Ranking the Top 10 UW Football Players for 2022

We consider past production, budding potential and honors received.

When Kalen DeBoer took over as the new University of Washington football coach, Jaxson Kirkland was headed for ankle surgery, Zion Tupuola-Fetui was coming out of concussion protocol, Kuao Peihopa was still limping around on a bad foot and Michael Penix Jr. was halfway across the country nursing a shoulder injury.

Little did DeBoer know at the time, but those four particular players likely would be the most important pieces in what he prefers to call a Husky reload rather than a rebuild. 

If anyone ever doubted the value that Kirkland brings to the UW football landscape, consider the magnitude of the video — it had the build-up of a Hollywood movie trailer — that the school produced for announcing his return. 

All it needed was an NFL films narration from the soothing voice of now deceased John Facenda, someone who always made everything sound so much more important with his memorable descriptions.

"From the edge of Lake Washington, Jaxson came out of his stance with a fury, determined to make the Kirkland name one that no Husky fan would ever forget ... "

That said, we've picked out 10 Huskies who we think will have the biggest impact on this year's team, whether it be with their physical tools or leadership abilities, anything to pull the program out of its 4-8 funk of 2021, return it to the upper echelon of the Pac-12 and put it back in the postseason.

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The 2022 TOP 10 HUSKIES

1) Jaxson Kirkland, OT — He is the most decorated returning Pac-12 player at any position, a two-time, first-team all-conference selection. Going back to 2018, he has 39 college starts, the most of anyone on the roster. He's one of a pair of 2019 Rose Bowl starters still on the team. He likely will be the Huskies' highest drafted player in 10 months, a first-rounder if all goes well. Kirkland's return for a sixth season was imperative in order to fix an underperforming UW offensive line and give DeBoer's high-powered offense its best chance to succeed. 

2) Zion Tupuola-Fetui, DE — ZTF has the catchy branding necessary to be a well-compensated NFL football player; he just needs a 12- or 14-game season sample to back it up. As good as he's been at times, the Hawaiian hasn't played in more than five games in a season since 2019. He has more career sacks (8) than starts (7). This one-time, first-team All-Pac-12 player is as good as it gets as a playmaker when healthy and the Husky defense is a different animal when he's at his best.

3) Kuao Peihopa, DL — The Huskies went out and got a portal transfer upgrade for every position area in need except the defensive line, settling on a JC addition. The new staff will use Peihopa similar to a newcomer, too. He would have played a lot as a true freshman, yet he injured a foot that limited him to sporadic appearances in four games. DeBoer didn't hide the fact that he and his staff felt they have a difference-maker in this Hawaiian. ZTF and Peihopa, side by side for an entire season, would be a definite step up for the defense in a year's time.

4) Michael Penix Jr., QB — Typically, the No. 1 quarterback would be rated higher on a list such as this one. Penix certainly brings a definite cool under pressure, mobility not seen in a UW quarterback since Keith Price or Jake Locker, and a reputation for winning big games after beating Big Ten pillars Michigan and Michigan State. People forget he was second-team All-Big Ten in 2020. However, the feeling is the offensive-minded DeBoer, should he have to go without the oft-injured Penix for any reason, would have Dylan Morris and/or Sam Huard ready to go at a minute's notice. He's a stickler for quarterback preparedness. Think Jake Haener. 

5) Alex Cook, FS — Similar to Elijah Molden and Trent McDuffie before him, this is Alex Cook's secondary. He's a veteran guy, the sixth-year senior, the safety with the most starts (9) last season among the seven guys who opened games back there for the Huskies. He's also the answer to the previous trivia hint: Who's the other guy besides Kirkland to start the 2019 Rose Bowl against Ohio State? Cook did it at wide receiver.  

6) Rome Odunze, WR — So big and athletic, this 6-foot-3, 201-pound could elevate himself more than any other Husky in the eyes of the conference. The UW is lucky that Odunze, after dealing with two seasons of the John Donovan offense disaster, didn't transfer out. A recent list declared there are four USC receivers better than this guy... one maybe.

7) Carson Bruener, LB — He's a legacy player, a budding star and the bedrock of a second row in constant transition since Edefuan Ulofoshio got injured twice and Jackson Sirmon headed for a family reunion in Berkeley. The Huskies went out and got proven talent in Cam Bright at Pittsburgh and Kris Moll from UAB, and have brought Alphonzo Tuputala along to the point he could start, but all of these players will work around Bruener.

8) Jalen McMillan, WR — Put this guy in a DeBoer offense, and he has an excellent chance to be a first- or second-team All-Pac-12 pick, same as his buddy Odunze. The only difference between him and Rome is a little bit of size. Where he has an in with his new coach is he hails from Fresno.

9) Troy Fautanu, OG — He and Peihopa were the break-out stars of Husky spring practice, one on each side of the line. The only question surrounding Fautanu is will he start at left guard next to Kirkland, such as he did in the Apple Cup, or will he open at right tackle?

10) Tuli Letuligaseno, DL — Even with the defense giving up nearly 200 yards per game, this guy was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention last season by the coaches and now first-team all-conference by Athlon this preseason. What that says is maybe those around him were really soft. You have to like a lineman who comes out of a stance and intercepts a pass like Tuli did at Arizona. Letuligasenoa and Peihopoa, both with tempers hard to hide, together could be as mean and nasty as any pair of down linemen in the conference. They just need to tackle people. 

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