Inside The Huskies

New Dawg Report: Zach Durfee

The Huskies are getting an incredibly exciting prospect in the former Sioux Falls edge rusher

Roman Tomashoff

In this story:

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.

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.

Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.

Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12

Follow Roman Tomashoff of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @rtomashoff34 or @UWFanNation

Have a question? Message me on Twitter!

Published
Roman Tomashoff
ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios. 

Home/Football