Washington Huskies bring back talented group of wide receivers in 2022

  |  
Feb 16, 2022
Washington Huskies
Rome Odunze, Washington Huskies.

Even with the transfer of their top target from last season, the Washington Huskies bring a talented and speedy group of wide receivers into the 2022 season.

New Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer has a reputation for running high-powered offenses led by a highly potent passing game. Looking at his time as offensive coordinator at Indiana and then head coach at Fresno State, DeBoer likes to throw over 50 percent of the time. His offenses averaged over 300 passing yards and over 135 yards on the ground.

At spring camp, the competition to be UW’s starting quarterback in 2022 will be fierce. Up for the job is redshirt-freshman Sam Huard, who played in four games, including the Apple Cup, to end the season. Dylan Morris started 11 of 12 games last season isn’t ready to yield his job yet.

Adding to the competition, one of DeBoer’s former quarterbacks, Michael Penix Jr., transferred from Indiana. All three can throw the ball deep, so the starter likely will be the one that can release the ball quickly.

Gone

Of course, the Washington Huskies will miss Terell Bynum, who transferred to USC. Injuries limited Bynum to 8 games last season, but he still caught 26 passes for 436 yards and 4 touchdowns. Fortunately, UW has some outstanding receivers who can carry the mantle for next season.

Returners

The Huskies have a group of talented wide receivers, so who starts may be a harder decision to make than the quarterback. One of the favorites to win a starting job in 2022 is Jalen McMillan, who started 9 of the 11 games. He led the team with 470 receiving yards. Additionally,  his 39 receptions and 3 touchdowns were both second.

Another sophomore, Rome Odunze, has the inside track for the second receiver. Last year Odunze had a team-leading 41 receptions. Including a couple of Jet Sweep handoffs, he accounted for 428 yards from scrimmage and 4 touchdowns.

Taj Davis went from not listed on the depth chart in summer camp to playing in 11 of 12 games. The Upland, CA native even made seven starts finishing with 26 receptions for 329 yards and one touchdown, which he scored in the Huskies September 25, 31-24 win over Cal.

When the competition begins, Ja’lynn Polk should be in the thick of it. After transferring from Texas Tech, Polk suffered a chest injury, requiring emergency surgery, on the first offensive play of the season. Initially believed to be lost for the season, he returned in Game 11 against Colorado and made a 55-yard touchdown catch.

One other player to mention is Giles Jackson. Washington used the University of Michigan transfer mainly as a return man last season. He still saw some action with the offense, both catching the ball and running with it. Jackson has speed to burn and gets deep in a hurry.

Getting the band back together

Washington Huskies have two receivers who were Huard’s high school classmates at Kennedy Catholic. Both wideouts will be redshirt-freshmen, just like Huard.

Lonyatta Alexander Jr. played two games for Arizona State before transferring to Washington. The other Kennedy alum is Jabez Tinae, a four-star recruit who decided to stay home, although he had several offers from Power 5 schools.

Tinae stayed home because he wanted to play in front of his family and friends. He got to do that once last year (Arkansas State). His skill for getting separation from his defender should help Tinae get increased playing time.

New to UW

Finally, Washington signed incoming freshmen Denzel Boston, a local player from Emerald High School. Boston will have to be a special player to get playing time in 2022. He may even redshirt. Wide receiver Jamarcus Shepard came from Purdue along with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.

Go Dawgs!

Related Story: Mock draft consensus on Huskie’s Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon

Are you excited by the Washington Huskies wide receivers in 2022? Let us know in the comments section below,

Share: