In Leaps and Bounds, UW Receivers Present Big Challenge for Defense

Jqckson, Boston and Hunter have taken turns doing damage as pass-catchers.

Giles Jackson leaps over an Eastern Michigan defender. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Even before Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama, it was pretty clear who the No. 1 University of Washington quarterback was going to be this season, with Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers on the sideline in January watching the national championship game unfold.

Once Jedd Fisch took over in Montlake a short time later, the No. 1 tailback wasn't much of a mystery either, with Arizona leading rusher Jonah Coleman fairly quickly announcing he would be following his coach to Seattle.

As this Husky football team has come together, in particular the offense, sixth-year senior Quentin Moore established himself as the top tight end and San Diego State transfer Drew Azzopardi emerged as the UW's best offensive lineman at right tackle.

As for wide receiver, we still don't know who is the proverbial Top Gun -- and that's the beauty of this position.

After two outings, sixth-year senior Giles Jackson currently leads the Huskies in receiving with 18, sophomore Denzel Boston has the most touchdown catches with 3 and California senior transfer Jeremiah Hunter, with his physicality and tough-minded attitude, might be the best pro prospect of the bunch.

A UW official signals touchdown for Jeremiah Hunter. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Opponents will come into games wondering who poses the biggest threat lined up in the flanks for the UW and might not be able to respond properly.

Take last weekend's Eastern Michigan game, for example.

Boston scored twice, Hunter got into the end zone once and Jackson not only turned a heady fourth-and-1 play from his 30 into a 29-yard completion, he electrified everyone by leaping over a defender in a single bound, no easy feat for a 5-foot-9 pass-catcher.

Former UW tight ends Jack Westover and Devin Culp each pulled off this stunt over the past two seasons, but they stand 6-foot-3 and 5-foot-4.

These kind of playmakers -- just like the Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk the season before -- enable you to take chances, such as going for it on fourth-and-1 deep in your own territory at just about any juncture of the ballgame.

Fisch picks the poison and Rogers serves as a conduit in administering a lethal injection of UW wide receiver on Saturday.

All the replays of that Giles Jackson hurdle 😱#B1GFootball x @UW_Football pic.twitter.com/BTslvK0xuo

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 7, 2024

Jackson caught a career-best 10 passes against Weber State, the most by anyone in seven UW seasons, and followed up with 8 more receptions last Saturday, totaling 164 yards but still waiting on his first scoring grab.

"Obviously, any time you can get the ball to Giles, he's elite with the ball in his hands," Rogers said.

Boston caught a 6-yard TD pass in the first game and 13- and 1-yarders his second time out. He hsa 9 catches for 108 yards, meaning he scores every third catch.

"I'm really happy for Denzel," Fisch said. "He's coming into his own. I'm going to continue to challenge him."

Yet all anyone wanted to ask Fisch regarding his pass-catchers this past week was how come Hunter didn't catch a pass in the season opener and got a lot of touches, a question that seemed to amuse the coach.

"Well, nothing changed," he said. "I don't know how other people call games. or I kind of know how some do We call a game in what we think is going to work that moment in time for that play. We don't really spend a lot of time saying, 'Hey, I've got to make sure Jeremiah does that or Denzel does that or Giles does that.' ... I never tell a quarterback to force the ball to a player."

Giles Jackson (5) and Denzel Boston (12) celebrate a Boston touchdown against Eastern Michigan. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Hunter bounced back from his game as basically a decoy by catching 5 passes for 72 yards and a 24-yard touchdown against Eastern Michigan.

Fisch credited Rogers with just taking what presents itself from defenses that are not sure what's coming. Again, the Jackson fourth-down catch was a prime example of what's possible.

"Will was very comfortable with it," the coach said of his quarterback. "Your job in these scenarios is to get the ball in your playmakers' hands. That's the job of the play-caller. The job of the play-caller is not to try to be the genius. It's, 'Hey, how do I get the ball in the playmakers' hands as quickly as possible and let them roll.' "

When everything works, the job also involves watching the defense maybe mutter an epithet and start backpedaling against those Husky receivers in panic mode.

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