UW Fresh Start (No. 71): Kalepo Opens as Spring Starter, Out to Carryover to Fall

The Seattle product has paid enough dues to become the No. 1 left guard.

Dan Raley | Apr 1, 2022

UW Fresh Start (No. 71): Kalepo Opens as Spring Starter, Out to Carryover to Fall /

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Washington Huskies

Nate Kalepo challenged starter Ulumoo Ale at left guard and split reps with him throughout spring practice a year ago. He made Henry Bainivalu, the two-year starter at right guard, share that position with him last season.

Some say it's time for the 6-foot-6, 333-pound Kalepo, still just a sophomore, to have one of the No. 1 guard slots all to himself.

On Wednesday morning, he opened with the first unit at left guard as the Huskies ran through their first spring practice.

With Bainivalu in uniform but limited in his participation, Kalepo might have been keeping the job warm for him, acting as a seat filler, to play off Amy Schumer's Academy Awards bit.

Or maybe not.

Kalepo, who has appeared in 13 games over three seasons but has yet to start one, moves fairly well for a guy his size. Like many of his fellow Husky linemen who have trimmed down some since getting too heavy, he's nine pounds lighter since last spring.

He played in every game as a reserve last fall except the Apple Cup against Washington State. He appears ready to play from start to finish, and pull a lot of minutes.

With a new spring practice under way, we're offering intel and observations gathered on the UW football personnel in a series of stories on every returning scholarship player from No. 0 to 99. We'll review each Husky's previous starting experience, if applicable, and determine what comes next under new coach Kalen DeBoer.

As is the case with any coaching change, it's a new football beginning for everyone, including the Huskies' No. 71.

Kalepo, a 4-star prospect from Seattle's Rainier Beach High Schoo, was labeled Washington state's top 2019 high school player by at least one recruiting service.

A heavily recruited player fielding offers from nearly all of the Pac-12 plus Michigan, Tennessee, Missouri and Illinois, Kalepo has lacked consistent play in finding regular work with the Huskies.

He was inserted fairly quickly in place of Bainivalu during the second half of last year's season opener when the Huskies struggled mightily on offense and suffered a shocking 13-7 upset. This job share went on for a good portion of the season thereafter.

For the past two years, Kalepo has been a fairly loyal solider in the trenches, waiting for a promotion. It might not be far off.

UW Starter or Not: After the offensive line proved a huge disappointment last season, the new Husky coaching staff promised to put those guys in a better position to succeed. In other words, throw the ball first rather than try to force the run down everyone's throat with a simplistic attack. They've traded positions for some of the linemen and continue looking for the right combinations to make its high-octane offense flourish. Kalepo started out spring ball No. 1 at left guard. No one would be the least bit surprised if he was still there when April is done.

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Published Apr 1, 2022

DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.