Husky Roster Review: Anthony Ward Gives the UW Another Try

The Jimmy Lake linebacker is back in Montlake after two years at Arizona.

Anthony Ward has gone from the UW to Arizona and back to the UW. / Skylar Lin Visuals

With the Arizona-Utah football game barely six and a half minutes minutes old in Tucson last November, Anthony Ward raced in from the left side, stepped around a clueless Utes blocker, blocked Jack Bouwmeester's punt, caught the ball on the second bounce and scored.

It was that quick, that easy, so down and dirty.

Ward's heroics gave the Wildcats a 14-0 lead on the way to a 42-18 victory over the 16th-ranked Utes.

That punt block sums up his entire college career -- he's known for that big fourth-down moment of glory and people are waiting for an encore. The good thing is he has plenty of time left, plus he has his sibling on his side.

The challenge for this older of two Ward brothers on the Husky roster is to finally make his presence known in Montlake.

On his second try.

Anthony Ward (57) and his brother Isaiah Ward transferred together from Arizona to the UW. / Skylar Lin Visuals

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the Husky roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did this past spring and what to expect from them going forward.

Anthony Ward is a 6-foot, 225-pound junior from Ontario, California, who has the unique distinction of spending the 2020 and 2021 seasons with Jimmy Lake's UW teams as a preferred walk-on before transferring to Arizona for two seasons to play alongside his younger sibling, Isaiah, an exceptional edge rusher who's joined him in Seattle.

Big brother has reclaimed his Husky No. 57 that he wore before and he's 15 pounds heavier. He just might be the first player to leave the UW for another FBS team and transfer back.

Once Jedd Fisch took the Husky job, the Wards followed him north to a city that's actually been really good to their extended family.

Their uncle and their mom's brother is Bobby Wagner, the longtime Seahawks linebacker now with the Washington Commanders.

While Isaiah Ward largely was inactive this past spring with some sort of nagging injury, his brother worked hard to make inroads as a Husky linebacker. He spent much of the time rotating in as a third-unit linebacker with four seniors ahead of him. No matter how that position rotation lines up for him, all won't be lost.

Fisch no doubt has a place reserved for Anthony Ward on his UW punt-block team.

Anthony Ward previously played for the UW when Jimmy Lake was coach. / Skylar Lin Visuals

ANTHONY WARD FILE

What he's done: Ward left for Arizona after two inactive years with the Huskies, sat out his first season with Fisch at Arizona and made a breakthrough. Last season, he appeared in all 13 games, including getting on the field against the Huskies and his former teammates in Tucson in a 31-24 loss to them. He has a solitary career tackle.

Starter or not: Ward needs to work on drawing scrimmage plays before he can give any consideration to starting. He's in his fourth college season, so it's on him to make Fisch use him more.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington