How Does A Healthy Maurice Heims Change Washington's Defense?
Upon Maurice Heims' arrival at Washington, he was a ball of clay that physically looked the part of a future first-round pick. Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 246 pounds, he hadn't played much football and needed a lot of time in a college program to develop.
After redshirting in 2021, he saw action in seven games in 2022. He recorded 3 tackles, 2 for a loss, including his first career sack against the Colorado Buffaloes. In 2023, he has a chance to take the next step.
After suffering a scary neck injury on the first day of spring practice, Heims is back at full strength and seems to have put the injury behind him. On Wednesday, he was back to taking reps with the second-team defense, which is the most likely projection for him on the depth chart.
With Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui penciled in as the starters on the edge, the most likely projection behind them is Heims and Sioux Falls transfer Zach Durfee. Assuming both starters enter their names in the 2024 NFL Draft as well, Heims and Durfee could be the next tandem of starters on the edge, too.
A fully healthy Heims is going to play a big part in the Husky rotation on the edge in 2023 and could make a giant leap forward on the stat sheet.
When it comes to traits, it's no secret that the product of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Southern California is the full package, and now it's a product of putting them all together.
The UW coaching staff has proven that it knows how to develop talent on the edge, after helping Bralen Trice earn second-team All-America honors from The Sporting News in 2022, and Heims has everything the Huskies looking for to be the next man up on the edge.
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