Husky Defensive Tackle Known as 'Big E' Gets an A for Effort

Elinneus Davis has pulled a lot of game-day snaps during the first two games of the season.

Jacob Bandes jumps on Elinneus Davis to celebrate Davis' first sack. / Skylar Lin Visuals

People see the freshmen enjoying instant success on this University of Washington football team, players such as running back Adam Mohammed, tight end Decker DeGraaf and quarterback Demond WillIams Jr.

They've heard of the Top 20 recruiting class assembled by Jedd Fisch's coaches that's coming to Montlake next year to much fanfare.

The bonus package is that smattering of relatively unused players acquired and left behind by Kalen DeBoer's staff who are just beginning to force their way onto the field and make a serious move for UW playing time.

First redshirt freshman Soane Faasolo from California's Bay Area earned a starting job at left offensive tackle for the season opener against Weber State and beyond. Junior edge rusher Zach Durfee from Dawson, Minnesota, finally showed off his much touted playmaking ability against Eastern Michigan this past weekend and got his hands on three full or partial sacks.

Now on the clock is Elinneus Davis, a redshirt freshman defensive tackle from Moohead, Minnesota, or about 160 miles from Durfee's hometown on the state's western border. His career has taken off since going through fall camp.

"Now he's coming out there with more confidence, with impressive get-off and strong hands," UW coach Jedd Fisch said. "I think we have something there."

He'll be needed this weekend for the Apple Cup against Washington State at Lumen Field, with Cougars dual-threat quarterback John Mateer coming off a record-breaking 197-yard rushing outburst in a 37-16 victory over Texas Tech. If the Huskies are to win, someone needs to shut down the line of scrimmage on defense.

Fisch tells how Davis -- who was injured, overweight and didn't play in a game in 2023 -- spent the preseason camp usually on the scout team while going up against the Huskies' No. 1 offensive line, at least when he wasn't in steady consultation with another defensive tackle imported from the Midwest.

Jayvon Parker, a 6-foot-3, 297-pound junior from Detroit, a twin and projected defensive-tackle starter once he's 100 percent healthy, has taken it upon himself to tutor Davis on the finer points of their position.

"He's done a really good job of learning from Jayvon Parker, and listening to Jayvon," Fisch said. "Jayvon has kind of taken him under his wing."

All of this has led to Davis -- known to teammates as the "Big E" -- nearly splitting the game-day snaps on the defensive front in two games and breaking through in the second quarter against Eastern Michigan to register his first career sack.

"He was constantly going against the first offense and think that's where he really improved himself," Fisch said.

Elinneus Davis (90) brought down Eastern Michigan QB Cole Snyder for a sack. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Demonstrating his new moves, Davis made an Eastern Michigan offensive lineman look silly by badly beating him with a clever swim move and dropping quarterback Cole Snyder for a 9-yard sack in the 30-9 Husky victory.

Unlike Snyder, UW teammates can see Davis coming with a full head of steam and have embraced him.

"I would still consider him as kind of a younger guy on this team and he's really taken the challenge," senior linebacker Carson Bruener said. "It was, 'You know what, I'm going out there and step up,' and he's shown it."

Meantime, his teammates are getting to know him as this personable and amiable guy. Before fall camp began, Davis took a trip to Disneyland with center Landen Hatchett and offensive guard Zach Henning, his fellow 2023 classmates.

On the field, this young guy from Minnesota is fast becoming someone the Huskies can count on.

"He's someone I trust up there," Bruener said. "He taps off and always knows what he's doing all the time."

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