So Far, So Good, for Former Buckeye Enokk Vimahi at UW

The Ohio State transfer has started both Husky games with no drawbacks.

Enokk Vimahi (57) became a starting guard for the UW after leaving Ohio State. / Dan Raley

Offensive guard Enokk Vimahi just did in two weeks for the University of Washington football team what took him five seasons to accomplish at Ohio State -- start a pair of games.

Some people compared adding Vimahi to the Husky offensive line and making him an immediate starter to buying a used car. He might look good on the lot, they said, but beware of transmission problems.

However, the former Buckeyes player operated smoothly in the Huskies' season-opening 35-3 victory over Weber State. He manned not just one position but three -- right guard, right tackle and left tackle -- and things went reasonably well. This past weekend, he settled in at right guard in a 30-9 win over Eastern Michigan with no complaints.

In his five seasons for the Buckeyes, this was a guy who pulled 100 snaps, with 57 coming in one game, last year's Cotton Bowl, a 14-3 loss to Missouri. He's already closing in on those numbers at UW.

While he mostly went unused in Columbus, the Huskies couldn't wait to find somewhere to put the 6-foot-4, 301-pound Vimahi.

So what gives?

"i think sometimes it's right time, right place -- the opportunity presented itself," UW coach Jedd Fisch said. "You don't know what their depth looks like at the offensive line. Sometimes you get hidden. A lot of this is circumstances with football. We never would have heard of Joe Burrow unless he went to LSU."

Montlake has been very good for the one-time 4-star prospect from Kahuku, Hawaii, who was pursued by every major college football program, including the Huskies, when coming out of high school.

"You just don't know sometimes," Fisch said. "Maybe 'Knock' will have an unbelievable year with us and that will give him a chance. Maybe he would have been the sixth lineman over there and someone would have got hurt the first play and he had an unbelievable year there. I know he's done a great job since he's gotten here."

Brennan Carroll, UW offensive coordinator and offensive-line coach, has been so pleased with his Big Ten newcomer he's already suggested the previously little-used Vimahi could be an NFL player next season.

Brennan Carroll, left, has been a big supporter of Enokk Vimahi (57) so far. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Fisch seconds that notion that Vimahi has rekindled his college football career so far at the UW and holds great promise.

"I do know he's done a great job since he's gotten here," the Husky coach said, "and we have a chance to build it with him up front."

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