Husky Edge Corps Stands to Be Productive, Entertaining

Up to eight players with experience have figured in this position battle.

Zach Durfee made his Husky debut in the Sugar Bowl against Texas. / Skylar Lin Visuals

For the University of Washington football team, edge rusher has been a position that's really delivered in recent seasons. Consistently getting into opposing backfields and creating havoc, Bralen Trice twice earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and Jeremiah Martin matched him in 2022, while Zion Tupola-Fetui preceded both of them with the same accolades in 2020 before injuries made him mortal.

Now comes a nearly all-new starting lineup across the board, but the edge shouldn't have any discernible dropoff for the Huskies at all. In fact, this position group stands to be just as good if not, dare we say, have the potential for bigger sack numbers.

In fact, edge rusher might be the smoothest position group for Jedd Fisch's staff once everything sorts itself out -- especially when it comes to an abundance of proven manpower -- with eight scholarship players coming together to see who can get on the field the longest and get their hands on the most quarterbacks.

With no mystery at all, the UW's first line of edge defense should involve Arizona transfer Isaiah Ward and the much-anticipated and well-rested Zach Durfee as the starters.

Ward, a 6-foot-5, 227-pound sophomore, started 11 games for Fisch last season in Tucson, closing out with a big day against Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.

Durfee was so good the Huskies did everything they could to get the now 6-foot-5, 256-pound junior onto the field last season in the face of NCAA resistance that stamped him as an ineligible double transfer before he finally played against Texas in the Sugar Bowl.

"I'm just trying to find guys who can fill in some of those roles," UW defensive-line coach Jason Kaufusi said. "Obviously, it's a great opportunity for a lot of young men."

Ward, a wiry player who uses his hands and quickness extremely well in shedding blockers, should take aim at doubling the 4 sacks he collected at Arizona. Durfee, back from a fractured elbow suffered in the spring, piled up 11 sacks at Division II Sioux Falls in 2022 so he's capable of big numbers, as well.

New Husky edge rusher Isaiah Ward (90), formerly of Arizona, forces a fumble by Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold (10) in the second half of the 2023 Alamo Bowl. / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Whether or not any of this happens, the beauty of this Husky edge corps is how deep it runs with four sets of players with various levels of experience initially bidding for playing time, at least when all of them were healthy. With this abundance of outside talent, Fisch's coaches have up to four of these guys lined up all at once to form a speed-rushing unit.

Behind Durfee and Ward the available manpower continues with 6-foot-5, 255-pound sophomore Jacob Lane, who played in nine games, including all three postseason games, to exhaust his redshirt status as a first-year player. He will team with any number of others who include 6-foot-3, 224-pound sophomore Lance Holtzclaw and 6-foot-1, 282-pound senior Voi Tunuufi. Holtzclaw has a career sack. Also a defensive tackle, Tunuufi enters the season with 10 career sacks and he's the only senior of the bunch.

The wild-card approach to this position is teaming Miami transfer Jayden Wayne and Sacramento State transfer Deshawn Lynch together or sometimes with two others. The 6-foot-6, 252-pound Wayne, a Tacoma native who spent his freshman year with the Hurricanes in 2023, and Lynch, a 6-foot-5, 292-pound junior, carry the most size of any of these edge job applicants and have been given every opportunity to play right away for the Huskies.

Appearing in eight games, Wayne closed out last season by starting for Miami against Rutgers in the Pinestripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, so he's been given ample responsibility as a first-teamer.

Miami defensive lineman Jayden Wayne (18) takes on Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai in the 2023 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Bringing up the rear of the Washington edge competition are holdover junior Maurice Heims and Arizona transfer Russell Davis II. The 6-foot-5, 253-pound Heims is a special-teams regular trying to make inroads as an every-down player and he has a career sack.

Davis, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound junior with 3.5 sacks last season and the son of a former Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman, was hurt early in fall camp and hadn't been able to practice leading up to the recent intrasquad game.

The Huskies should be able to keep their edge rushers fresh and eager to pile up sacks and make opposing quarterbacks nervous, either that or chance getting passed by someone in this long line of seemingly capable players.

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