How the Husky Starting Lineup Has Evolved This Season

The UW football team stayed surprising consistent with its first-teamers.

Sebastian Valdez strikes an Oregon offensive lineman in Eugene. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Entering a reset season, the University of Washington football team had to come up with an ambitious 21 new starting players after appearing in the CFP national championship game against Michigan in Houston, with only senior Alphonzo Tuputala reclaiming his spot as a first-team linebacker, doing so for a third consecutive year.

Considering all of that mass turnover, it wasn't out of line to suggest the Husky lineup would be in constant state of flux throughout the season, with a lot of bodies coming and going, and first-year coach Jedd Fisch forced to dig deep over three months to find players who could handle ultimate responsibility.

While the UW had its challenges and successes over the couse of a 6-6 regular season -- with one-sided road losses to Iowa, Indiana, Penn State and Oregon offset by inspiring home wins over Michigan and USC -- Fisch's lineup stayed remarkably cohesive in 2024.

In taking on Louisville (8-4) in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve, the Huskies (6-6) likely will open with 16 of the 22 players who began the season as starters against Weber State, which shows considerable staying power for a rebuilt team

"We had no idea what our team was going to look like in January, in April and in June," Fisch said. "For us to go out there and get to the point we're playing in a bowl game, that's something we're very proud of."

Nine of these 22 UW starters opened every game during the regular including six players on defense in the resilient Tuputala and fellow senior linebacker Carson Bruener, Montana State senior transfer Sebastian Valdez at defensive tackle, both cornerbacks in Arizona junior transfer Ephesians Prysock and senior Thaddeus Dixon, and senior safety Kam Fabiculanan.

Tuputala has started 39 of the past 40 games, sitting out only at Oregon State late in the 2023 season with some nagging upper-body injury.

Offensive players who didn't miss a starting assignment over a dozen games were sophomore wide receiver Denzel Boston, San Diego State sophomore transfer Drew Azzopardi at right tackle and Portland State senior transfer D'Angalo Titialii at center.

Other receivers such Giles Jackson and Jeremiah Hunter would have joined them, yet the Huskies often opened with two tight-end formations in place of them, while running back Jonah Coleman gave up his start against UCLA in a symbolic gesture to graduating and since departed senior back Cam Davis, who will join Minnesota through the transfer portal.

SEASON OPENER STARTING LINEUP	SUN BOWL PROJECTED LINEUP
OFFENSE	(2024 Starts in Parentheses)
WR -- Denzel Boston, Soph.	Boston (12)
WR -- Giles Jackson, Sr.	Jackson (8)
WR -- Jeremiah Hunter, Sr.	Hunter (8)
LT -- Soane Faasolo, RFr.	Max McCree, Jr. (4)
LG -- Gaard Memmelaar, Sr.	Memmelaar (11)
C -- D'Angalo Titialii, Sr.	Titialii (12)
RG -- Enokk Vimahi, Sr.	Landen Hatchett, Soph. (5)
RT -- Drew Azzopardi, Soph.	Azzopardi (12)
TE -- Quentin Moore, Sr.	Keleki Latu, Sr. (11)
QB -- Will Rogers, Sr.	Demond Williams Jr., Fr. (1)
RB -- Jonah Coleman, Jr.	Coleman (11}
DEFENSE
ER -- Zach Durfee, Jr.	Voi Tunuufi, Sr. (10)
DT -- Sebastian Valdez, Sr.	Valdez (12)
DT -- Jacob Bandes, Sr.	Bandes (11)
ER -- Isaiah Ward, Soph.	Ward (5)
LB -- Carson Bruener, Sr.	Bruener (12)
LB -- Alphonzo Tuputala, Sr.	Tuputala (12)
CB -- Ephesians Prysock, Jr.	Prysock (12)
CB -- Thaddeus Dixon, Sr.	Dixon (12)
S -- Kam Fabiculanan, Sr.	Fabiculanan (12)
S -- Makell Esteen, Jr.	Cam Broussard, Sr. (7)
NB -- Jordan Shaw, RFr.	Shaw (8)

The gradual youth movement eventually brought changes at quarterback, where freshman Demond Williams Jr. replaced Mississippi State senior transfer Will Rogers late in the season, and at right guard, where sophomore Landen Hatchett stepped in for Ohio State senior transfer Enokk Vimahi at midseason.

Injuries forced changes at one edge rusher slot, with junior Zach Durfee going down early in the season with multiple injuries and giving way to senior Voi Tunuufi; and at tight end, where senior Quentin Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury just a quarter and a half into the season and was replaced by Nevada senior transfer Keleki Latu.

While injuries were involved, two other Husky positions turned over that leaned just as much to competition, where at left tackle JC transfer Maximus McCree has moved ahead of original starter in redshirt freshman Soane Faasolo, with both previously opened four games either early or at midseason; and at safety, where senior Cam Broussard moved past Makell Esteen, with both dealing with nagging injuries that were season long.

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