This Latu Remains Healthy and Hearty Husky

While most UW tight ends have had physical setbacks, this guy has filled the job.

Tight end Keleki Latu finds room to run against Michigan with one of his 7 catches. / Skylar Lin Visuals

One by one, most University of Washington tight ends have suffered some sort of injury interruption, greatly thinning the ranks at a Husky position more often overloaded with manpower.

Season-opening starter Quentin Moore went down against Weber State in a freakish manner when an opponent, realizing his team was shorthanded, came running off the sideline and blindsided a pass-catching Moore with a direct hit on his knee, and the tight end hasn't been seen since.

Sophomore Ryan Otton got hurt in spring ball and has struggled to get back to where he can play in games while freshman Charlie Crowell suffered a season-ending knee injury in fall camp and is in rehab.

Walk-ons Owen Coutts and Wilson Schwartz have been slowed to the point they both ended up as questionable in the Big Ten availability reports.

Keleki Latu, however, has been ready to go in everyone's absence, started the past five games and he had a breakout showing in this past Saturday's 27-17 victory over Michigan, by taking more of a prominent role in the offense. This weekend, he'll be in the opening lineup once more when the Huskies (4-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) play at Iowa (3-2, 1-1).

"He had his best game this past week," UW coach Jedd Fisch said. "We felt more comfortable creating some plays where he was the primary rather than, lets call, it a part of the read. He did a nice job of stepping up and taking advantage of that opportunity."

For those who believe in those sort of things, maybe it's the football world simply turning more fair to the Latu family that has enabled the 6-foot-7, 244-pound junior to remain healthy and productive.

After all, his older brother, Laiatu, remains one of the more unfortunate figures in Husky football over the past five years, having had a promising career as an edge rusher cut short by a neck injury that forced him to medically retire in Montlake before he was given a reprieve and became a UCLA All-America selection and now an NFL player.

"He's been texting me a lot after games, just always congratulating me and telling me to keep on working hard," Latu said.

Seated next to the tight end, UW linebacker Drew Fowler, a former teammate of Laiatu Latu, at that point felt compelled to add, "I don't care what anyone says -- he's still a Dawg."

The younger Latu, a Nevada transfer who originally began his career at California, caught 7 passes for 65 yards to lead the Huskies in receiving against Michigan, with four of those grabs producing first downs.

He currently ranks third on the team with 20 catches for 180 yards, trailing only wide receivers Giles Jackson (38) and Denzel Boston (35).

"I'm definitely more comfortable," Latu said. "I feel like Fisch has a lot of intellectual in the offense of the game, so whatever he says I make sure I'm ready at all times. Having this much catches definitely is like confidence-building for me, so it's definitely helpful for me and my career."

Tight end Keleki Latu comes up with a reception against Northwestern. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Fisch noted how Latu, as a late summer arrival to the program had to do it all on his own to learn the system in a hurry. He's probably engaged in just a dozen practices as the No. 1 guy, backed by freshman Decker DeGraaf, with those two the only consistently healthy Husky tight ends throughout this season.

Latu's staying power has helped alleviate the coaching staff stress of losing all of those other tight ends practically all at once.

"With Q recovering still from his injury," Latu said, "I just want to be the one to step up in the blocking game and the passing game, so be able to be a hybrid."

Most of all, he's a healthy Husky headed into the Heartland ready to face the Hawkeyes.

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