1. Introduction
Washington has lost a third of its team, but I think there’s oddly…hope…? This me rambling, free flow thinking, note taking, etc.
One team I have followed is the Washington Huskies since I went to middle school, college, and then later settled down here as an adult in Washington State despite all my moves, my own military service, etc. I have seen them play Oregon when Oregon had Johnathan Stewart and Dennis Dixon, Arizona when they had Rob Gronkowski (Husky fans call this game the Immaculate Interception since UW won on an interception that deflected off another player’s foot), and then later Auburn when they played UW in Atlanta at Mercedes Benz Stadium. I would say that I have followed their recruiting (with some lags in recent years) probably since I was a sophomore in college around 2007 when I was attending a small college in Washington State. This was the era of Jake Locker and Keith Price under center.
The University of Washington Husky Football program (The Purple and Gold) is in a precarious position despite having a rich history.
Washington is a sort of one the public “Ivy” schools as far as academics, and UW and Michigan are just two of many teams that harken back nostalgia to the “gee golly jeepers” days of early twentieth century football notably from the Roaring 1920s to the end of World War II (i.e., when Army or Notre Dame mattered, Harvard vs. Yale mattered, or when postcards depicting trolly lines on the way to the Pasadena Rose Bowl in a still rural Los Angeles metro-area mattered, etc.). They could be considered a part of the Norman Rockwell nostalgic teams of college football.
However, (1) coach Kalen DeBoer is leaving for Alabama, which seems a little odd because he seemed so reserved as a coach with Washington as compared to the old-school, chew you out, Bear Bryant-esque style of Nick Saban within the deep-rooted football culture of the SEC. (2) Today, for the Huskies, one third of the team is gone. (3) Their AD Jen Cohen, who was on the CFP Selection Committee, left of USC and was replaced by Tulane’s AD Troy Dannen. (4) They’re going to a new conference, thus with the help of USC, UCLA, and Oregon are helping to severe decades of regional tradition, which to me reminds of what happened with the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers when they too joined the Big Ten after leaving the Big Twelve and were never the same since then. (6) Recruits and transfer prospects are changing their minds, etc.
2. Bad Mojo in the 2024 CFB National Championship, Purple Reign and the Theory of Aesthetics
This is going to be a weird section.
It is sort like me pretending to be on a marketing team or something. Thinking outside the box about what are the “aesthetics” of UW.?
The superstitious and cynical/realist/realpolitik part of me, with the latter encompassing a very business, marketing, aesthetics, Las Vegas gambling spreads, TV rights, etc. – viewpoint, knew that UW was likely going to…lose.
What I call the “mojo” (throwback to Friday Night Lights and having been born and partially raised in the Southern U.S.A) was…off.
The Cinderella Stories were more so favoring Michigan with Jim Harbaugh needing to win as to not feel like a total failure in his coaching career (with him currently being partially embattled in alleged recruiting violations and a call-stealing scheme), and if his brother John Harbaugh can win the Super Bowl with AFC win-leader the Baltimore Ravens, this would be the first time in history that brothers have won the NCAA and NFL Championships in the same season.
JJ McCarthy, who seems like a good kid, is – from my “realist viewpoint” – being prepped to be some sort of Tom Brady like Irish American golden boy QB, because to be honest, and to be respectful, most Americans have Irish ancestry and Irish-ness has permeated the popular culture lexicon with the stereotype of being jovial and fun but tough, pious, hardworking, and honorable. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary if the Patriots with their dismal QB situation brings on players such as JJ McCarthy from Michigan and to pay a nod to nostalgia for receivers Wes Walker, Danny Amendola, etc. such as potentially drafting Ladd McConkey from Georgia, etc. The McConkey selection may not happen, but it’s not too far off considering Ladd was injured at UGA, so other teams may overlook him and in perfect Patriot fashion where they seem to be good at getting “bargain buys”, a Ladd pick up may not be out of the ordinary.
All I am saying is that the NFL is in part a story, a movie, etc., and it seems teams such as the Patriots notably try to input players that resonate within their community for nostalgia purposes such as the city being define by Irish Americans, Jewish Americans (traditionally from around the Brookline area. Players like Julian Edelman. Boston has a deep-rooted Jewish community, e.g., Benjamin Netanyahu worked at Boston Consulting Group and attended MIT and owner). Italian Americans (the Patriots tried with Jimmy Garoppolo), African Americans (typically in RB, OL, and Defense positions, but the organization did try with Cam Newton and Jacoby Brissett at QB), and Anglo-Americans. You can even throw in a few the fact that Boston and Massachusetts/Rhode Island, etc., have a strong Portuguese, Cape Verdean, and Caribbean population.
Aesthetics and marketing matters to a degree. In the NFL we can stereotype the Seattle Seahawks, especially when they had Russell Wilson as being marketed as a type of backyard football, video game, Bill Gates and Paul Alen Microsoft tech money, grunge, neon signs, smoothe jazz, rainy, drizzling, coffee drinking but with a low-key wealthy and cultured vibe, with a few hard drinking Scandinavian fish eating sailors or every-day Raymond Carver blue collar workers. Thow in a little black soul or hip-hop culture spanning from all the way South to Lakewood, WA all the way to the Hill Top (crypt gang territory back in the 80s-90s) neighborhood in Tacoma and all the way up to the Rainer Valley and Central District up in Seattle, which permeates through all communities but notably the black, Asian, and the pacific Islander community.
Of course we have to remember the Native Americans where the Puget Sound area has many reservations and successful native American tribes.
For example, back to my JJ McCarthy “aesthetics theory” in relation to the Cinderella stories leading up to the UW vs Michigan game, I think back to the early 2000s when the Boston, as the stereotypical hub of everything Irish American, and by proxy…white American, you had the Boston Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, and Red Sox dominating but in the pop culture sphere you had Boondock Saints, The Departed, Mystic River, and even HBO’s Entourage produced by Boston native Mark Wahlberg. Boston pop culture and Boston sports helped produced the primordial ooze that gave us American Pie throwback frat-boy gamblers like David Portnoy of Barstool Sports.
Also, Blake Corum at RB was featured in pre–National Championship coverage detailing his backstory, etc.
As far as the Cinderella pre-game stories lines – which do a play a role in shifting public sentiment- I didn’t notice the same thing with the Huskies. It is almost as if the entire media was slightly hiding us from who Michael Penix really was as a loveable down-to-Earth player, despite the media obviously showcasing his insane throwing stats. But, being in the Puget Sound region, it did not seem as if the rest of the country really cared. Michigan, Harbaugh, McCarthy, fight songs like Victors, and the Big 10 just mattered more.
Winning is not only about game play but business, marketing, TV rights, etc., because that all equates to money and money separates good programs from elite programs. I can’t even imagine the levels of alumni engagement that schools such as Michigan and Ohio State have.
Washington is an elite academic institution but because of its location nestled in the far corner of the lower-48 states, as compared to the generally deep history of the Midwest and East Coast, its fanbase and alumni are known but not really on the insides of “institutional power”. How many alumni from the Big 10 as high paid government officials, sit on corporate boards, are high ranking military officials, etc.?
Sure, football is just a game but it’s also a billion-dollar industry.
University of Washington had a great PR campaign that still is in existence called Purple Reign, i.e., a spin on the school colors, the fact it rains so much, and the goal of UW wanting to be a major player in national CFB. It is a cool campaign that seems to touch on the coolness of Jimi Hendrix, the suave of the Artist Name as Prince, etc.
The Seattle area has had two major spikes in popularity in recent times.
The first was the mid-1980s through 1990s dominance of Microsoft based in Kirkland, Washington in the upper middle class suburbs northeast and true east of Lake Washington. This era coincided with the grunge movement of Nirvana, Alice in Chains, etc.
Secondly, there was the early twenty-teens era that was refined by Paul Allen’s influence where he bought the Seattle Seahawks in 1997 and during his tenure as owner, the Seahawks made the Super Bowl three times following NFC Championship victories (2005, 2013, 2014), and won Super Bowl XLVIII in February 2014. Seattle by the late 90s had already established itself as a tech hipster hub but by the 2000s this was solidified. Music wise, Northwest indie was the rave with the Postal Service from Bremerton, WA, and Modest mouse for Issaquah. There were also Seattle hip hop groups such as Blue Scholars.
Yet, in the 2020s, Seattle is different. High prices have removed the traditional working-class neighborhoods. Drug abuse in the homeless population is rampant, especially in the wake of anti-cop brutality protests. Inflation is high. Culturally, there’s no big…spark making Seattle stand out on the music, fashion, or arts scene. Seattle is either transplants renting or hanger-ons who were lucky to inherit a house who walk with a level of coolness in that they can stake claim in the older days of the city. Also, lots of real estate was bought up by Chinese or foreign investors causing a housing crisis. In other words, Seattle is in a flux transition, but often from these tough times comes creativity, but I am still waiting to see what that is or looks like. But this is happening all over the country as cities are more and more expensive, younger people aren’t starting families because of student loan debt/housing shortages, stocks are super expensive, and the cost of living in high as businesses offload increases onto consumers.
3. The web of corporate media, money, broadcasting, etc.
Washington going to the Big Ten is more about money it seems, even though UW is a good academic school, arguably better than schools such as the University of Nebraska.
According to the Associated Press (2022) which was posted by CNBC, the Big Ten’s new $7 billion media rights deal will string the conference’s top football games across three major networks each week, creating an NFL-style television schedule on Saturdays. The Big Ten announced Thursday it has reached seven-year agreements with Fox, CBS and NBC to share the rights to the conference’s football and basketball games (Associated Press, 2022).
The deals go into effect in 2023, expire in 2030 and eventually will allow the conference’s soon-to-be 16 member universities to share more than $1 billion per year, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press (Associated Press, 2022).
UW going to the Big 10 means they will get a chuck of this pot of money and get a larger audience that spans both coast and hits major media markets such as New York, Chicago, and LA.
UW is also benefiting from its Adidas deal, even though culturally speaking Nike still retains dominance but we still associated Nike with basketball, etc.
Yet, UW making it to the national championship means they were the first Adidas sponsored team to making it to the National Championship. This means Adidas is very happy.
Source: The deal includes $5.275 million annually in cash, $5.58 million annually in product, and $1.1 million annually for marketing; https://www.si.com/fannation/sneakers/news/adidas-celebrates-washington-huskies-historic-win
Further, in 2015, UW entered into a $41 million over 10 years contract with Alaska Airlines, so the airline could call the playing field Alaska Airlines field. Source: https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/uw-alaska-airlines-agree-to-naming-rights-deal-for-husky-stadium/
The below Excel depicts the largest advertisers on CFB. Source: https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2021/12/03/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Allstate.aspx
4. But let’s go deeper. Business genealogy.
Disney owns 21st Century Fox (not be confused with Fox Corporation), but also via Disney’s Entertainment division, they own ABC. ABC in the past procured ESPN, thus Disney is also the parent of this. Further, HULU was initially shared between 21st Century Fox, Disney (ABC ESPN), and Comcast NBC Universal (Peacock), but Disney now owns all majority shares via their 21st Century Fox acquisition and NBCUniversal selling their shares. Yet, Fox Corporation (no longer owns 21st Century Fox) with the Big Ten jointly own Big 10 Network, but Big10 Network can be accessed via Hulu…owned by Disney. In other words, all roads in a way lead back to…Disney.
The Big 10 is essentially rubbing off on all major networks with the Disney (ABC/ESPN, 21st Century Fox. Hulu, Disney+) …. Fox Corporation (Fox Sports and the Big10 Network – where the Big 10 can still be access via Disney’s Hulu. Fox also ownsTubi Streaming…. NBCUniversal Comcast which includes Peacock, and Paramount Global, i.e., CBS Viacom (who own Paramount and CBS but has an agreement with Warner Brother’s Discovery which owns MAX, i.e., formerly HBO Max which as an apps holds rights to TNT, TBS, etc. Paramount Global also owns PlutoTV and FuboTV – with FuboTV’s share ownership still be undisclosed). Big 10 Network can likely be accessed via satellite companies such as ATT – DirectTV and Dish Network (owns Sling TV) as well.
Side Note: Fox is confusing. Old New Corporation was divided into “new” New Corp (more for publishing such as the New York Post, Wall Street Journal) and 21st Century Fox (more for entertainment and film – though not of the same name, 21st Century Fox was the de jure legal successor to old New Corp, i.e., its spiritual successor more focused on TV, film, etc.). Yet, when Disney bought 21st Century Fox (media like The Simpsons), the remaining assets were organized and listed as simple Fox Corporation. So, Fox “holdings” today is New Corp and Fox Corporation, stock symbols Nasdaq: FOXA Nasdaq: FOX (where Fox Corporation owns Fox Broadcasting i.e., TV shows, Fox Sports that includes Big 10 Network partially, Fox News, Tubi, etc.).
** Disclaimer: This is not investing advice and I hold no financial title or fiduciary responsibility.
5. Where are We? Wait, what just happened?
After going undefeated in the 2023 season and playing (but losing) in the 2024 College Football Playoff Championship, it feels like the Huskies left a lot on the field. The game was generally off all the way around. From weird punts giving Michigan decent field position, to Penix overthrowing on plays he’s made to beasts like Rome Odunze on a regular basis, to Penix overlooking receivers, to missed opportunities such as a painful drop by Will Nixon, to the offensive line with RT Rosengarten getting bullied, to UW penalties that were caught, and Michigan penalties that were not caught.
The game overall wasn’t the high flying, potential overtime thriller that many expected.
I knew going in that this was a battle of two different philosophies. UW with their Air Raid offense that lacks defense but can score quick if the QB is given time has no pressure versus UM with their more balanced run, grind, and hope to bust a long run philosophy mixed with aggressive defensive play, where McCarthy at QB was more of a dual threat game manager focused on minimizing personal mistakes, going down his reads, and if need be using his legs. UM also highlighted they had more depth such as Michigan substituting their QB and RB. If UW didn’t make those mistake, I think that UW’s kicking game would have been more of an X-Factor considering they have one of the best kickers, if not the best kicker in college football, with
They left a lot to be desired. I am an interesting college football fan because I was raised a miliary brat, so I grew up in many areas where I would follow the local college teams, but I also had my family teams or just teams that fascinated me because of their rich history despite, maybe, having fallen from grace in recent times.
6. Crisis Mode – Crunching Numbers and a future crash on offensive production.
Washington’s top three wide receivers have declared for the NFL with Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillian combined in total for 3,358 yards. If we add Senior Jack Westover who accounted for 433 yards, our new total is 3,791 yards.
The top three WRs accounted for 27 touchdowns and if we add Jack Westover (TE) the new total is 31 TDs.
Think about this, Michael Penix threw for 4,903 yards so his top three receivers who are now going to the NFL accounted for 68.48% of his total yards, and if we focus on his top four receivers that number increases to 77.32%.
Michael Penix threw 36 TDs total. His top three receivers thus accounted for 75% of those TDs but his top four receivers in total accounted for 86% of those TDs.
So, Washington is losing their 4K+ yard passing “super senior” QB in Michael Penix, so thus losing anywhere between 77%-68% of what made up their passing production and losing 86%-75% of what made up their passing TD production. In other words, UW (U-dub) is a heavy passing offense who loses most of what made up their offense production. I didn’t count TDs considered to be rushing TDs by Receivers in these stats, so even more of UWs offense production is going away Polk, McMillian, Odunze, and even Westover accounting in total for another 4 total TDs.
Ironically, this over emphasis on pass production concentrated among seniors or NFL eligible receivers has left the Huskies with a Wide Receiver crisis, where younger receivers aren’t as proven or battle ready.
Further, on the running side of the ball, Dillon Johnson (Junior RB), their leading rusher with 1,195 yards on 233 carries and a whopping 16 TDs. Out of the top three RBs which includes Will Nixon (33 carries for 201 yards and 1 TDs) and Tybo Rogers (44 carries on 184 yards with 0 TDs). The top three in total accounted for 1,580 yards in which 1,195 was attributed to Dillion Johnson, so with Johnson declaring for the NFL, that’s 75.63 or roughly 76% of rushing production now gone. Dillion Johnson out of the top three accounted for 75.2% of the rushing production on carries. In summary Dillion Johnson leaving the Huskies is taking away around 75-76% of running offense production.
This means that UW this season was operating in a “make it or break it” “the stars must align” season, where they put so much offensive production on seniors or NFL eligible players, that if UW didn’t win it all, which they didn’t, then they would have a massive drop in offense going into next seasons. We must remember that players like Penix, Polk, Dillon (three years at Mississippi State), etc., are transfers into the program, so some of their development was developed in part outside of the Husky system. Will Nixon in 2023 had 201 carries, being number two in that category. Dillon who as freshman back at Mississippi State had rushed 51 times for 225 yards, yet Nixon as a sophomore only touched the ball 33 times for 201 yards, yet, this means Nixon is capable of averaging 6.1 yards, which interestingly was average 1 yard more than Dillon. In other words, UW fed the ball so much to Dillon who is now leaving, when Nixon in theory should have seen more action. It’s all hearsay and in the rear-view window now, but if UW had employed a more balanced approach in its RB core rather than over-relying on Dillon, the Huskies would have had more opportunities to assess Nixon’s ability to carry the team and work out bad habits going forwards.
6b. Crisis Mode – There is no loyalty in business. New Coach.
So far as I write this, DeBoer heavily relied on players (who were seniors, super-seniors [seniors who had been redshirted earlier in their careers, i.e., 5 or 6 years or more on the team], COVID waivers and traditional transfers, and/or NFL eligible players across any category) without adequately grooming the next crop of younger players. [See: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/everything-you-need-to-know-about-redshirting-ncaa-s-rules-and-regulations-on-eligibility/ar-AA1iLODq]
Depth is what in part separates good from elite teams. A potential rocket-rise and a potential rocket fall.
But I don’t think Husky fans saw it this way because they were so excited to be winning the way they were that why would you question?
Based on DeBoer habit of resume-building, typically serving no more than two years in any position, it seems that DeBoer and OC Ryan Grubb were sort of worrying more about their future job potential than the longevity of the Husky program overall.
However, this would not be the case if Washington naturally promotes Grubb to Head Coach so he can keep the culture that he and DeBoer built together. Yet, there is the issue of can Grubb as a personality attract the attention to garner a reputation as an “elite coach” or legendary coach.
However…Grubb may be joining DeBoer at Alabama.
DeBoer used the Huskies as a launch pad towards a more prestigious coaching job, and the OC was likely hoping to either replace DeBoer or get an opportunity somewhere else as a Head Coach of OC at a more elite team. It’s just the nature of the business of the game. It’s not about loyalty per se but climbing to the top and this is an important lesson that we can all take to heart in our careers. This is how people earn more than others, i.e., they take the higher paid positions when they open and see no long-term loyalty since organizations see no long-term loyalty to you.
As of breaking news on Sunday 1/14/2024, UW has hired Arizona’s coach Jeff Fisch
I am not sure how I feel about it.
My idea was to hire a well-connected coach with personality. Pete Carroll, he considers Seattle home now, still embedded with the Seahawks. His NFL ties would attract prospects. His son is OC, Brennan Carroll under Arizona HC Jeff Fisch. Pete could have been a sort of publicity filler role (who is also a great coach) to help fundraise, be a local media darling, inspire kids, and be a good connection for NIL players who want a direct plug for NFL scouts. Pete could also continue close ties between the Seahawks and Huskies organizations.
It’s a stretch but by doing this Pete would have been the first person to coach a Seattle NFL team and college team. Since he has one Super Bowl, in theory could compete for a National Championship which never has been done in my opinion as far as a head coach. Sure, this is unlikely considering the Husky’s current roster woes.
Pete Carroll is a part of the Seattle community and I think he wants to coach still. Even though is over 70 years of age, he could be a sort of nice filler coach to attract talent and raise up the new crop of assistant coaches who can then compete for the head coach. He was links to help players get scouted by the NFL. Seattle also has a habit of recruiting Huskies.
To me the two best scenarios would have been1) Have Pete Carroll be the filler role for no more than two years, use this for an aggressive marketing campaign, and bring over Brennan Carroll to be OC, thus prepping Brennan to take over as HC after Pete retires. This would give Pete the rare stat of having coached the Seahawks and Huskies. But mainly leave the Huskies coaching staff intact, or (2) Outright hire Brennan Carroll for HC instead of Jeff Fisch.
In his second season with Arizona in 2022, the Wildcats averaged 461.9 yards of total offense per game to finish 22nd nationally. Arizona passed for 318.4 yards per game, representing the 8th ranked passing attack nationally. The Wildcats development and growth on offense was historical as quarterback Jayden de Laura threw for 3,685 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2022, which ranked sixth and third respectively in program history for a season.
[Source: https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/brennan-carroll/5327]
6c – Crisis Mode – Big losses on Defense, the Linemen corps, and Tight Ends corps.
Defensively, UW is losing LB/Edge Bralen Trice who led the team with 7 sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, and 1 Fumble Recovery to the NFL. Also, going away are Zion Tupuola-Fetui is a senior and likely going to the NFL with him as the number two leader in sacks with 3.5 sacks. Faatui Tuitele (FL) is retiring from football.
Further, leading CB Jabbar Muhammad (who spent three seasons at Oklahoma State) with 14 Pass Deflections and 3 Interceptions is going to the NFL.
Also, Junior Safety Mishael Powell, a local kid from O’Dea High School who turned down scholarships to Ivy League schools to be a walk-on red-shirt freshman a few seasons ago is transferring and he had 3 interceptions.
Cornerback Jaivion Green at 6-foot-2, 207-pound is leaving too.
Super Senior, Cornerback Dominque Hampton with 101 Total Tackles and 2 Interceptions is going to the NFL since he’s maxed out his eligibility.
Super Senior, Edefuan Ulofoshio whose name means “Unafraid of War” with 94 Total Tackes, 1 Interception, 2 Sacks, 1 Fumble Recovery, 3 Pass Deflections, and 1 Defense TD has maxed out his eligibility.
On the Offensive line, LT Troy Fautanu and RT Roger Rosengarten are going to the NFL.
6d – Crisis Mod – Bye Bye Walk ons and Starting TEs
Walk-ons Griffin Waiss and Austin Harnetiaux, a tight end and a linebacker are leaving (Dan Raley, Sports Illustrated, 2024).
Senior TEs Devin Culp and Jack Westover, the first from Spokane, WA and the other from Bellevue, WA are done, unless they can get one more year of eligibility in some sort of graduate status.
6e – Crisis Mode – Loss of a Starter, loss of two QB Transfers, loss of a QB Back up, etc.
As far as transfers, QB Will Rogers from Mississippi State University committed but is likely to re-enter the transfer portal. This is a big deal because with Penix now gone, the back up to Penix, Dylan Morris had announced that he was transferring to James Madison in the FCS (D1-AA). Also, according to Dan Raley (2024) the Huskies are also losing one-time San Diego State transfer and sophomore Will Haskell (back in the portal).
About Will Rogers, Raymond Lucas, Jr., of 247Sports (2024) stated “He threw for 8,713 yards and 71 touchdowns in Leach’s final two seasons at the helm. His numbers regressed under now-fired coach Zach Arnett this past season, throwing for 1,626 passing yards with 12 passing touchdowns and four interceptions in eight games. One of his top performances of the season came when he threw for a career-high 487 yards during a 37-30 loss to South Carolina Sept. 23.”
Dan Raley (2024) of Sports Illustrated stated, “The biggest concern is the quarterback position where the Huskies have just 17-year-old Austin Mack and Demaricus Davis, presumably 18, holding down the spot without any college game experience.” At the same time, Mack, an incoming freshman, provides hope for the Huskies’ future. Originally a 2024 recruit, Mack decided to reclassify and enroll early, demonstrating his enthusiasm to contribute to the team.
Mack went to the same school as Jake Browning at Folsom High School
The remaining quarterbacks on the roster include walk-ons Tyson Lang (Sophomore), Camdyn Stiegeler (Redshirt Freshman), Teddy Purcell (Sophomore), and Alex Johnson, a junior transfer (Karley Sibert, 2024). So if we add Demarcius Davis from Raley (2024), we now have Alex Johnson (JR), Tyson Lang (SO), Camdyn Stiegler (Redshirt FR), Teddy Purcell (SO), Demarcius Davis (FR), Alex Mack (Green Shirt, i.e., Early Enroll FR),
7. Some Good News
However, transfers DL BJ Green from Arizona State, WR Jeremiah Hunter from UC Berkley (Cal) seem to be still committed to Washington.
No. 1 center and second-team All-Pac-12 selection Parker Brailsford, offensive guards Nate Kalepo and Julius Buelow, linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala and cornerback Elijah Jackson (Dan Raley, Sports Illustrated, 2024).
Junior CB, Elijah Jackson, who made the game winning pass-deflection on Adonai Mitchell in the Texas vs UW game, is likely to come back and he had 61 Total Tackles this season.
8. UW’s Historical Recruiting Woes and Accomplishments
I would say that the Huskies in my opinion on a scale of 1 star to 5 stars is a 3 star on average team. They always have NFL caliber players, but they are often the only ones carrying the team, it’s very cyclical in their on the team, etc. In other words, they’ll have one player on each side of the ball that is going pro but it’s not a deep roster of NFL talent. Many of the guys on the team will graduate and go onto live normal professional lives, etc. To an extent that is honorable. Football isn’t just what makes UW special.
UW traditionally has a strong basketball program with plenty of NBA draftees, many locally sourced from the Seattle Tacoma metro area. Seattle is a basketball town. Doug Christie, Jamal Crawford, Dejounte Murray, Kevin Porter, Jr., Nate Robinson, Terrance Williams, Marjon Beauchamp, Brandon Roy, Tari Eason, Will Conroy, Jaylen Nowell, etc. And this isn’t the entire list.
Washington does a decent job of retaining in-state top talent but also does lose some highly recruited kids often to Nike’s money/facilities at Oregon, the sunshine and glitz of Southern California, and even powerhouse schools such as Ohio State.
But Washington outside of the state often recruits well from the Inland Empire, LA Area catholic schools such as the Trinity League which features schools such as St. John Bosco, the South Bay region of LA, Sacramento, the San Francisco-Oakland East Bay Area, etc.
Also, Washington has done a decent job of recruit some kids from Texas, Louisiana, etc.
Washington is often a three star out of five star average team
For Washington to continue to do well in recruiting it has to A) keep in-state talent, period, B) focus on the top schools in adjacent states such Jesuit HS from Portland, Bishop Kelly HS from Boise, etc., C) Continuing to recruiting kids from the Pacific Islands D) utilizing the Transfer Portal and JUCO system E) Continuing to do work on the Strength-Conditioning Front F) Invest in Defense and Run Game
Since the 2000s onward…
Notable In State Talent: Jermaine Kearse (Lakes High School), Buddha Baker (Bellevue HS), Desmond and Marcus Trufant (Wilson HS), Cade Otton (Tumwater HS), Bishop Sankey (Gonzaga Prep), Austin Seferian Jenkins (Gig Harbor HS), Jake Locker (Ferndale HS), Myles Gaskin (O’Dea HS), Kaleb Mcgary (Fife HS), Danny Shelton (Auburn HS), Kasen Williams (Skyline), Austin Sefarian Jenkins (Gig Harbor HS), Drew Sample (Newport HS)
Notable In State Loses: Johnathan Stewart (Lacey, WA but went to Oregon), Myles Jack (Bellevue, WA but went to UCLA), Zac Banner (Tumwater WA but went to USC), DeAndre Coleman (Garfield HS), Leon Jackson (Pasco HS but went to Nebraska/Hawaii), Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State), Tre’Shaun Harrison (Garfield HS), etc.
Currently, On the recruiting side, In-state talent and Five Star recruit LB Zaydrius Rainey-Sale from Bethel High School in Bethel, WA has de-committed from University of Washington.
Yet, Washington’s future doesn’t seem entirely dead. It will be very difficult to rebuild but these are who the Huskies signed before this recent season. You can exclude Jabbar Muhammad. See: https://gohuskies.com/news/2022/12/21/uw-announces-25-new-signees-for-2023-football-team.aspx
9. Sources
Scott Eklund (published 12 January 2024) Husky DB Mishael Powell Enters The Transfer Portal. 247Sports.com. Source: https://247sports.com/college/washington/article/washington-huskies-football-husky-db-mishael-powell-enters-the-transfer-portal-225239421/. (Date Accessed: 13 January 2024)
Dan Raley (published 9 January 2024) UW Season Didn’t End Well, But Ulofoshio’s Career Was Big Success. MSN via Sports Illustrated. Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/uw-season-didnt-end-well-but-ulofoshios-career-was-big-success/ar-AA1mHDpS (Date Accessed: 13 January 2024)
Dan Raley (10 January 2024) Huskies’ Jaivion Green Enters Portal After Playing in His Hometown. Sports Illustrated. Source: https://www.si.com/college/washington/football/huskies-jaivion-green-enters-portal-after-playing-in-his-hometown
Dan Raley (12 January 2024) Washington Huskies Have Lost Third of Football Roster in Month. Source: https://www.si.com/college/washington/football/huskies-have-lost-third-of-football-roster-in-month
Raymond Lucas Jr., (published January 2024). QB Will Rogers enters transfer portal: Intriguing landings spots for Washington enrollee. 247Sports.com. Source: https://247sports.com/college/washington/longformarticle/qb-will-rogers-enters-transfer-portal-intriguing-landings-spots-for-washington-enrollee-225317336/#2346815 (Date Accessed: 13 January 2024)
Max Vrooman (10 January 2024). Faatui Tuitele Announces Retirement from Football. UWDogPound.com. Source: https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2024/1/10/24034002/faatui-tuitele-announces-medical-retirement-uw-washington-huskies-football (Date Accessed: 13 January 2024)
Associated Press (18 August 2022) Big Ten lands $7 billion, NFL-style TV contracts. CNBC. Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/18/big-ten-lands-7-billion-nfl-style-tv-contracts.html (Date Accessed: 13 January 2024)
10. About Author:
Other teams besides the University of Washington Huskies I follow either due to family, having been a military brat or just general love of college football tradition are the University of Georgia Bulldogs (though the Dawgs are an elite program so it’s fun to root for teams who need help, i.e., the Dawgs with always be great but I never really felt like I fit into the “Southern” fanbase, so I’d say they’re my 3rd favorite team). University of Kansas Jayhawks (my mother was an alumnus and I only care about Kansas BB but I do follow their football, so I’d say really, it’s a time between UW and KU for my favorite teams).
University of Miami Hurricanes (my mother is from Miami). Florida State University Seminoles (my father grew up not far from Tallahassee). University of Central Florida Golden Knights (my mother worked in the student health clinic for some time). Kansas State University Wildcats (before my mother was accepted to the University of Kansas Nursing School, she and my father took undergraduate classes at Kansas State University. Manhattan, Kansas is not too far from Lawrence, Kansas, and both not far from Kansas City, KS/MO). For HBCUs I would say Florida A&M (had two cousins who went there), Bethune Cookman (had one cousin who went there), and Grambling State University was my paternal grandmother’s favorite team. Other teams I like because of tradition or being a kid playing NCAA Football by EA Sports are the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers as my favorite Great Lakes region team (since they had one of the best college running back duos with Marion “The Barbarian” Barber and Laurence Maroney) and Boston College Eagles (my favorite Catholic football program). I do also like the Montana Grizzlies for an FCS Team.
Mitchell Research Group 
