Inside The Huskies

Armon Parker's UW Debut Could Be Coming Against the Ducks

The redshirt freshman defensive tackle is getting closer to getting into a game for the Huskies.

Roman Tomashoff

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While the Washington Huskies expect wide receiver Jalen McMillan, safety Asa Turner and offensive lineman Julius Buelow to return to action against Oregon, the status of defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa is a little more uncertain.

After suffering an injury in the previous game against the Arizona Wildcats, the best-case scenario for the sixth-year senior appears to be returning against the Ducks, but on a limited snap count. 

The Huskies have solid defensive-line depth in senior starter Ulumoo Ale, juniors Faatui Tuitele and Jacob Bandes and sophomore Jayvon Parker, but Parker's twin brother, Armon, has yet to take his first snap.

A redshirt freshman, Armon Parker suffered a knee injury before arriving at Washington, which forced him to miss the entire 2022 season. Consequently, his brother Jayvon played well in 8 games and established himself as an important part of the defensive-tackle rotation.

While Armon Parker has traveled with the team this season and suited up for a majority of Washington's games, including to home state Michigan for the Michigan State victory, he still hasn't received a chance to show why Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff is so high on him.

If Letuligasenoa is on a snap count,  this Parker could get a chance to make his college debut against Oregon. After all, the coaching staff has showed a propensity for putting young guys in tough situations to launch their careers. 

Armon Parker is getting closer. He was recognized as one of Washington's players of the week for his work on the scout team in advance of the Arizona game and he could be called up to active duty against Oregon.

"He's really improved here and I think he's feeling better," edge-rushers coach Eric Schmidt said. "You can definitely see as you're watching him, just his movement skills and how well he's changing direction, that he'd be ready to go."

Overseen by offensive coordinator Will Stein, Oregon has the seventh-ranked rushing attack in the country — averaging 227.2 yards per game on the ground. 

The Huskies are giving up 121.6 rushing yards per game, but could be vulnerable up the middle with a limited Letuligasenoa. Adding Parker to the rotation will provide an extra body to defend the run plus an able pass rusher, too.

Oregon's offensive line has given up just 15 pressures this season, the fewest in the nation. Finding a way to collapse the pocket from the interior would cause problems for quarterback Bo Nix and give Washington's defense the upper hand.

As the Huskies look for any way they can to slow down Oregon's offense, Parker could be an added boost.

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Roman Tomashoff
ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios. 

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