What's the Skinny on Brandon McKinney? Husky Starter or Backup?

The safety enters his senior season having skipped a redshirt season, started in the Rose Bowl and played in every game held in his career. There's got to be more to that, doesn't there?

Brandon McKinney started the biggest game of his University of Washington football career so far -- the Rose Bowl against Ohio State -- but no other. 

He skipped the usual redshirt season forced on most true freshmen and played right away, a sign he was an advanced talent.

The 6-foot, 208-pound senior safety from Orange, California, has appeared in all 27 games played during his Husky career -- Elijah Molden is the only other fourth-year player who can say that -- yet one more indication he brings certain value to this team.

Yet McKinney appears to have peaked in his pursuit of stardom at Washington, if not exhausted all of his upward mobility on the depth chart. 

Entering 2019, the former four-star recruit was referenced as a potential starter for the Husky secondary after it graduated four of its five first-team players. 

He then watched as then-freshmen Cam Williams and Asa Turner became first-teamers and passed him by, splitting the safety spot opposite Myles Bryant.

With Bryant having used up his eligibility, Julius Irvin, Williams, Turner and incoming freshman Jacobe Covington are widely talked about as the leading candidates to man the back row of the UW defense. 

McKinney?

He seems destined to finish up as the reliable Husky special-teams player that he is and do what he's always done on defense, which is fill in wherever necessary.

The challenge for him is to do more.

"Last year, we were really excited for him because he got some experience," UW defensive-backs coach Will Harris said. "He understands this is it for him."

Coming out of Orange Lutheran High School, McKinney chose Washington over UCLA and was hailed as an highly regarded signee.

Of course, he joined a Husky secondary competition that is second to none, at least in the Pac-12. There's only so many minutes to dole out. 

He was named a special-teams player of the game in each of his first two seasons. He was honest when asked about his progress as a scrimmage player. He needed to be more assertive, quicker if possible.

"I still think my game's improving," McKinney told reporters. "I've still got to work on my speed."

As if to try something new or return to something old and familiar, he's of those UW players who changed his number midway through, going from No. 11 to 23. 

His big opportunity came in the 2019 Rose Bowl, when he stepped in at strong safety for an injured Taylor Rapp against the Buckeyes. 

None of the UW secondary members felt particularly good about that outing as Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins had his way with the coverage, completing 25 of 37 passes for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Big Ten team's 28-23 victory.

Yet it was a chance for McKinney to take a turn in the spotlight. It was an opportunity in a scrimmage situation for him to show what he can do.

Will he get another?

SUMMARY: McKinney has one start, 36 tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass defended, one forced fumble, to his name. Modest stats.

GRADE (1 to 5): He gets a 2.5. He's been the odd man out. He's a senior now. What's next?

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