Husky Football Youth Movement Was Subtle But Determined
![Paki Finau is a Husky offensive guard who's put on 40 pounds in a year's time. Paki Finau is a Husky offensive guard who's put on 40 pounds in a year's time.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4489,h_2525,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/inside_the_huskies/01hzp2vrwf8a8xyerq7g.jpg)
At the Sun Bowl, the youth movement for the University of Washington football team was everywhere,, but you had to look close to see it. Its implementation was subtle in some places.
Whereas quarterback Demond Williams Jr. drew plenty of pregame attention in Texas as the freshman drew his second consecutive start, then-sophomore Landen Hatchett without any fanfare opened at center for the first time against Louisville, this after starting four games at right guard and another at left guard.
While Williams put senior quarterback Will Rogers permanently on the bench, the 6-foot-2, 310-pound Hatchett uprooted two veteran players from their original roles -- Ohio State transfer Enokk Vimahi at right guard and D'Angalo Titialii at center -- as the Huskies made a full commitment to have him anchor the offensive line.
Behind veteran Jonah Coleman, freshmen running backs Adam Mohammed and Jordan Washington drew five and two carries in El Paso, respectively, reason enough for senior co-captain Cam Davis to skip the postseason outing and commit to Minnesota from the transfer portal.
Freshman tight end Decker DeGraaf caught a second-quarter pass for 34 yards and redshirt freshman wide receiver Rashid Williams hauled in a fourth-quarter pass for 17 yards, both demonstrating talents that could make them starters this coming season.
He didn't just get there because he could play at 260. He worked/works his tail off and has put on 40+ pounds of solid muscle. Some people should learn from @pakifinau53. The work it takes to maintain this lifestyle through hard work, dedication, discipline and academics. https://t.co/SOC73zcLEx
— Coach Nick Monica 63 (@NickMonica63) January 27, 2025
Hatchett wasn't the only offensive-line audition. In the third quarter, he could look to his left and see freshman Paki Finau taking his first meaningful snaps of his Husky career, 28 in all in largely providing protection for a pair of late touchdown passes.
One of the prized players of the UW's 2024 recruiting class, Finau spent much of the past 12 months putting on weight -- more than 40 pounds -- to get his body Big Ten ready. Appearing in four games, he also was able to preserve his redshirt status and four more years of eligibility.
"He's maybe close to 300 pounds tight now and still moving really, really well," said Brennan Carroll, Husky offensive coordinator and offensive-line coach, early in the season.
Finau's rapid progress in giving himself a 6-foot-5, 300-pound frame could be the reason the Huskies weren't more active in the transfer portal for linemen. They've added just Kansas State transfer Carter Willis at offensive tackle and Oklahoma transfer, former Husky and Landen's brother Geirean Hatchett at offensive guard.
Defensively at the Sun Bowl, things were much more status quo for the UW, which opened with six seniors among its first 11.
However, then-redshirt freshman Leroy Bryant rather unexpectedly drew his first career start at cornerback, unseating senior Thaddeus Dixon, which might have happened sooner had Bryant not missed half of the season with what appeared to be a hand injury. As good as Dixon was, Bryant has long been considered a budding star after playing in seven games in his first year in 2023, including all three postseason outings while protecting his redshirt.
Where the Husky youth movement took a beating was the loss of three defensive players on the rise in then freshman linebacker Khmori House, redshirt freshman nickelback Jordan Shaw and freshman safety Peyton Waters.
House was a five-game starter and expected to be a UW defensive cornerstone, Shaw opened nine games and Waters appeared in every outing on special teams. In the end, House and Waters transferred to North Carolina to join the Belichick empire, while Shaw used his season-long progress to move to Texas A&M.
Developing young players and losing them before getting the big payoff is one of college football's drawbacks these days, but it won't sway the UW from its youthful approach.
"I'm very comfortable with playing young guys," Carroll said. "i just want to play the best guys. It doesn't really matter to me their age necessarily. it's their ability to be comfortable in the system. It's play fast and be strong when they do it."
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