An Early Look at a Potential Husky Starting Lineup

As many as 15 of the 22 first-team spots could be already decided.

Jordan Washington (4) takes his turn in an RB drill while Sam Adams (28) gets back in line. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Following three practices, the University of Washington football team took Saturday off, giving everyone a chance to pause and take stock of what the Huskies have in terms of talent and position battles.

Clearly, the UW looks much more like a big-boy club after having a host of new players join the ranks since spring ball, especially more offensive and defensive linemen. While Jedd Fisch wears a T-shirt that shows a Top 25 ranking without his team listed and it asks "Where's Washington?" we envision from early observations something that resembles an 8-5 team and ends up in the Alamo Bowl or Sun Bowl.

The Huskies currently have 110 players on the roster, with all but five or six in uniform for each workout.

Players basically have three more weeks to compete for starting jobs before Jedd Fisch and his staff settle on starters and lock everything down to prepare for game-week preparations for the Weber State opener on Aug. 31.

Players regularly are shuttling in and out of different lineup combinations so far, but here's how we see things if the Huskies had to play a game this week. Even this early, the UW might have as many as 15 of the 22 starting jobs somewhat settled already.

OFFENSE

Tight End -- Seniors Quentin Moore and Keleki Latu should be 1-2 as the experienced guys, with the 6-foot-4, 257-pound Moore fully expected to be the starter. The position, however, has been a little low on scholarship bodies, with sophomore Ryan Otton and freshman Charlie Crowell unable to practice so far.

Left Tackle -- Soane Faasolo, the 6-foot-8, 295-pound redshirt freshman, might have won this job during spring ball. He hasn't appeared in a UW game yet in his career, but that should change against Weber State. Maryland and JC transfer Maximus McCree, who has intriguing size at 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds, is still working himself back into football shape, even losing his lunch during the heat on Friday, after being away from the game last season.

Left Guard -- Gaard Memmelaar missed all of last season after suffering a fall camp knee injury. He's appeared in just four games in four seasons at the UW. However, the 6-foot-4, 299-pound junior is either the strongest player or one of them on this team, which will count for a lot when starting jobs are handed out and it finally could be his turn to play a lot. Freshman Paki Finau, who has added 30 pounds to his now 6-foot-5, 297-pound frame since arriving at the UW, is the first-year player with the best chance of starting.

Center -- Any one of three players could start here in a position that usually demands settling on someone right away but things are complicated because top candidate Landen Hatchett is coming off a knee injury and the 6-foot-2, 310-pound sophomore hasn't received medical clearance yet. Redshirt freshman Zach Henning or Portland State transfer D'Angalo Titialii will open against Weber State if Hatchett can't.

Right Guard -- Ohio State transfer Enokk Vimahi, will get a long look here because, well, he's from Ohio State. However, he needs to show he's more deserving than the guy who started just two of 36 outings for the Buckeyes. If Vimahi is not up for it, look for Henning or Titialii to move over and claim the No. 1 job here.

Right Tackle -- If Faasolo won the left tackle job by the end of spring ball, San Diego State trasnfer Drew Azzopardi made himself an immovable presence at right tackle after just a few practices in April. The 6-foot-7, 308-pound sophomore and Hatchett appear to be the best bets for honors candidates on a line that was full of them in 2023.

Wide Receiver -- Denzel Boston is the Huskies' best receiver, hands down. The 6-foot-4, 209-pound sophomore patiently waited his turn to become a starter after backing up the NFL-bound triumvirate of Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk for two seasons. He's been Will Rogers' No. 1 target since early in spring ball.

Will Rogers heads upfield during fall camp. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Wide Receiver -- Giles Jackson returned for a sixth college football season, and presumably a third shot at Michigan, his old team, with the promise of becoming a full-time starter for the first time while with the Huskies or the Wolverines. Fisch likes his speed possibilities in open space both catching the ball and running it on fly sweeps.

Wide Receiver -- California transfer Jeremiah Hunter comes off a 67-catch season, and 143 receptions in his career, for the Bears and should expect to be busy once more as a senior in Montlake. Redshirt freshman Rashid Williams is the Huskies' fourth receiver assuming a role held by Germie Bernard or Boston in 2023..

Quarterback -- Will Rogers is the guy. He has 40 starts, 12,315 passing yards and 94 touchdown throws from Mississippi State and is ready to add to it. He came to the UW to show he can be a pro-style quarterback, not just the product of a pass-happy Mike Leach system.

Running Back -- Fisch calls Jonah Coleman one of the best backs in the nation and, if the 5-foot-9, 229-pound junior can get some consistent blocking out of brand-new line, he should be able to demonstrate that ability. Sixth-year senior Cam Davis, healthy after missing last season with a knee injury, will be a reliable rusher, too.

Isaiah Ward stretches out in UW practice. / Skylar Lin Visuals

DEFENSE

Edge Rusher -- Isaiah Ward, a 6-foot-5, 227-pound sophomore and Arizona transfer, has more credentials than anyone in this well-stocked position group with 11 starts in 2023. While on the slender side, he uses his quickness to disrupt things. Fellow Arizona transfer Russell Davis II, senior Voi Tunuufi, junior Maurice Heims, sophomores Lance Holtzclaw and Jacob Lane and Miami transfer Jayden Wayne will be in the mix for playing time on both sides.

Edge Rusher -- Zach Durfee, who drew five plays in the Sugar Bowl against Texas but otherwise sat out last season by an NCAA transfer mandate that no longer exists, might be the player everyone most wants to see this season with all of those restrictions removed. The 6-foot-5, 256-pound Durfee is coming off elbow surgery, but should be ready to go once the season begins and become a starter and a playmaker. Any one of the aforementioned six players regarded as back-ups will fill in here, too.

Defensive Tackle -- Similar to Memmelaar on offense, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Sebastian Valdez, a Montana State transfer and first- and second-team All-Big Sky selection the past two seasons, is one of the strongest players on the team. In Friday's first pads practice, no one could block him. He stands to be a sure starter and give the Huskies a stronger push up front than anyone since Greg Gaines in 2018.

Defensive Tackle -- This spot is one of the few on defense that's totally up for grabs. Top candidates are sixth-year senior Jacob Bandes, who appears slimmed down; junior Jayvon Parker, who's been limited by some sort of injury; and, most intriguing, Miami transfer Logan Sagapolu, a converted offensive guard who goes 6-foot-2 and 368 pounds. The potential power provided by Valdez and Sagapolu together would go a long way in preventing another team such as Michigan in the CFP national championship game from running at will against the Huskies and rushing for 303 yards.

Linebacker -- Alphonzo Tuputala gives the Huskies one of their two returning starters and the most seasoned player on the roster and the only one about to become a three-year starting FBS player. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound sixth-year senior is a noted tough guy who brings 153 career tackles to the mix.

Linebacker -- Carson Bruener has been pegged for greatness since he made his starting debut in 2021 with a 16-tackle, 1.5-sack performance against Stanford that earned him Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Last season, even while starting just one game, he was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention. This season, the senior should have it all -- a full-time starting job, maybe a captain's role and every opportunity to build on his 202 career tackles.

Safety -- Sixth-year senior Kamren Fabiculanan is savvy enough to become a full-time starter after drawing 11 game-opening assignments spread throughout his career largely, especially whenever the departed Asa Turner got hurt. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Kam Fab should be experienced enough to be a solid defender. Yet he's off to a slow start, limited by some physical ailment. Sacramento State transfer Cameron Broussard, a first-team All-Big Sky pick with a longish 6-foot-3, 193-pound frame, could be in position to either play next to Fabiculanan or replace him if necessary on the No. 1 defense.

Safety -- Junior Makell Esteen ran alongside Fabiculanan as a No. 1 safety throughout spring football. He comes back with two career starts and three interceptions. Similar to Fabiculanan, he'll be hard-pressed to stay ahead of Broussard and Oklahoma transfer Justin Harrington, who runs 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds and is a seventh-year player, as a starter.

Cornerback -- Arizona transfer Ephesians Prysock might be the Huskies' top NFL prospect on the defensive side with his 6-foot-4, 193-pound physique and extra-long reach in pass coverage. He was an All-Pac-12 honorable-mention selection last season and started 13 games.

Cornerback -- Giving the Huskies' maximum experience at corner, junior Elijah Jackson provides the Huskies with one of their two returning starters and someone who opened all 15 games for the national runner-up team.

Nickelback -- Junior Dyson McCutcheon ran with the No. 1 defense throughout spring ball, but he's been in a battle to keep the job with Indiana transfer Jordan Shaw, who started a pair of Big Ten games last season as a freshman, likewise making a concentrated push for it. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Shaw gives the Huskies yet another long pass defender.

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