Huskies Use Durfee, Hatchett in Scrimmage Play for First Time

Coming off injuries, the UW edge rusher and center got the go ahead on Friday.

Zach Durfee engaged in UW practice contact for the first time since his spring ball elbow injury. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Thirty minutes of practice remained on Friday afternoon when University of Washington football players gathered at one end of the field for a final run of controlled scrimmage plays.

For an occasion such as this, Coach Jedd Fisch usually makes sure the music is cranked up extra loud either to simulate crowd noise or get his hot and tired players charged up to finish strong, or both.

In this case, the headbangers' rhapsody pulsating out of the sideline speakers and maybe leaving cracks in windows throughout Montlake was Metallica's "Enter Sandman," which seemed like a most appropriate choice.

For the Huskies, it was enter Durfee and Hatchett.

Two of the UW's most important players -- junior edge rusher Zach Durfee and sophomore center Landen Hatchett -- took part in full contact for the first time in fall practice No. 8, providing a noticeable talent upgrade all at once.

Each player was subjected to surgery and ensuing recovery rehab within the past eight months, Durfee to repair an elbow injured in spring ball and Hatchett to fix a knee torn up during Sugar Bowl practice back in December.

They dressed for the first seven fall practices, but were kept out of contact drills until Friday.

"Great, great, it was great seeing them," junior safety Makell Esteen said. "Durfee coming off the injury and Landen also, I feel it was great seeing them back and have them back participating in the practice."

Durfee was the first of the two veterans and returning Husky players to get on the field, coming out with the No. 1 defense for the first series in the closing session and immediately showing why two sets of UW coaches have been so high on him.

The 6-foot-5, 256-pound defender pivoted and ran step for step with speedy running back Jonah Coleman and knocked away a Will Rogers pass intended for him some 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.

Bill and Steve Belichick, the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach and UW defensive coordinator, respectively, watched everything play out from 30 yards behind the defense, each typically standing on a hashmark, and they had to be impressed with this edge's opening play.

Landen Hatchett engaged in UW practice contact for the first time in eight months. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Certainly Durfee's defensive teammates were left overly enthused by his heroics with senior cornerback Thaddeus Dixon yelling in appreciation as he ran all the way back to the huddle.

Durfee played on a Husky defensive front four that also included sophomore Arizona transfer Isaiah Ward at the other edge spot, and senior Montana State transfer Sebastian Valdez and holdover sixth-year senior Jacob Bandes at the tackle positions.

The 6-foot-2, 310-pound Hatchett took the field with the No. 2 offense for the second series and subbed in and out with that unit thereafter. He played on a line alongside freshman and redshirt freshman guards Paki Finau and Michael Levelle Watkins and junior and redshirt freshman tackles Maximus McCree and Kahlee Tafai.

In this arrangement, Hatchett was never on the field at the same time as Durfee. Instead, the long-haired player had good battles with Valdez, effectively getting in his way, and junior defensive tackle and JC transfer Bryce Butler, who the center was able to bend over backward some on a pocket protection block.

"Yeah, it was a great day," Hatchett said on his way to the locker room. "I'm excited. I'm working back into it."

The Huskies, who practice next on Saturday night, have exactly three weeks to get Durfee and Hatchett ready to play and maybe even start the season opener against Weber State.

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