Most of the Washington Huskies’ offense is intact from the 2023 season. Gone are the 3 interior offensive linemen, Henry Bainivalu, Jaxson Kirkland, and Corey Luciano but the rest of Washington’s offense returns intact. So, how does one climb the depth chart when there’s so much stability?
Here’s a look at five players who appear to have moved up in Washington’s offensive depth chart:
Receiver, Germie Barnard
Wide receiver Germie Bernard arrived in the winter and his off-season workouts were evident, looking more physically defined, in his legs particularly. His body control on difficult catches and catch radius on poor throws (which have been few) and savvy route running has moved him up the depth chart to where he’s probably the 4th receiver.
Running Back, Tybo Rogers
On Rogers very first carry of the spring, Rogers burst through a small hole created by his offensive line and he was gone. Now, it was a no-contact drill, but his burst was evident. Although the Huskies may like to redshirt him he may be the homerun hitter that the offensive backfield needs.
Running Back, Sam Adams
Alphabetically, Adams is at the top of the Husky roster. Athletically, he was at the bottom of the running back depth chart. But Jay’Veon Sunday left, as did Caleb Berry and Emeka Megwa. As others left Adams stuck it out and the 6-2, 206-pound son of Seahawks legend has found his way onto the field. Last season he played sparingly in 9 games recording 75 all-purpose yards and 2 touchdowns.
In the off season, the Huskies brought in Dillon Johnson from Mississippi State and Daniyel Ngata from Arizona State but both have been hobbled at times throughout the spring. Given his size, and growing skill set he looks like he’ll contribute in both the passing and rushing game.
Center, Parker Brailsford
Kirkland, Bainivalu, and Luciano left some pretty big shoes to fill. And, by them leaving Brailsford naturally moved closer to a larger role in the Washington offense. However, he appears to have passed Myles Murao to backup the probable new starting center Matteo Mele.
As one might expect, being 6-2 and 272 pounds Brailsford is one of the lightest on his feet, but he’s proven to be tough–and he will be tough to keep off the field this season.
Tight End, Devin Culp
Devin Culp has helped his case as a pass-catching TE this Spring. His athleticism has always been off-the-charts, but now it looks like his eyes and hands have caught up with the rest of his body. For his final go-round with the Huskies, Culp appears to be on the verge of a breakthrough.
The Huskies “traded” quarterback Sam Huard for Josh Cuevas and he’s shown out, as well. Call it responding to the challenge, being a senior–whatever, Culp should be a major contributor this season as the Huskies look to make teams defend every blade of grass this upcoming season.
In all, the nation’s 2nd best offense, in terms of yards per game, has found a way to get better at several positions. Some with off-season additions, some with natural maturation, but also by raising the quality-level in positions.
RealDawg.com will be on hand for tomorrow’s Spring Game at Husky Stadium all day.
