CBS Sports Ranks the UW Football Team the Highest Yet
Even without practice or a media spotlight to do some marketing, Kalen DeBoer's second University of Washington football team seems to get better each day.
Two weeks following their final spring scrimmage, the Huskies have climbed as high as they've been in anyone's rankings since the end of their 2016 CFP run — CBS Sports this week selected the UW fifth in its latest preseason poll.
That would leave DeBoer's guys just one rung out of college football's last final four before the playoffs expand to a dozen teams in 2024.
With fewer than four months before the season begins, a highly touted Husky team would seem to have plenty of time to elevate itself.
The players in Montlake such as All-America wide-receiver candidate Rome Odunze aren't shy about making their intentions known.
"We're not going to sell ourselves short," Oduzne said. "In college football, the end all be all is a national championship."
For now, CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd likes the UW trailing only, in this order, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, and finishing one rung ahead of Alabama.
The veteran Dodd explains his high regard for DeBoer and Company this way:
It's a shame that the ongoing TV rights kerfuffle has overshadowed what should be a strong Pac-12 season on the field. Pencil in the Huskies as the league champions for now. Michael Penix Jr. is going to be a lot of folks' Heisman favorite (myself included). He has a stout defense to play behind in Kalen DeBoer's second season. Edge rushers Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui combined for 13.5 sacks. Way-too-early ranking: 5
The Huskies are one of six Pac-12 teams in this Dodd/CBS Top 25 before USC and UCLA flee the conference for the Big Ten.
They come out of spring football with almost no mystery to their starting lineup, bringing back 14 starters and putting ready replacements in the vacant positions at the outset of the recently held practice.
Coming off an 11-2 season, these Huskies have plenty of talent, growing momentum and the belief they can be highly successful.
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