Jaxson Kirkland is Big Name at Left Tackle, but Lightest on Rebuilt UW Line

The junior has the money position for the Huskies, but he's dropped 28 pounds for more mobility.
Jaxson Kirkland is Big Name at Left Tackle, but Lightest on Rebuilt UW Line
Jaxson Kirkland is Big Name at Left Tackle, but Lightest on Rebuilt UW Line /

Who's the guy at left tackle?

For the University of Washington, that would be the new, condensed version of Jaxson Kirkland.

Twenty-eight pounds lighter than his sophomore season.

New position.

Trimmer waistline.

Checking in at 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds.

"I feel so much quicker and faster," Kirkland said. "I wanted to be a bit lighter, and as well as able to move laterally, because I'm working with smaller guys who are quicker."

It all began in January, when UW offensive-line coach Scott Huff called Kirkland in to his office and asked if he would consider moving to left tackle, the NFL's money position. 

Kirkland was game, but felt he needed more mobility than he had as a right guard to hold off more streamlined edge rushers. So he went to work.

With the pandemic cutting into formal workouts for everyone for months, Kirkland had a family gym in Vancouver, Washington, to use and his father Dean Kirkland, a former standout Husky offensive guard, to lift with. He didn't miss a rep. He often put in two lifting sessions per day. He took advantage of the pandemic by staying home and building a new body.

So with Husky football four practices in, the sculpted Kirkland is the centerpiece of the newly rebuilt UW offensive line, one otherwise packing a tremendous amount of weight. 

In fact, at an average of 323 pounds per player, this might be the UW's heaviest line ever.

Kirkland is the little guy, the only one under three bills.

Surrounding him are 6-3, 330-pound sophomore Victor Curne at right tackle, 6-5, 300-pound senior Luke Wattenberg at center, and 6-6, 355-pound sophomore Ulumoo Ale and 6-6, 335-pound junior Henry Bainivalu at guards.

In contrast, the 1997 UW line of Aaron Dalan, Chad Ward, Olin Kreutz, Benji Olson and Tony Coats averaged 307 pounds per player. 

On the 1991 national championship team, the front wall of Lincoln Kennedy, Kris Rongen, Ed Cunningham, Jim Nevelle and Siupeli Malamala averaged just 292 each man.

By far, the 2020 crew tips the scales the most.

After moving over from right guard, Kirkland is first in line at left tackle, with 6-4, 315-pound redshirt freshman Troy Fautanu from Henderson, Nevada, and 6-6, 280-pound true freshman Roger Rosengarten from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, backing him up, in that order.

Kirkland is enthused by what he sees so far. Smooth out the wrinkles with these big boys up front, plus find a reliable quarterback over the next three weeks, and he and the line should be ready to execute the pro-style offense that's been installed by new offensive coordinator John Donovan. 

"I like what John Donovan brings to the table," the big tackle said. "It's more of an attack mode type of offense."

The Huskies certainly have more than enough pounds to pound it down the field.

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Dan Raley
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.