Inside The Huskies

Bryce Butler Ruled Out of Rutgers Game

The JC transfer defensive tackle played in the UW's first two outings.

Dan Raley

JC transfer Bryce Butler gets a spring practice tip.
JC transfer Bryce Butler gets a spring practice tip. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Defensive tackle Bryce Butler collected 4 tackles against Weber State in the season opener and another against Eastern Michigan, then sort of disappeared from the University of Washington football lineup for the past two games.

Presumably injured, the 6-foot-5, 312-pound Butler won't make the trip to Rutgers, coach Jedd Fisch confirmed on Wednesday.

The Huskies typically don't reveal injuries unless asked and media members haven't been permitted to attend practice since mid August.

Originally from Toronto, the Canadian down lineman played the past two years for Garden City Community College in Kansas, signed with Fisch's staff when it was at Arizona and followed those coaches to the UW.

Butler spent 15 spring practices with the Huskies mostly getting acquainted to a higher level of football. He bounced between the second and third DT rotations, often paired with redshirt freshman Elinneus Davis, putting No. 90 and 92 side by side.

Defensive tackle might be the most critical position for the defense with the Huskies losing both of last year's starters, Tuli Letuligasenoa and Faatui Tuitele, to graduation or retirement and in need of a new playmaker.

So far, Fisch's staff has started Montana State transfer Sebastian Valdez in one DT spot for all four games and senior Jacob Bandes and Miami transfer Logan Sagapolu in the other. On top of that, senior Voi Tunuufi and Sacramento State transfer Deshawn Lynch have got in a stance and started when the Huskies have opened with a three-man front with a speed rushing scheme in mind.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley
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.

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