How the Husky Secondary Shakes Out With 3 Portal Adds

Nickelback might be the only position with real uncertainty.

Arizona cornerback Tacario Davis got flagged on this 2023 play against USC's Dorian Singer. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Even after Tacario Davis revealed he would join the University of Washington football team, people were still pushing their quaint #BringBackThad movement, in hope that fellow cornerback Thaddeus Dixon would return to the Huskies.

The question is why?

There was a reason Dixon entered the transfer portal on Sunday -- and it had everything to do with Davis touring Montlake at that very moment and thinking about taking his job away from him.

Face it, the Huskies simply don't have room for three starting corners, not unless one of them is willing to slide over to nickelback or free safety and put his considerable talents to good use in that manner.

Didn't think so.

With the announcement that Davis had ended his 12-month holdout -- remember, Jedd Fisch was more than willing to bring him to Montlake a year ago -- the Huskies appear all set at the cornerback positions and have the makings of fielding an exemplary if not towering secondary next fall.

Davis will reunite with Ephesians Prysock as a starting cornerback tandem for the second time in three years. They're both 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, maybe part of a cloning experiment. They have serious NFL aspirations, as does Dixon.

For one of them to share time or even try out a new position would be greatly detrimental to someone's pro ambitions.

Davis and Prysock each are better players than Dixon, though the latter made tremendous strides this past season.

#BringBackThad?

Not unless you want him to sit and watch.

To ask that of any one of these three corners would be grossly unfair.

Alex McLaughlin will transfer from Northern Arizona to the UW. / SI

Where some creative personnel shuffling might take place is at safety, Makell Esteen returns as a sixth-year senior and a five-game starter, and is joined by one-game starter Vince Holmes plus Peyton Waters, who appeared in all 13 games last season as a freshman. Add to them, portal newcomers in Alex McLaughlin from Northern Arizona and CJ Christian from Florida International who were 23- and 24-game starters at those places, respectively.

Can anyone say nickelback?

That might be only position up for grabs moving forward.

Davis and Prysock certifiably will be the No. 1 corners. With all of their prior starting experience, McLaughlin, a two-time All-Big Sky selection, and Christian could become matching first-team safeties.

However, nickel is open.

With starter Jordan Shaw leaving for Texas A&M, Dyson McCutcheon will get the first shot at the secondary vacandy. Someone such as Waters could be made to roam the slot and cover and hit people.

Esteen l needs to play somewhere. He either beats out one of the transfers or learns nickel on the fly

No matter how you line them up, the Husky secondary stands to be an insanely competitive position group.

Jacksonville State's Tre Stewart tries to evade the tackle of FIU's CJ Christian during their 2024 game. / Dave Hyatt / Special to the Gadsden Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dixon might choose to stay and enter into the free-for-all for jobs. He's an accomplished player now after an FBS season of starting, but he's just not going to beat out Davis and Prysock if they stay healthy.

He could end up at Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina or Tennesee, where two of his last three UW defensive coordinators -- William Inge and Steve Belichick -- are either employed or about to be formally hired.

#BringBackThad?

Not unless he would slide over to nickelback. No, it's time to lose the hashtag, especially if Dixon wants get on the field between the hashmarks again.

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