UW Freshman Hits Express Lane, Plays His Way Into Games, Burns Redshirt

Edge rusher Jacob Lane is one of three first-year Huskies who have filled a need right away and won't save up their eligibility.

Like so many other University of Washington freshmen, Jacob Lane made his college football debut in the blowout at Michigan State. 

Unlike almost all of his first-year peers, he turned up in the middle of the Husky-USC game in Los Angeles, entrusted to hold his own against the Trojans with everything still on the line.

And in a relentless rain storm at Oregon State — and how he ever lit a match in that insipid weather remains a modern marvel — Lane effectively burned his redshirt status.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound edge rusher from Puyallup, Washington, emerged from the depth-chart shadows as a ready-to-play freshman, one of just three youngsters to immediately establish himself with Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff.

"Getting to burn my redshirt is a real honor," Lane said this week during preparation for Friday's Pac-12 championship game against Oregon in Las Vegas.

He's a local guy who has sort of a rugged look about him. A filled-out frame. Certainly plenty of confidence. 

While the Huskies are in the midst of a historic 12-0 season no matter how it turns out and relying mostly on veteran players, Lane emerged somewhat behind the scenes as one of the chosen few for the future, 

The move was made by Husky co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell to use him without restrictions at USC and thereafter once senior Sekai Asoau-Afoa went down with a late-game injury.

"I was ready for it," Lane said. "It was a little surprising, though, that it actually came to happen. But when it came time to do it, I just had to be ready to go."

UW freshman Jacob Lane gives chase after California quarterback Ben Finley :: Scott Ecklund/Redbox Photos

Of the Huskies' 20 true freshmen who came in, only running back Tybo Rogers, offensive lineman Landen Hatchett and Lane have been able to play meaningful minutes. 

While the others will have every opportunity to be well-utilized and highly decorated players when their time comes, when someone such as Lane plays right away it typically means he's a cut above his football classmates and could be really good.

"I think he is going to be — and he's got a chance if he continues to develop — one of the next dynamic edges at the U-Dub," Morrell said.

For now, Lane regularly rotates in with a specialized speed-rushing group that often consists of junior Voi Tunuufi, junior Bralen Trice and senior Zion Tupuola-Fetui, with the freshman and Tunuufi coming out of a stance as hybrid players.

Lane has appeared in six UW games, including the past four consecutive, and he has 4 tackles. There's no turning back now.

He'll be part of next season's edge-rusher competition that promises to be fairly entertaining and involves him, holdover players in Tunuufi, redshirt freshman Lance Holtzclaw, sophomore Maurice Heims and Sioux Falls transfer Zach Durfee, the latter now sitting out by NCAA mandate.

Where Lane is markedly different is in his his background. He's one of the few Northwest players brought in by DeBoer's staff, which tends to lean to a California-heavy roster that is expanding to new states all the time, looking for the best of the best.

Lane, however, is bound to be a fan favorite for that Northwest address of his mixed in with his precocious football skills. 

"Being able to play for the hometown, I have lots of people texting me each week, people I haven't talked to in a while, and they say, "Good game," and "Keep up the good work,' " Lane said. "So it definitely means a lot to play in front of the people and in front of the state that I'm from."

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