Continually Reshuffled Husky Offensive Line Seems Far From Settled

The UW appeared to hold tryouts for the best five up front against Weber State.

Offensive linemen D'Angalo Titialii (75) and Drew Azzopardi (74) bookend Jonah Coleman after he scored one of his 3 TDs against Weber State. / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

When the second quarter for Saturday night's opener began, the University of Washington offensive linemen turned into lab rats. It was time to experiment. Poke and prod them. Send them running on a spinning wheel. Dissect them for everyone to see what's inside.

Jedd Fisch's team left everyone totally confused who was attempting to compile a detailed scouting report on these Husky big boys.

"I think we put some good combinations together that we were able to run the ball pretty well," Fisch said after the UW rushed 35 times for 204 yards in a 35-3 victory over greatly outmatched Weber State.

For the remaining three quarters, however, the Fisch staff acted as if it wasn't completely satisfied with its first five guys up front just yet and was willing to hold in-game tryouts to find the proper mix.

Against Weber State, the Huskies opened the game with redshirt freshman Soane Faasolo at left tackle, junior Gaard Memmelaar at left guard, Portland State transfer D'Angalo Titialii at center, Ohio State transfer Enokk Vimahi at right guard and San Diego State transfer Drew Azzopardi at right tackle.

They were together for 13 plays and two drives that didn't produce any points. That's where the fun, or Broadway auditions, began.

The Huskies inserted sophomore Landen Hatchett -- who easily might be the UW's top offensive lineman once he's at full strength following a knee injury -- at right guard, moved Vimahi to right tackle, put Azzopardi at left tackle and sat down Faasolo. They flip-flopped Vimahi and Azzopardi at the tackle spots practically every other play during one series. Coming into the opener, people had been warned this might happen.

"There's a possibility where there could be a rotation," said Brennan Carroll, UW offensive coordinator and offensive-line coach, earlier in the week. "We'll see how that plays out."

It played out in a frenetic manner. A 6-foot-2, 310-pound sophomore, Hatchett played left guard, right guard and center against Weber State. Vimahi lined up at right guard, right tackle and left tackle. Four UW players got in a stance at left tackle in redshirt freshman Kahlee Tafai, Faasolo, Vimahi and Azzopardi. In all, Fisch's staff put nine offensive linemen on the field, adding freshman Paki Finau and redshirt freshman Zach Henning to the mix at the guard spots.

Azzoardi and Hatchett, both possessing great feet and plenty of strength, might be the Huskies' top NFL prospects someday among their offensive linemen, but they're still switching in and out of spots, trying to find a home.

Carroll has been a huge supporter of the 6-foot-4, 301-pound Vimahi, a once highly regarded national recruit from Hawaii who really never got it going in five seasons at Ohio State. He appeared in brief stints in 36 games for the Buckeyes and started just two as an injury fill-in. He even played on defense in one outing. His first UW game-opening assignment was his first in which he beat everyone out and was properly respected.

Since the outset of camp, Carroll has been nothing but complimentary when describing Vimahi, mentioning that players sometimes just need a change of scenery or -- and he didn't say this -- maybe a new line coach to inspire them. Pete Carroll's son even casually suggested the NFL remains a possibility for his starting right guard or wherever Vimahi plays.

"The guys want to play with him, play next to him, be around him," Carroll said last week. "I don't see this as his last year playing football."

Huskies running back Jonah Coleman (1) celebrates with wide receiver Denzel Boston (12) and center D'Angalo Titialii (75) after scoring against the Weber State Wildcats. / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

To be fair now, a dose of reality is this was Weber State providing the opposition this past weekend and it only gets tougher from here on out. No one will really be able to get an accurate read on the Husky offensive line as a finished product until it begins pushing up against Big Ten opponents.

Yet even if there are shortcomings up front, Fisch's team still has a fighting chance to get the ball upfield because it features an overly determined running back in Jonah Coleman, who rushed 16 times for 127 yards and 3 touchdowns in the opener, and an effective quick passing game orchestrated by quarterback Will Rogers that so far highlights Giles Jackson, who caught 10 passes for 98 yards.

The UW likely will continue to test out multiple O-line combinations over the next few weeks before everything settles in place for the likes of Northwestern, Rutgers and Michigan over the next month. It's really a matter of self discovery, according to the Husky coach.

"If we can continue to try and figure out who and what were are, I think that will help us a lot," Fisch said.

In other words, they need to become Huskies who can move people out of the way effectively rather than lab rats under the microscope.

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