Michael Penix Jr., Washington Huskies.
Friday, July 29, was Pac-12 media day marking the official opening to 2022 conference football According to a Pac-12 media poll, the Washington Huskies are expected to finish sixth this season, one spot ahead of archrival Washington State. Not bad for a team that finished 4-8 overall and 3-6 in the conference last year.
The Huskies began last season ranked in the top 25; however, they lost the opener to Montana 13-7. It was the first time UW lost to Montana in a century. That defeat sent the Huskies on a downward spiral.
Game 9 was the end of the road for Head Coach Jimmy Lake. His team lost to Oregon 26-16 in a game they should have won, but the offense went flat. The following Monday, Lake drew a one-game suspension from the university for hitting a player during a sideline dustup.
Defensive Coordinator Bob Gregory took over during Lake’s absence. Gregory’s tenure lasted a little longer than that one game. He finished the season’s final three games as interim head coach when Lake got the ax on November 14. The Washington Huskies lost all three that Gregory coached, including a pair to Pac-12 bottom-tier teams Arizona State and Colorado. The season ended on a sour note when WSU blew them out 40-13 in the Apple Cup
In December, Washington Huskies Athletic Director Jen Cohen took the program in a new direction by hiring Kalen DeBoer from Fresno State as UW’s new head coach. DeBoer has a reputation as an offensive genius, so the media feels he will turn the Huskies’ offense around quickly.
There is less than one month to go before the Huskies’ season opener against Kent State. Here are some key position battles to watch as Washington prepares for the 2022 season.
The first camp battle to look at is the most important position, starting quarterback. DeBoer’s offense at Fresno State last year was 14th in the nation. They averaged 327 yards per game passing, and with the Huskies’ talented group of receivers, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Washington could do the same this year.
DeBoer did not give any clue on media day who the quarterback will be though most feel transfer Michael Penix Jr. is favored to win the spot over incumbent Dylan Morris and redshirt freshman Sam Huard. Penix is most familiar with the offensive scheme since he played his first year at Indiana when DeBoer was the Hoosiers’ offensive coordinator.
Penix can be dynamic on the field, but a constant string of injuries sidelined a promising collegiate career. Both holdovers, Morris and Huard, have shown flashes, but neither highly regarded recruit has lived up to his pre-Husky hype. The offense was flat with Morris at the helm and worse when Huard took over for the season finale’.
DeBoer said he will most likely name the starter after the team’s second scrimmage. it wouldn’t be a surprise if one of the three transferred after the announcement.
According to Ourlads.com, Aaron Dumas, a sophomore transfer from New Mexico, tops the depth chart at running back. Dumas and redshirt freshman Jay’Veon Sunday were the only backs in spring camp healthy to play.
The Washington Huskies hope to have Cameron Davis and Richard Newton back healthy. Both men have shown they can be explosive with the ball in their hands,
Two other transfers, grad student Wayne Taulapapa from Virginia, and redshirt freshman Will Nixon from Nebraska, will compete for playing time as well. Neither was available for spring camp, so this August will be the Washington coaching staff’s first chance to evaluate them in the offense.
The offensive line is where the biggest battles will take place. Last season the line was a huge disappointment and a big reason why UW’s offense sputtered so badly.
Left Tackle Jaxson Kirkland was granted another year of eligibility after spring camp ended. A back injury forced him to withdraw from the NFL Draft, and he petitioned the NCAA for a return to Washington.
Last season Kirkland earned All-Pac-12 First-Team honors. He retained his spot in the 2022 preseason media poll.
It’s entirely possible he could move to right tackle because Penix and Huard are lefties, and he would be protecting their blind side. That could set up a very interesting battle on the opposite side.
Julius Buelow is currently listed as Kirkland’s understudy at left tackle. Last year he started five games at left guard, so he does have some flexibility. He would challenge Matteo Mele, currently UW’s number one RT on the depth chart. In 2021 he played in 10 of the Huskies’ 12 games and can slot in anywhere along the line.
The two starting guards are expected to be sophomore Troy Fautanu on the left and junior Victor Curne on the right. But don’t expect last season’s starter at RG Henry Banivalu to give up his job without a fight. Then there is Buelow to consider if he doesn’t win out at tackle.
Regardless of who starts at guard, the interior line needs to perform much better than it did in 2021.
Washington’s defensive backs were downright stingy last season, only giving up 77 yards per game. Even after losing another two players to the NFL Draft, the Washington Huskies once again return a great group of athletes to their defensive backfield. The safeties all have started at one point or another during their Huskies’ career, so who starts doesn’t really matter because they will all see significant action.
The main battle will be at the “Husky” or rover position, formerly known as the nickel back. Dominique Hampton, who played safety last year, has moved over to compete with last season’s backup Kamren Fabiculanan. This one could be interesting.
Last year, the Huskies’ defense yielded an average of 122 yards per game on the ground. That has to improve for Washington to have success in 2022. That’s why the hottest camp battle on defense is at inside linebacker.
According to ourlads.com, the two grad transfers, Kristopher Moll (Alabama-Birmingham) and Cam Bright (Pittsburgh) top the depth cart. Washington also has last season’s breakout freshman Carson Bruener listed as Moll’s backup.
It’s hard to believe Bruener won’t start. He showed he was a difference maker last season, finishing second on the Huskies in tackles. Bruener was voted as the team’s most outstanding freshman. The media selected him as a preseason All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention.
Even if Bruener doesn’t start every game, he will see plenty of playing time. It may come down to which linebacker(s) matches up best against each week’s opponent.
Washington Huskies fans, which training camp battles are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments section below.