I'll attempt some analysis against some key opponents as the Spartans go through the 2022 season. In examining the Washington Huskies, I’ve listened to multiple podcasts, watched any practice videos, and read through pre-season and camp analysis. Here is what I gathered. We're less than 20 days away from the start of the 2022 Football season where Washington will host Kent State on September 3rd. I grade each position on offense, plus coaching first;
Let’s go back a year first. The Huskies had 20 of 22 first teamers back. Ninety percent of the starters were back, including 5 1st team Pac-12. The team was expected to excel. But the season was a disaster. The WSU Cougars beat the Washington Huskies 40-13 at Husky Stadium, ending a shockingly poor season for UW. UW ranked 20th nationally to begin the season with a seasoned roster and proceeded to do a 4–8 faceplant.
So now UW is looking to mend for 2022. A new staff comes in. But less returning starters and depth. The Huskies named Kalen DeBoer their new head coach. DeBoer left Fresno State after 2 successful seasons with the program, going 12-6 and leading the Bulldogs to their first nine-win season since 2018. Prior to his head coaching tenure, he spent time as an offensive coordinator at Indiana. DeBoer was a must hire, and a solid choice. The Huskies suffered through a 15-14 record since Petersen left. It’s their third head coach in the last four seasons. The talent that Chris Petersen filled the cupboard with is now bare in my view, and Jimmy Lake didn’t have enough time to make a splash in recruiting. The ’21 class was ranked #30, the ’22 class only had 10 commits.
Now it’s the Kalen DeBoer era in Seattle, and the former Fresno State coach is ready to wake up the sleeping giant program. DeBoer understands that he has his work cut out for him, with trying to rebuild the Huskies back to the glory days of Petersen. He has a heck of a lot less to work with than Tucker did. DeBoer is basically going to have to start from scratch. After all, Washington ended last season on a four-game losing streak, which is currently the second-longest in the league. The Huskies were dreadful on offense, and last in the conference at running the ball. Turnovers were also a foremost issue. DeBoer is an offensive-minded coach who’s looking to change the Husky storyline. Fortunately, he’s well regarded and a turnaround artist. Fresno State led the Mountain West and finished 14th in the FBS in total offense in 2021 just two years after he took over. I give the hire an A-
The offense was the main culprit, and the quarterback position was one of the worst in the Pac-12. UW finished the season averaging just 326 total yards and 21.5 points per game, good for 108th nationally. It was clear that the offense and especially the quarterback situation was a catastrophe. Dylan Morris started 11 games. He led the Pac-12 in interceptions with 12. He was very erratic. Watching him, he’s small and does not have pocket awareness. He breaks off plays quick and tucks the ball. Huard had four games of experience in 2021 and completed 22 of 42 passes for 241 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions.
One of the first things DeBoer did was to get immediate competition and hand-pick a quarterback to go with what he inherited. He added the key QB player he worked with at Indiana, Mike Penix. The Indiana transfer was to lead and compete with two-year UW starter Morris and one-time five-star recruit Huard. Penix and Huard are lefthanders. My question is why Penix, after his roller coaster career in Bloomington. He was 87-for-162 passes for 939 yards with 7 interceptions versus four touchdowns in 2021. Penix has had each of his four seasons at IU end prematurely with injuries. He suffered right ACL tears in 2018 and 2020, and a right sternoclavicular joint injury in 2019. He dealt with other less serious injuries in 2019 that caused him to miss game action.
The QB position IMO is the biggest wildcard. News from camp has been muted and not all positive. Last week, DeBoer’s frustration boiled over. He told the press core he was not pleased to-date, calling it the low-point of fall camp. No wonder, he and his staff still had not settled on a starting quarterback yet. He indicated next week at the earliest before they announce the No. 1 guy from Penix Jr., Morris, and Huard. Morris and Huard played turnover football last year and Penix obviously has not returned to the pinnacle of 2020. I grade out their QB position at a C+
No problem though, as long as the Huskies can run. But it’s just another position for the team that has a plentitude of uncertainty. UW finished the 2021 season ranking 11th in the Pac-12 in rushing offense (98.4 yards per game) and dead last in yards per carry at 3.1 Washington started five different players at running back in the past five games last season. DeBoer knew what he was inheriting and not only brought in Penix, but also in RB portal transfers from Nebraska, New Mexico and Virginia to beef up the numbers to 7 and increase the competition. The coaches patiently waited for three holdover players to return to good health following knee/shoulder injuries. Transfer Wayne Taulapapa looks like the best bet to start. The 5-foot-9, 200-pound tailback tallied 1,192 rushing yards, or 4.5 yards per carry and 20 total touchdowns in 40 career games with the Cavaliers. Taulapapa, the 5-foot-11, 207-pounder from Honolulu brings 27 starts with him. Former Cornhusker Will Nixon from Waco, Texas, is also heavily in the mix. He spent two seasons at Nebraska, one injured, and the Cornhuskers wouldn't commit to giving him even a running-back snap, so he left for Seattle. Both got the heaviest workload since camp began. Outside Taulapapa, it looks very thin. Redshirt freshman Sam Adams II looked good in August, but has never played a down. Junior Richard Newton has the most experience at UW with 179 total carries. But he remains sidelined by injuries. Aaron Dumas, who was poised to make a big impact when he transferred from New Mexico has not shined, and far down the depth chart. Its Taulapapa or ? Grade B-
The Huskies have a very young offensive line that was a big problem last year, with the exception of All-Pac-12 offensive tackle Jaxson Kirkland, back for a sixth season to improve his NFL draft stock. Former starters Vic Curne, Julius Buelow and Ulumoo Ale each underwent a spring position change, with Ale now moving to the defensive line. Curne and Buelow were demoted to second string in camp. UW moved Corey Luciano tight end, then back to center as no other players emerged. If the Huskies were to play MSU today, they would trot out the following offensive line based on August camp; left tackle Jaxson Kirkland, left guard Troy Fautanu, center Corey Luciano, right guard Henry Bainivalu and right tackle Roger Rosengarten. However, their best player by a mile, Kirkland, has struggled with his health since camp began. He was in shorts and a shirt and didn't participate for half the camp. Given how bad the OL was in 2021, I cannot see much improvement, at least early on with Kirkland shaky and the balance inexperienced. Grade C+
The receiver corps is deep and solid, this is the only strong unit on offense. In early January, wide receivers coach Junior Adams unexpectedly defected from the program for rival Oregon as things cascaded in Seattle. Worries of a mass wide receiver exodus rapidly arose. Terrell Bynum, the Huskies leading receiver in 2021, hit the road for USC. But luckily for Washington, dynamic WR coach JaMarcus Shephard from Purdue joined the staff. Shephard is infamous for his energy and sending young men to the NFL. Despite the loss of Bynum, everyone else returned. He got a great duo combination of Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan could be a duo that could rival the best in the Pac-12. They have size and length and McMillan has elite top-end speed. In two seasons, Odunze has totaled 47 receptions for 487 yards and four touchdowns while McMillan, one of the top wideouts in the country in the 2020 recruiting class, has hauled in 40 receptions for 486 yards and three scores. Joining those two is Jayleen Polk, a transfer from Texas Tech, who returned for the final two games of the 2021 season and totaled five receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown. All three shined in camp Sophomore Taj Davis and junior Giles Jackson join the top three, giving Shephard a surplus of weapons to shape in his first season with Washington. Grade A
The problem is Morris and Huard couldn't even succeed with great receivers - as the QBs were inconsistent, turnover prone, and always seem to run first. Penix may not do any better based on his injuries and performance history. The unproven line with Kirkland a wild-card makes things even more challenging. Expect a high tempo offense that gets the ball out quickly. WA simply does not have the personnel or experience to compete against high caliber teams IMO. This may change, but it will no doubt take time. Catching this team early is very helpful. Unless Coach Kalen DeBoer can pull a rabbit out of his hat like Tuck did. Overall, the offense is weak, and MSU has the grading edge across the offensive positions. Even perhaps at OL. WR are nearly equal given how the young Spartan receivers are coming along. Thorne is a big difference here as well. Edge MSU.
I’ll be attempting to watch the Kent State game to get a better look at the Huskies.
Next up Defense.
Primer; Rebuilding on defense will be just as challenging for Coach DeBoer. Washington will have a plethora of new faces, even more than the offense. The defensive line and LB group only return one starter each. That’s not a good sign, considering the Huskies finished 11th in the Pac-12 and 108th in the nation against the run. Go Berger?
Let’s go back a year first. The Huskies had 20 of 22 first teamers back. Ninety percent of the starters were back, including 5 1st team Pac-12. The team was expected to excel. But the season was a disaster. The WSU Cougars beat the Washington Huskies 40-13 at Husky Stadium, ending a shockingly poor season for UW. UW ranked 20th nationally to begin the season with a seasoned roster and proceeded to do a 4–8 faceplant.
So now UW is looking to mend for 2022. A new staff comes in. But less returning starters and depth. The Huskies named Kalen DeBoer their new head coach. DeBoer left Fresno State after 2 successful seasons with the program, going 12-6 and leading the Bulldogs to their first nine-win season since 2018. Prior to his head coaching tenure, he spent time as an offensive coordinator at Indiana. DeBoer was a must hire, and a solid choice. The Huskies suffered through a 15-14 record since Petersen left. It’s their third head coach in the last four seasons. The talent that Chris Petersen filled the cupboard with is now bare in my view, and Jimmy Lake didn’t have enough time to make a splash in recruiting. The ’21 class was ranked #30, the ’22 class only had 10 commits.
Now it’s the Kalen DeBoer era in Seattle, and the former Fresno State coach is ready to wake up the sleeping giant program. DeBoer understands that he has his work cut out for him, with trying to rebuild the Huskies back to the glory days of Petersen. He has a heck of a lot less to work with than Tucker did. DeBoer is basically going to have to start from scratch. After all, Washington ended last season on a four-game losing streak, which is currently the second-longest in the league. The Huskies were dreadful on offense, and last in the conference at running the ball. Turnovers were also a foremost issue. DeBoer is an offensive-minded coach who’s looking to change the Husky storyline. Fortunately, he’s well regarded and a turnaround artist. Fresno State led the Mountain West and finished 14th in the FBS in total offense in 2021 just two years after he took over. I give the hire an A-
The offense was the main culprit, and the quarterback position was one of the worst in the Pac-12. UW finished the season averaging just 326 total yards and 21.5 points per game, good for 108th nationally. It was clear that the offense and especially the quarterback situation was a catastrophe. Dylan Morris started 11 games. He led the Pac-12 in interceptions with 12. He was very erratic. Watching him, he’s small and does not have pocket awareness. He breaks off plays quick and tucks the ball. Huard had four games of experience in 2021 and completed 22 of 42 passes for 241 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions.
One of the first things DeBoer did was to get immediate competition and hand-pick a quarterback to go with what he inherited. He added the key QB player he worked with at Indiana, Mike Penix. The Indiana transfer was to lead and compete with two-year UW starter Morris and one-time five-star recruit Huard. Penix and Huard are lefthanders. My question is why Penix, after his roller coaster career in Bloomington. He was 87-for-162 passes for 939 yards with 7 interceptions versus four touchdowns in 2021. Penix has had each of his four seasons at IU end prematurely with injuries. He suffered right ACL tears in 2018 and 2020, and a right sternoclavicular joint injury in 2019. He dealt with other less serious injuries in 2019 that caused him to miss game action.
The QB position IMO is the biggest wildcard. News from camp has been muted and not all positive. Last week, DeBoer’s frustration boiled over. He told the press core he was not pleased to-date, calling it the low-point of fall camp. No wonder, he and his staff still had not settled on a starting quarterback yet. He indicated next week at the earliest before they announce the No. 1 guy from Penix Jr., Morris, and Huard. Morris and Huard played turnover football last year and Penix obviously has not returned to the pinnacle of 2020. I grade out their QB position at a C+
No problem though, as long as the Huskies can run. But it’s just another position for the team that has a plentitude of uncertainty. UW finished the 2021 season ranking 11th in the Pac-12 in rushing offense (98.4 yards per game) and dead last in yards per carry at 3.1 Washington started five different players at running back in the past five games last season. DeBoer knew what he was inheriting and not only brought in Penix, but also in RB portal transfers from Nebraska, New Mexico and Virginia to beef up the numbers to 7 and increase the competition. The coaches patiently waited for three holdover players to return to good health following knee/shoulder injuries. Transfer Wayne Taulapapa looks like the best bet to start. The 5-foot-9, 200-pound tailback tallied 1,192 rushing yards, or 4.5 yards per carry and 20 total touchdowns in 40 career games with the Cavaliers. Taulapapa, the 5-foot-11, 207-pounder from Honolulu brings 27 starts with him. Former Cornhusker Will Nixon from Waco, Texas, is also heavily in the mix. He spent two seasons at Nebraska, one injured, and the Cornhuskers wouldn't commit to giving him even a running-back snap, so he left for Seattle. Both got the heaviest workload since camp began. Outside Taulapapa, it looks very thin. Redshirt freshman Sam Adams II looked good in August, but has never played a down. Junior Richard Newton has the most experience at UW with 179 total carries. But he remains sidelined by injuries. Aaron Dumas, who was poised to make a big impact when he transferred from New Mexico has not shined, and far down the depth chart. Its Taulapapa or ? Grade B-
The Huskies have a very young offensive line that was a big problem last year, with the exception of All-Pac-12 offensive tackle Jaxson Kirkland, back for a sixth season to improve his NFL draft stock. Former starters Vic Curne, Julius Buelow and Ulumoo Ale each underwent a spring position change, with Ale now moving to the defensive line. Curne and Buelow were demoted to second string in camp. UW moved Corey Luciano tight end, then back to center as no other players emerged. If the Huskies were to play MSU today, they would trot out the following offensive line based on August camp; left tackle Jaxson Kirkland, left guard Troy Fautanu, center Corey Luciano, right guard Henry Bainivalu and right tackle Roger Rosengarten. However, their best player by a mile, Kirkland, has struggled with his health since camp began. He was in shorts and a shirt and didn't participate for half the camp. Given how bad the OL was in 2021, I cannot see much improvement, at least early on with Kirkland shaky and the balance inexperienced. Grade C+
The receiver corps is deep and solid, this is the only strong unit on offense. In early January, wide receivers coach Junior Adams unexpectedly defected from the program for rival Oregon as things cascaded in Seattle. Worries of a mass wide receiver exodus rapidly arose. Terrell Bynum, the Huskies leading receiver in 2021, hit the road for USC. But luckily for Washington, dynamic WR coach JaMarcus Shephard from Purdue joined the staff. Shephard is infamous for his energy and sending young men to the NFL. Despite the loss of Bynum, everyone else returned. He got a great duo combination of Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan could be a duo that could rival the best in the Pac-12. They have size and length and McMillan has elite top-end speed. In two seasons, Odunze has totaled 47 receptions for 487 yards and four touchdowns while McMillan, one of the top wideouts in the country in the 2020 recruiting class, has hauled in 40 receptions for 486 yards and three scores. Joining those two is Jayleen Polk, a transfer from Texas Tech, who returned for the final two games of the 2021 season and totaled five receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown. All three shined in camp Sophomore Taj Davis and junior Giles Jackson join the top three, giving Shephard a surplus of weapons to shape in his first season with Washington. Grade A
The problem is Morris and Huard couldn't even succeed with great receivers - as the QBs were inconsistent, turnover prone, and always seem to run first. Penix may not do any better based on his injuries and performance history. The unproven line with Kirkland a wild-card makes things even more challenging. Expect a high tempo offense that gets the ball out quickly. WA simply does not have the personnel or experience to compete against high caliber teams IMO. This may change, but it will no doubt take time. Catching this team early is very helpful. Unless Coach Kalen DeBoer can pull a rabbit out of his hat like Tuck did. Overall, the offense is weak, and MSU has the grading edge across the offensive positions. Even perhaps at OL. WR are nearly equal given how the young Spartan receivers are coming along. Thorne is a big difference here as well. Edge MSU.
I’ll be attempting to watch the Kent State game to get a better look at the Huskies.
Next up Defense.
Primer; Rebuilding on defense will be just as challenging for Coach DeBoer. Washington will have a plethora of new faces, even more than the offense. The defensive line and LB group only return one starter each. That’s not a good sign, considering the Huskies finished 11th in the Pac-12 and 108th in the nation against the run. Go Berger?
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