Inside The Huskies

Observations from Day Six of Washington's Spring Practice

Highlighted by receiver play and the pass rush, the Huskies look like a well-oiled machine

Roman Tomashoff

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Saying that Kalen DeBoer's squad looks ready for the season would be an understatement. After coming in and leading the Huskies to an 11-2 season in his first year at the helm, his team looks like it can achieve even more in year two.

Wide receiver Rome Odunze was far and away the best player on the field on Monday, beating just about every defensive back at some point during practice to make a play. The highlight of his day was blowing by Oklahoma State transfer Jabbar Muhammad for a 40-yard touchdown.

Odunze's running mate Jalen McMillan also made a memorable play, catching a dime from quarterback Michael Penix Jr. between two defenders. However, the offense didn't have all the fun on Monday, as the pass rush recorded three sacks during the different team periods of practice.

All three sacks were recorded by the second-string defense and quarterback Dylan Morris was under duress while dealing with blitzes from all over the place. The most impressive sack of the day came from redshirt freshman edge rusher (and birthday boy) Lance Holtzclaw, who blew by right tackle Samuel Peacock in a flash.

Notes and observations

With some questions as to who is going to be starting in the secondary for the Huskies, Monday saw Jabbar Muhammad and Jaivion Green taking the first-team reps at cornerback, while redshirt freshman Tristan Dunn manned the Husky position.

One of the most unforgettable reps of the day to watch was when freshman cornerback Caleb Presley stepped up to shadow Rome Odunze in one on one drills. Presley showed no fear, attempting to press Odunze at the line. However, Odunze broke it easily, and Penix barely missed him streaking down the field.

Michigan State wide receiver Germie Bernard took some reps as a kick returner on Monday, displaying that the coaching staff is going to do everything in its power to put the ball in the dynamic wide receiver's hands.

The only turnover on the day came from safety Makell Esteen, who picked off Morris towards the end of practice.

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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. 

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