Washington Huskies football: Zion Tupuola-Fetui is down, but UW not out
Ed Stein
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The Washington Huskies suffered a tough blow on Wednesday when edge player Zion Tupuola-Fetui ruptured his Achilles tendon. Although his loss hurts, UW has enough depth to overcome it.
Just when things were going smoothly at Washington Huskies spring football practice, Murphy showed up and laid down the law. Star linebacker Zion Tupuola-Fetui left the field with a ruptured Achilles tendon. After evaluation, he could be out six to ten months.
In 2020, Tupuola-Fetui was a revelation for the Washington Huskies defense. Although he was expected to be a major contributor, ZTF dominated the opponents with seven sacks in UW’s four games.
Unfortunately, Tupuola-Fetui isn’t the only defensive star out of action. Before the spring sessions began, another Washington Huskies star announced his retirement. Laiatu Latu hung up his helmet for good due to a neck injury.
On many other college teams losing two players of Tupuola-Fetui and Latu’s caliber would be a death blow. The good news is the Huskies have outstanding depth in their front six (UW routinely plays with five defensive backs). They can overcome these setbacks.
Deep Team
Just as ZTF stepped up last season, when Joe Tryon and Levi Onwuzurike opted out, his injury opens the door for someone else. That someone is redshirt freshman Sav’ell Smalls. The five-star recruit from Burien, WA, saw limited action in three of the Washington Huskies four games. Smalls showed some of the talents that will make him a star at UW when he was on the field.
Another Husky player to watch for on the outside is redshirt senior Ryan Bowman. Injuries limited him to just two games in 2020 (another reason why ZTF picked up additional playing time). But over his U-Dub career, Bowman has 102 tackles in 38 games, including 24.5 for loss, 14 of which were sacks. They also added Texas A&M transfer Jeremiah Martin this spring.
Even with what they do have, Washington’s depth on the edges will be tested. The middle of their defensive front, however, is very strong and deep. Because of that depth, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see inside linebackers Eddie Ulofoshio, or MJ Tafisi see time on the outside.
So all is not lost Husky fans. Although ZTF is a great player, the Washington Huskies can overcome his loss because of their outstanding team depth. Besides, there’s a chance that Tupuola-Fetui returns by the end of the season.
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Do you think the Washington Huskies can survive Zion Tupuola-Fetui’s injury? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.