New Dawg Report: Zach Durfee
When Zach Durfee was coming out of high school, he was a quarterback looking for a home. Then, after two seasons at head coach Kalen DeBoer's alma mater, he decided to join up with the Sioux Falls alumni at the University of Washington.
The Husky pass rush ranked third in the Pac-12 in 2022, totaling 37 sacks, led by Bralen Trice with 10. Trice also led the entire country in pressures with 69, and senior Jeremiah Martin also ranked tenth in the country with 52 pressures. With Martin departing for the NFL, but Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui returning to school for the 2023 season, the coaching staff needed to add depth on the edge.
Washington did a lot more than just add depth with Durfee, they got a star in the making. After redshirting in 2021, he tore up the field in 2022, terrorizing opposing quarterbacks with 11.5 sacks. With three years of eligibility remaining, the coaching staff has the chance to turn him into a first-round pick.
Durfee's tape speaks for itself, and the fact that he's rated as a mid-tier three-star transfer by 247 Sports is somewhat shocking. He displays incredible athleticism at 6'5 and 260 pounds with the ability to bend coming off the edge too.
Keep in mind 2022 was Durfee's first year playing defensive line, so he still has a long way to go before he hits his ceiling. With a few years of coaching, especially in the area of hand fighting, he has the potential to become one of the best edge players in the country.
With Martin off to the NFL, there are a lot of snaps to be accounted for on the defensive line. Durfee has a chance to step in and make an instant impact, potentially even starting from day one.
Since the coaching staff utilized Zion Tupuola-Fetui as a pure pass rusher, if Durfee can stay disciplined and set the edge well against the run, that might give him the upper hand on Maurice Heims and Sav'ell Smalls, who he'll be competing against.
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