Inside The Huskies

Troy Fautanu Becomes Latest Husky to Promise 2023 Return

The UW offensive tackle rates high with draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. as an NFL prospect, though as a guard.

Dan Raley

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University of Washington starting left tackle Troy Fautanu — the guy who plays the NFL money position for the Huskies — insisted he was going to give early draft entry a lot of thought. 

Deep study. Intense research. A rational approach,

A week later on Monday night, following a flurry of UW transfer portal commitments with early signing day just 48 hours away, Fautanu let Kalen DeBoer and his Husky coaching staff know they wouldn't need to scurry around and recruit another left tackle just yet.

"I'M ALL IN," Fautanu posted on Twitter, confirming his return for the 2023 season, joining quarterback Michael Penix Jr., defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa and edge rushers Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Bralen Trice in making public pronouncements.

"Christmas has come early!!" UW offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb posted.

The 6-foot-4, 312-pound Fatanu from Henderson, Nevada, made some of the biggest strides of any Husky football player this season, becoming a full-time starter for the first time as a sophomore. 

He recently had vowed to gather as much information as possible in determining if he was immediately ready for the NFL.

"I can like hear all this stuff — how good I am — and just make a dumb decision or a decision that wasn't educated," Fautanu said. "So I'm trying to make sure I have all the information right and make sure I have all the information in front of me, that's correct and sourced."

While he's not NFL-bound right away, Fautanu proved so good as a left tackle, the Husky coaches felt comfortable in moving highly decorated fifth-year starter Jaxson Kirkland back to left guard rather than moving Fautanu there.

He was rewarded with second-team All-Pac-12 honors as voted by the coaches and third-team all-conference accolades from Pro Football Focus.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. even ranked Fautanu as the fifth-best NFL draft prospect at offensive guard, which would have lead other people to push forward with pro football.

Not Fautanu.

He'll play in the Alamo Bowl against Texas in San Antonio on Dec. 29 and and now the 2023 season before he gives the NFL a try.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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