The Competition for a Starting Husky Rusher Narrows
No position for the University of Washington football team has been in a state of flux more than running back — and this was the case even before Kalen DeBoer took over as coach.
The new Husky staff brought in portal transfers from Nebraska, New Mexico and Virginia to beef up the numbers and increase the competition. The coaches patiently have waited for three holdover players to return to good health following knee or shoulder injuries. And they've steadily thinned down the once heavy contingent of Texas power runners.
Should newcomer Wayne Taulapapa be named the starter for the first game against Kent State from the seven-player competition — and all signs are pointing to him — the Huskies will open with five different players at running back in the past five games dating back to last season.
Before him, the graduated Kamari Pleasant started against Washington State; now sophomore Cam Davis opened at Colorado; departed tight end Cade Otton slipped into the running-back spot for the first play against Arizona State and the graduated Sean McGrew took the field first against Oregon.
Taulapapa, the 5-foot-11, 207-pounder from Honolulu by way of the Atlantic Coast Conference, brings 27 starts with him from Virginia, and he and former Cornhusker Will Nixon from Waco, Texas, have taken the most snaps since fall camp began.
On Saturday, DeBoer singled out those two when asked about the ongoing position battle.
"Wayne and Will both had some really nice plays," the Husky coach said following the team's second scrimmage. "They did what they're supposed to do. They were really consistent, broke some tackles. Wayne showed some physicality when we needed it."
Asked if they were the leaders to be the No. 1 tailback this season, DeBoer said, "Wayne for sure; Will is right there in the hunt."
Nixon comes to the Huskies after spending two seasons at Nebraska as a wide receiver, and returning to running back, which he played as a high school senior..
"He doesn't shy away from being physical and getting hard yards," DeBoer said.
The Virginia transfer started 27 games at running back over four seasons for his Atlantic Coast Conference team and rushed for 1,192 yards and 19 touchdowns. A Hawaiian native, he also caught 28 passes for 150 yards and another score. In 2021, he served as one of four Cavaliers co-captains. The 5-foot-11, 207-pound player is the leading candidate to start for the Huskies with his one season of college eligibility remaining.
A Nebraska transfer, Nixon spent two years at wide receiver for the Big Ten team and appeared in three games and caught one pass. The 5-foot-11, 192-pound redshirt freshman from Waco, Texas, switched schools because he prefers to be a running back. He comes well-versed in the intricacies of this position because he's the son of Carolina Panthers running-back coach Jeff Nixon, who ran the ball for West Virginia and Penn State.
He was one of the showcase players in the 2020 UW recruiting class as both a capable running back and a defensive back. He had 41 scholarship offers, which included every leading program in the nation. A shoulder injury hampered him during his first two seasons in Montlake. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound redshirt freshman is a third-generation player, trying to emulate his father and grandfather, who were NFL linemen.
Entering his fourth season with the UW, Davis comes off minor knee issues that prevented him from playing in last season's Apple Cup and in spring practice in April. He has career Husky rushing totals of 102 carries for 381 yards and two touchdowns, and receiving totals of 19 catches for 141 yards. The 6-foot, 208-pound sophomore made his only career start in the next-to-last game in 2021 against Colorado.
As a true freshman, he topped New Mexico in rushing last season with 658 yards on 136 carries and he scored twice. Against a Kalen DeBoer-coached Fresno State team, Dumas ran for 143 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. As a high school player in El Paso, Texas, he rushed for 6,083 career yards. However, Dumas didn't catch a pass for the Lobos, which could delay his progress in Seattle.
Another player from Waco, Texas, Sunday is a redshirt freshman who played against Arkansas State, Arizona State, Colorado and Washington State in 2021, running the ball eight times for 10 yards. He came to the Huskies after churning out more than 5,000 yards and 80 touchdowns rushing in the Texas high school ranks. A 6-foot, 203-pound player, his limited receiving skills might hurt his progress.
The California native was sensational in 2019 as a redshirt freshman who scored 10 times rushing, caught a pass for another score and threw a 13-yard TD pass against Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl. In 2020, he broke a 54-yard touchdown run against Arizona. He appeared in four games last season, starting three, before a knee injury ended his season. He has career rushing totals of 179 carries for 758 yards and 13 TDs.
Coming off injuries and rejoining the mix, redshirt freshman Sam Adams II and sophomore Cam Davis fit in the next tier of candidates.
The much heralded Adams, the son of a former Seahawks defensive lineman and grandson of an NFL offensive lineman, both named Sam Adams, recently surprised his coaches with his full range of capabilities.
"He was probably a little more slippery inside than I envisioned," DeBoer said. "He's been consistent catching the ball, just solid all around."
New Mexico transfer Aaron Dumas and redshirt freshman Jay'Veon Sunday seemingly come next because they're not quite perfect fits for the spread offense that will be utilized. Neither has much of a background as a receiver coming out of the backfield.
Asked about those two, DeBoer said, "They're rotating in. When you have that many guys, it's hard to give everyone a ton of reps."
Finally, there's Richard Newton, a junior who started three games last season before suffering a season-ending injury against UCLA. He's been in uniform, but he still hasn't been cleared to practice without restrictions.
"He's doing everything he can, he just hasn't done anything," DeBoer said. "He's easing back into it. It takes time. ... I can't wait for him to get back out there because I know he's made a lot of play for us."
Check the attached photo gallery for a more detailed breakdown on each of the seven candidates.
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