Husky Roster Review: Culp Has Been Good, But It's Time to Be Great

The tight end has one more chance to audition for the pros.

Dan Raley | Jul 9, 2023

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Washington Huskies

Devin Culp has shown he can leap over tall buildings in a single bound. OK, it was a California cornerback who had his head down, but the stirring effect was just the same.

While this 6-foot-4, 236-pound Culp hasn't attained Superman status just yet as a University of Washington football player, he's working on it and offering the occasional gee-whiz moment.

A sixth-year senior, the Spokane native has done some progressive things in his time in Montlake, such as becoming the full-time starter last season for a position group that usually runs three or four deep in terms of fairly capable players.

However, in what's been an NFL money position at the UW for several years, Culp still needs to take his game up just another notch, which would be to become a more reliable receiver and a fierce blocker.

The pro scouts are going to take a long, hard look at him this upcoming season and and it's up to Culp to give them more to get excited about. Even he knows he has more to give.

"Right now, I'm feeling physically great," he said last fall. "This is the best I've ever felt. I think I can be in even better shape so I can try and be an ironman and be on the field as much as possible."

Going down the roster from No. 0 to 99, Culp, who wears No. 83 all to himself, is next up in a series of profiles about each of the Huskies' scholarship players and assorted walk-ons, summing up their spring football performances and surmising what might come next for them.

RUNWAY MODEL :: Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports

Devin Culp leaps over a California defender after catching a ball in the Huskies' 27-20 victory last October.

Tight end Devin Culp adjusts his helmet during practice in April in Husky Stadium.

Tight-ends coach Nick Sheridan offers advice to his tight ends, who include Devin Culp (83), Quentin Moore (88), Josh Cuevas (85) and John Frazier (91).

Entering his sixth season at the UW, tight end Devin Culp is projected to have a highly productive season and become an NFL draft pick.

Young fans seek out tight end Devin Culp for his autograph following the final Husky spring scrimmage.

Devin Culp makes an over-the-shoulder catch during spring ball in Husky Stadium.

Tight end Devin Culp takes his turn on the blocking sled during spring ball.

Devin Culp has started 16 games over the past two seasons at tight end for the Huskies.

Tight end Devin Culp catches a break during the final spring scrimmage for the Huskies.

Receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard is always lurking, as tight end Devin Culp finds when he pulls in this spring pass.

Culp surprised the DeBoer coaching staff once it took over when he gave it a preview of what he could do. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb called Culp and fellow tight end Jack Westover "wildly athletic" in terms of doing their tight-end thing.

"He runs better than I thought, so that was really exciting," UW coach Kalen DeBoer said of Culp. "He's athletic. Those are the type of guys who can get in there and be physical and hold his end on that. Having those versatile guys, where every player, every skill guy, is a threat to hit a home run to make a big play is huge."

Said Culp: "I'm just glad they liked what they saw."

Culp has 50 career catches for 503 yards and a pair of scores. He had a 4-yard touchdown catch at UCLA last October, and a 2-yard scoring grab against Arizona State the season before.

Catch goes crazy 🤯🔥@themikepenix ➡️ @_DevinCulp_ https://t.co/ZCgRPrcYbu pic.twitter.com/Zr1oqmyLwg
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) November 24, 2022

The idea now is to get Culp deeper downfield, out in the open spaces and let him really show off his running ability. After a number of drops early on, he showed himself to be a more consistent receiver this past season.

It's time for him to become more NFL worthy, desired and drafted. All of the super hero stuff is out there, waiting for him.

"When you have a tight end who can control the middle of the field, isn't scared to go over the middle, [that's ideal]," DeBoer said, "but when he gets that one-on-one matchup and gets the ball in his hands, and can actually help other players, that's what we're looking for."

In other words, Superman.

DEVIN CULP FILE

Service: Culp is a veteran presence with 39 games played and 17 starts, 11 coming last season.

Stats: He has 50 catches for 503 yards and 2 scores while basically splitting time with fellow sixth-year senior Jack Westover, who has 41 catches for 416 yards and 2 TDs over the same timeframe.

Role: Starting tight end is his job, though he shares the action with Westover. The scouts would like to see him be more dominant, a little more selfish with the game time. He has it in him.

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Published Jul 9, 2023

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.