It Appears the Huskies Fixed Their Cornerback Issue This Spring
The University of Washington football coaching staff entered spring practice seeking a pair of confident, aggressive and ready-to-play cornerbacks, which was the team's No. 1 priority.
The Huskies, much to their good fortune, came away from 15 practice sessions stretched from March to April with as many as three defenders who fit that bill.
Jabbar Muhammad, Thaddeus Dixon and Elijah Jackson.
This UW corner trio now checks off all of the aforementioned boxes in shoring up the back row of the Husky defense, that in 2022 was a vulnerable, gimpy, way too young and victimized collection of corners.
Not far behind those other guys is Jaivion Green, who took one for the team and played in nine games as a freshman last season when he wasn't quite ready to carry a lot of responsibility. As he put it in spring ball, he's still young and learning.
Coming back from a season-ending injury is sophomore Davon Banks, who put on a uniform and took part in limited spring drills but no contact. He holds the distinction as the only corner with a game-day UW interception among all of these candidates, his pick coming against Arizona State last season.
Add to the cornerback mix freshman Caleb Presley, a local standout who was initiated over a dozen UW spring practices, and fellow first-year players Curley Reed from Louisiana and Leroy Bryant from California, who arrive this summer.
Of this bunch, Muhammad and Dixon provided an immediate upgrade in practice, while Jackson, who with Banks are the only Jimmy Lake cornerback recruits still on the roster, became healthy and made a big move this spring, drawing raves.
Early in Saturday's scrimmage, Jackson stepped in front of a Michael Penix Jr. pass intended for Giles Jackson, no relation of course and no small feat, and he's become the player previously advertised when he signed in 2020.
"He's got the tools," UW coach Kalen DeBoer said of the sophomore from Carson, California. "I love his consistency. His demeanor has been consistent. His production on the field has been consistent. He's one of the guys I'm really proud of."
TURNING THE CORNER
Muhammad and Dixon brought instant swagger to spring practice. As college juniors, they're older than nearly everyone else in the position group and, as transfers, a little more worldly.
The Big 12 newcomer got lit up a few times by wide receiver Rome Odunze, the Huskies' All-America candidate, and handled it exceptionally well. He was respectful yet pragmatic.
"It's battles across the board," Muhammad said. "I'm winning mine and he's winning his, and that's what it is — iron sharpening iron, man. I'm glad to come out here every day and compete against an NFL guy and I'm sure he's glad to come out there and compete against an NFL guy."
Dixon came down with at least four interceptions over the final week of UW spring ball, though one pass theft was negated by penalty. The Long Beach City College product wasn't afraid to tell you what he was all about either.
"I feel I'm real sticky in coverage," Dixon said. "If you're watching me, I just want you to know I'm always going to be on my guy. You're always going to see me around the ball, around the guy, making plays on the ball."
Until last year, Husky cornerback had been a position of stability, of All-Pac-12 recipients, of high-end NFL draft picks, of lockdown players.
It appears the UW is headed back in that general direction, with the coaches feeling good about it.
"There are more and more guys we're feeling comfortable with being out there," DeBoer said. "They have the guts, they have that ability, it's just a matter of building that trust."
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