, same as his brother did, is next up in a series of profiles about each of the Huskies' scholarship players and assorted walk-ons, summing up their spring football performances and surmising what might come next for them.

ANYONE KNOW THE WORDS? / Skylar Lin Visuals

Jalen McMillan (11), Armon Parker (95) and Cade Otton (87) join in a post-spring practice song, with it not at all clear they know what to sing.

With an injured Jack Westover (37) keeping close tabs on him, Ryan Otton (87) makes a catch and heads upfield in spring football.

As Quentin Moore lurches forward, Ryan Otton waits his turn on the blocking sled during spring ball.

Ryan Otton (87) looks for a pass coming his way from walk-on quarterback Teddy Purcell during spring football practice.

Ryan Otton wears 87, the same uniform shirt his brother Cade pulled on as a Husky tight end.

Ryan Otton (87) heads for a celebration involving Denzel Boston (12) and Parker Brailsford (72) in the final spring scrimmage.

Scott Huff, UW offensive-line coach, offers instruction to running backs and tight ends, including Ryan Otton (87).

Ryan Otton (87) joins his teammates in a post-spring scrimmage song, standing with Drew Fowler (54), Austin Harnetiaux (44), Rome Odunze (1) and Jaden Green (89).

Ryan Otton is the only one from this photo who remains at the UW. He was recruited by the fired Jimmy Lake, center, and alongside tight end Chance Bogan (13), who ended up at Idaho.

BIG BROTHER :: Jennifer Buchanan/USA TODAY sports

Cade Otton was a Husky tight end from 2017 to 2021 and now plays in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As far as the Otton brothers go when side by side, Ryan is an inch taller and a good 17 pounds lighter than Cade, who played for the Huskies from 2017 to 2021.

Whereas Cade Otton sat out his entire freshman season as a redshirt, Ryan actually bounced back from his early injury to make a late-season game appearance against Colorado.

Cade Otton, of course, went on to start 35 of 39 games over four active seasons and finish with 91 catches for 1,026 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Unfortunately for Cade, he battled COVID and a foot injury as a senior, played in just eight games and watched a dreary 4-8 season in 2021 finish without him.

Now comes Ryan Otton, who is jumping into college football for the first time with a chance to focus and begin his development in earnest. His big brother showed up for one spring practice in April to check up on him. Young Otton seems to be on his way. The early returns are favorable.

"He has athleticism," Sheridan said. "I think he has physicality. He's not afraid to stick his face in there. He's a great kid from a great family and he's getting better every day."

RYAN OTTON FILE

Service: Otton appeared in just one game as a freshman, drawing snaps in the 54-7 victory over Colorado and preserving a redshirt season.

Stats: The only number that pops up for him thus far is 87, which his brother Cade wore for the Huskies. At 233 pounds, Ryan is 17 pounds lighter than when his brother played in Montlake and he'll be at his best with added weight.

Role: Otton still might be a year away from being a major player with sixth-year seniors Devin Culp and Jack Westover drawing most of the duty. Yet with four seasons of eligibility left, he remains one of the Huskies' big hopes for the future at tight end.

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Published Jul 13, 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.