Terrell Bynum, Washington Huskies football.
The Washington Huskies receiver group will look very different in 2021. Transfers, both in and out, and new freshman arrivals mean there are a host of new faces to catch passes.
Starting receiver Ty Jones graduated from Washington in the spring. He transferred to Fresno State, where he will be receiving catches from former Husky quarterback Jake Haener. Jordan Chin took a similar route to Sacramento State.
All things seemed stable until early March. That’s when junior Puka Nacua decided to enter the transfer portal as well. Nacua was expected to compete for a starting spot this year. Instead, Puka moved his college career to Brigham Young University.
Right before spring camp started, two more receivers decided to leave Washington as well. Juniors Marquis Spiker (undecided) and Austin Osborne (Bowling Green) played sparingly, but their loss combined with other departures put a dent in the Huskies’ depth.
While there were several departures, the Huskies also brought in a few new arrivals. Right before spring camp, junior Giles Jackson announced he is transferring in from Michigan. In two seasons with the Wolverines, Jackson caught 24 passes for 309 yards and a TD.
Since Jackson won’t arrive on campus until June, he couldn’t participate in spring practice. When camp opens in the summer, expect him to contend for a starting job.
Also transferring in is Ja’Lynn Polk from Texas Tech. As a freshman, Polk played in all ten Red Raiders games, including seven starts. He finished the 2020 season with 28 catches for 264 yards and two touchdowns. His consistency stands out; Polk caught at least one pass in every game.
Terrell Bynum, a senior, is the only returning starting receiver from last season. As a junior in 2020, Bynum started three of the Huskies four games. A late injury against Utah in Game 3 ended his season. Up until then, he had 8 catches for 130 yards.
Aside from Bynum, only two other players who caught passes for the Huskies last season are back, redshirt freshmen Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan. Both saw some valuable playing time last season.
Odunze started the final game against Stanford in place of Bynum. He had five of his six catches in the game with 69 receiving yards. That was a great way for the coaching staff to get a good look at his abilities.
McMillan played three of the four games, starting against Stanford as well. His lone catch of the season was against Stanford for 16 yards. Their experience in the Huskies’ offense could give them a leg up.
One player who took advantage of his opportunity this spring was Taj Davis. He didn’t get on the field last year, so he came in hungry. Davis stayed with McMillan through most of camp and put himself in contention to be part of the 2021 receiver rotation.
McMillan, for his part, wasn’t bad, though. In the Purple and Gold game, he did a nice job of getting open. Redshirt freshman Sawyer Racanelli also played well and showed he’s not afraid to make catches over the middle.
There is cause to be optimistic about UW receivers. Make no mistake; this is a very raw group. After Bynum, the Washington Huskies’ next most experienced receivers are Jackson with 16 games and then Polk. Considering Polk has ten games under his belt, experienced might not be the right word. Also, keep in mind that Jackson saw most of his time on special teams. Following the transfer duo, Odunze and McMillan have a combined eight games.
There were other receivers fighting to make a name for themselves this spring. They are juniors Brennan Holmes and David Pritchard, sophomores Nick Juran and Camden VerStrate, and redshirt freshmen Charlie Fuller and Mason Wheeler.
Due to the overall lack of experience, Bynum has added weight on his shoulders to be a leader. According to Lauren Kirschman of the Tacoma News Tribune, the senior said he was up to the task during a spring practice presser.
“I feel like I have to take a big role, just teaching (the younger players) the little stuff — like defenses,” Bynum said. “They’re smart guys so they understand the offense, but just how to adjust the routes based off defenses and understanding coverages and blitzes and whatnot. But they’re picking it up fast. They’re young, but they’re smart.”
One player not mentioned, but a strong candidate for playing time next fall is four-star recruit Jabez Tinae. He was quarterback Sam Huard’s big target at Kennedy Catholic High School. 24/7 sports projects Tinae as someone who can come in and make an immediate contribution.
Summer camp will be interesting to see how the young guys move up to be possible starters and steady contributors. With one exception, the competition is wide open.