Husky Offensive Line Remains Biggest Question Mark on Eve of Fall Camp

Jedd Fisch points to the return of two veterans as being key to putting things together.

Landen Hatchett seemed upbeat on the day before fall camp. / Dan Raley

The first two questions directed at Jedd Fisch on Tuesday when the University of Washington football coach met with media members and prepared to open fall camp a day later were -- no surprise -- all about his offensive line.

Does he have five players in mind who could be starters? And how come just three portal transfers were signed when he suggested there might be more?

As one might surmise, the quest to put five new first-teamers together up front remains a definite work in progress for Fisch and his coaching staff, if not a situation fraught with uncertainty.

"I really don't have a great idea of what our offensive line is going to look like come Aug. 31," Fisch said, referring to the season opener against Weber State at Husky Stadium. "I think a lot of it will have to do with Landen Hatchett and Gaard Memmelaar's health. I'm very hopeful that both of them will be cleared to play for opening day."

Hatchett and Memmelaar, of course, are coming off knee injuries suffered in practice just seven and 11 months ago, respectively, keeping the former player, a freshman center, out of the Sugar Bowl and CFP championship game, and forcing the latter, a veteran junior offensive guard, to miss the entire season.

Previously, these were really invasive injuries that required at least a year of recovery time. The 6-foot-4, 299-pound Memmelaar isn't too far away from his medical clearance while the 6-foot-2, 310-pound Hatchett is attempting to push the limits of his rehabilitation. It appears he'll return either against Weber State or maybe have to wait until the Big Ten opener against Northwestern at home on Sept. 21.

"I'm trying my best to get out there and play a full season, and I'm feeling really good," Hatchett said. "But I'm obeying doctor's orders and trainer's orders."

Sophomore right tackle Drew Azzopardi, Hatchett and Memmelaar would provide the Huskies with a solid O-line anchor with sufficient experience and size as the new staff attempts to replace all five starters from last season's national runner-up team that relied on a group singled out as the nation's top offensive line.

In 2023, the 6-foot-7, 308-pound Azzopardi started six games for San Diego State, Hatchett appeared in nine games and Memmelaar has just four games of experience but was making a move to play a lot and maybe even start last season before going down.

Fisch said he has 15 scholarship offensive linemen on board, nearly double what the UW had available last spring, and the challenge is to get the aforementioned vets healthy and see which positions are best suited for newcomers D'Angalo Titialii from Portland State, Enokk Vimahi from Ohio State and Maximus McCree from Maryland and Iowa Central Community College.

While McCree is listed at 6-foot-6 and 272 pounds, UW offensive-line coach Brennan Carroll said the new guy actually is closer to 295 pounds. He'll likely be in competition at left tackle with 6-foot-8, 295-pound redshirt freshman Soane Faasolo, who spent last season in the weight room and didn't play in any games, and possibly others.

At center, a healthy Hatchett likely will compete with 6-foot-5, 299-pound redshirt freshman Zach Henning and the 6-foot-2, 325-pound Titiali, a senior, to be the No. 1 snapper. Yet all three can play offensive guard, as well, and together could provide an interior trio the Huskies would be comfortable in using in any combination.

Fisch said his staff will move everyone around as they hold practice auditions, looking for the best fit and checking body types to see how well the newcomers mesh together.

As far as going with fewer transfers to restock his line, Fisch said the Huskies tried to add at least one more but things didn't out. Yet he's upbeat the UW was able to put a pair of freshmen in 6-foot-5, 297-pound Paki Finau and 6-foot-2, 320-pound Michael Levelle Watkins through spring ball and get them indoctrinated to the college game, likely both as guards. The Huskies also were able to welcome two more freshmen in 6-foot-8, 323-pound Justin Hylkema and 6-foot-5, 307-pound Davit Boyajyan.

With all of the offensive line turnover since last season, the remaining Huskies have heard only how dire the situation is from outside critiques, which they've taken to mean that people think they won't be any good. Of course, they feel otherwise, hopeful, almost healed.

"I think we're going to prove a lot of people wrong about what they think about us," Hatchett said. "I'm ready to go to work."

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