Last Saturday afternoon the Washington Huskies had the ball first and goal from the Arizona 8-yard line.  Lining up off of left tackle Troy Fautanu’s left hip was UW tight end Jack Westover.  The Wildcats knew that when Westover is normally lined up there he’ll be in motion and they adjusted before the snap.  In what started out as a typical run-pass-option ended up being old-fashioned option play to Westover who had sprinted behind the offensive line ahead of Washington quarterback Michael Penix.  The former walk-on was enough of a threat to take the pitch from Penix that he pulled the defender out wide enough to give his QB enough space to score on the keeper.  Call it a run-pass option option.

“He has been so impressive on this drive that he puts everybody in a bind,” Roth said of the impact of Westover’s motion on the Arizona defense on Penix’s 8-yard touchdown run.

Roth continued on to talk about how much Westover was in the defense’s head on the play.

“Defenses are saying, ‘Do I go to Westover?  Is he going to get the ball?’,” Roth said.

Then with the ball in his hands, sometimes Jack decides to put the “over” in Westover, like on Washington’s next offensive series.  The tight end got lost in the wash and was left wide open on 2nd and 10 on a clever draw play.  Westover intentionally whiffed on block of the defensive end then hauled in the delivery from Penix.  He then he made one defender whiff then hurdled another with a leap from the Wildcat 45 yard line, coming down at the 42–right in front of an exhubarant Husky sideline.

The leap is something that Washington fans saw Westover do against Kent State earlier this season but receiver Rome Odunze says that he seen the move many times.

“We see that every day in practice,” Odunze said after the game on Saturday.  “The way that he gets up, his athleticism, it’s remarkable.”

The Bishop Gorman High product talked about the other problems Westover gives defenses.

“He’s dialed in.  He makes plays,” Odunze said after the game on Saturday.  “It’s so awesome to seem him break tackles.  He brings a lot of engergy to the offense.”

He brings a lot of heart to the offense, as well.  The play before the leap he was lined up as a out wide with Jalen McMillan and provided the block that gave Washington’s number 2 receiver a first down.

At a tight end in Washington’s explosive offense the 6-3 and 245-pound Westover is asked to block and catch a pass then go out and block some more.  But on the Penix touchdown he added a new role:  blocking without blocking as he drew the defender away from the ball giving Penix a clear path to paydirt.

“He puts the defenses in a predicament not knowing what that guy’s going to do,” Odunze said.  “He has so many moves, so many ways to make extraordinary plays.  It’s like, I don’t know if there’s anything you can do.”

Before the season teams didn’t know Jack, despite him playing in 14 games his first 3 seasons.  The top TE target was Cade Otton who caught 91 balls 1026 yards and 1 TD for the Huskies between 2018 and 2021.

But in 2022 Westover is another stressor on an offense that’s filled with playmakers in the nation’s number 1 passing offense.  Every week his role has expanded.  After being targeted twice in each of Washington’s first three games, all chain-moving receptions, he’s been targeted 16 times since the Michigan State game.

Pro Football Focus is taking note:

In fact, with the exception of the UCLA game the Mt. Si High School product has had an explosive play (15 yards or more) in each game this season, including a season-long 27-yards against MSU.  Here’s a look at his season totals heading into the Cal game:

–Kent State: 1 reception on 2 targets for 19 yards, long 19 yards

–Portland State:  1 for 2 for 15 yards, long 15 yards

–Michigan State: 1 for 2 for 27 yards, long 27 yards

–Stanford: 3 for 3 for 30 yards, long 21 yards

–Arizona State: 2 for 3 for 24 yards, long 12 yards

–UCLA: 3 for 5 for 24 yards, long 15 yards

–Arizona:  5 for 5 for 49 yards, long 26 yards

That’s a 73-percent completion rate between Penix and Westover.  Despite the duo going 16-22 for 188 yards, Westover has yet to find the end zone.  Prior to this season the tight end had 10 receptions for 74 yards and a single touchdown in 24 games over 3 seasons.

“When you’re watching the film you see a guy that’s going to hurdle you, truck you, juke you, it’s like dang,” Odunze said.

Now in an ever-expanding role in the nation’s number 1 passing attack Odunze might want to add to “Decoy you” to Westover’s repertoire.