Culp Makes Mackey Watch List, a Husky Prerequisite

The tight end from Spokane is one of 54 to receive this accolade.

Upholding a University of Washington football tradition, Devin Culp on Friday was named to the watch list for the John Mackey Award, which is given to the nation's top collegiate tight end. 

A 6-foot-4, 244-pound junior from Spokane, Culp is one of 54 tight ends to receive this preseason accolade, one of eight from the Pac-12.

The Huskies previously have done very well with this award, which was created in 2000. 

In 2013, Austin Seferian-Jenkins was the Mackey winner, this after finishing among the three finalists the season before.

In 2019, the UW's Hunter Bryant finished among the three finalists. 

In 2020, Cade Otton ended up as one of the eight Mackey semifinalists. He also made the watch list last season, but an ankle injury and illness kept him finishing among the best at his position again.

Culp enters this competition graded more on potential than performance. Largely playing behind Otton, he's appeared in 26 Husky games and started six, five coming last season.

The gold standard for college tight ends these days is Georgia's Brock Bowers, a Napa, California, native who turned in a sensational freshman season in which he caught 56 balls for 882 yards and 13 scores.

Bowers is one of three Georgia players to make the Mackey list, joined by 6-foot-7, 265-pound junior Darnell Washington from Las Vegas and 6-foot-5, 248-pound sophomore Arik Gilbert, an LSU transfer.

Culp is the only UW tight end to appear on this list, but one of his former Husky teammates, Mark Redman, made it, as well. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Redman, a sophomore from Newport Beach, California, transferred to San Diego State this past offseason.

The award is named for John Mackey, one of the NFL's most legendary tight ends who died in 2011 at 69. The 6-foot-2, 224-pound Mackey played collegiately for Syracuse and for a decade in the pros for the Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers. A five-time Pro Bowl recipient, he finished his NFL career with 331 receptions for 5,236 and 38 touchdowns.

Following are the eight Pac-12 tight ends, in alphabetical order, up for the award:

1) Devin Culp, Washington, 6-4, 244, Jr., Spokane, Wash. — He has career totals of 21 catches for 237 yards and a lone touchdown coming against California last fall.

2) Malcolm Epps, USC, 6-6, 250, Sr., Houston — The former Texas tight end joined the Trojans last season and he has career totals of 34 catches for 465 yards and 5 TDs at the two schools.

3) Michael Ezeike, UCLA, 6-5, 243, Sr., Upland, Calif. — Playing behind first-team All-Pac-12 tight end Greg Dulcich, Ezeike had just 2 catches in 2021, but the job is his now.

4) Terrance Ferguson, Oregon, 6-6, 243, Soph., Littleton, Colo. — Starting eight games as a true freshman, he finished with 17 catches for 141 yards and a pair of scores for the Ducks.

5) Dalton Kincaid, Utah, 6-4, 242, Sr., Las Vegas — Playing three seasons for San Diego before joining the Utes for two, he has 111 career catches for 2,077 yards and 28 TDs, earning All-Pac-12 honorable-mention honors last fall.

6) Luke Musgrave, Oregon State 6-6, 250, Jr., Bend, Ore. — He's started 13 of 32 games for the Beavers and brings career totals of 36 catches for 464 yards and a score into his third season. 

7) Brady Russell, Colorado, 6-3, 250, Sr., Fort Collins, Colo. — He has career totals of 33 receptions for 339 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Buffaloes, starting 16 of 26 games.

8) Benjamin Yurosek, Stanford, 6-5, 231, Jr., Bakersfield, Calif. — He was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention after catching 42 balls for 658 yards and 3 TDs this past season for the Cardinal.

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