Husky Roster Review: UW Offensive Line Begins with Azzopardi

The San Diego State transfer came to Montlake with six starts at his previous stop.

San Diego State transfer Drew Azzopardi gives the Husky a seasoned right tackle. / Dan Raley

After becoming a San Diego State starter at the middle of last season, and having his coach retire once it ended, offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi decided to enter the transfer portal and see where it took him.

In shopping himself around, the streamlined 6-foot-7, 308-pound player from Pacifica, California, did all the right things, sorting through up to 25 offers and narrowing his options to Arizona, Tennessee, UCLA and Washington.

Looking closely at the UW, he even consulted with Myles Murao, his Aztecs teammate, road roommate and a former Husky offensive lineman.

"I played a couple of games next to him," Azzopardi said. "Me and him, we were really close. When I entered the transfer portal, I definitely went to him for advice about the area, the staff, the team, the brotherhood and all that. He was super helpful about the whole process."

Azzopardi settled on the Huskies while they prepared for the College Football Playoff semifinals, enrolled in school and accompanied Kalen DeBoer's team to Houston to watch it face Michigan in the national championship game.

Yet everything came undone when DeBoer was hired away by Alabama four days following the title matchup, leaving the new offensive tackle scrambling to figure out his next move. His perfect situation was now flawed. Luckily for him, Brennan Carroll, the Arizona soon to be UW offensive coordinator and line coach, was in the mix.

"I didn't know what to do, honestly," Azzopardi said. "I had a pretty good relationship with coach Carroll out of high school and he recruited me out of the portal a lot. So I was pretty confident about that. I was thinking of entering the portal again. I would have gone to Arizona, but they came to me, so I might as well just stay."

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.

A weird thing happened to Azzopardi once he pulled on a UW uniform this spring: He became the old guy and the anchor for redoing the entire Husky offensive line.

While just a sophomore with six career starts, he became the most experienced player up front by default. Everyone else who was healthy was a redshirt freshman or freshman. At right tackle, he became the only sure-thing starter heading into fall camp.

Parker Cross (54) and Drew Azzopardi (74) go one on one during UW spring practice. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Throughout spring ball, Azzopardi continuously drew praise from new coach Jedd Fisch for his scrimmage play as he solidified his spot and became the first building block for what will be a totally rebuilt Husky offensive line.

Soon sophomore center Landen Hatchett and junior offensive guard Gaard Memmelaar will be cleared from knee injuries and join him for fall camp or just beyond, plus a handful of other transfers will mix in, notably former Ohio State offensive guard Enokk Vimahi, and see if they can all make a difference.

Yet Azzopardi, after shifting gears from DeBoer to Fisch, likes what he has, which is a platform for success, requiring him to be a leader.

"It's a very pro-run program," he said. "You see the coaches we have in coach Carroll and coach [Steve] Belichick, a lot of people with experience in the NFL. That made me really want to stay with them."

Drew Azzopardi and Will Rogers were among the roster newcomers who accompanied the UW to the CFP title game as spectators. / Roman Tomashoff

DREW AZZOPARDI FILE

What he's done: After appearing in three San Diego State games as a reserve to preserve his redshirt status as a freshman in 2022, Azzopardi played in all 12 outings for a 4-8 team last season and drew a half-dozen, game-opening assignments to close out the schedule. He made his starting debut at right tackle against Hawaii in a 41-34 victory in Honolulu, next opened four consecutive close losses to Nevada (6-0), Utah State (32-24 in 2 OTs), Colorado State (22-19) and San Jose State (24-13), and started a season-ending 33-18 win over Fresno State. It was more than enough film to make him a wanted man in the transfer portal.

Starter or not: There's no turning back for this sturdy and athletic lineman. The Huskies opened spring ball with him at left tackle, but moved him to the other side, to fit his playing style. Azzopardi is expected to be a dependable presence up front as he transforms himself into an NFL player someday.

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