One of the most anticipated seasons for the Washington Huskies, at least since the season after Huskies went to the College Football Playoffs in 2016, will commence tomorrow morning with the first practice of fall camp. The 2023 Washington roster brings back almost all of the contributors from the previous season, leading to exceedingly high expectations for the upcoming season.
While most position groups bring back a ton of previous players, there are several key position groups in transition to keep an eye on.
Cornerback: There was been some shakeups in the secondary with Dominique Hampton moving from the Husky position to safety and Mishael Powell moving the the Husky. Stepping in are two transfers who could bolster the position and make it a strength. Thaddeus Dixon coming from the junior college ranks and Jabber Muhammad one is the Big12’s highest-rated corners will be getting reps with the ones and twos.
Interior offensive line: The Huskies will need to replace both guards and the center position going into the 2023 season. The O-Line was a major reason why the Huskies had such a resurgence in 2022. Some names I will be watching for are Julius Buelow, Gerrian Hatchett, Gaard Memmelaar, and Mateo Mele.
Dillon Johnson: The Huskies running back room is still full of familiar faces. Wayne Tualapapa graduates, the the staff brings in Johnson from the transfer portal. Johnson looks like he will bring a little more to the passing game. It will be to see what he looks like in person.
Edge: The Huskies bring back two future NFL players in Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Bralen Trice and the other two have left the program (Jeremiah Martin to the NFL, Sav’ell Smalls to Colorado). The Huskies found a promising prospect from Sioux Falls in Zach Durfee along with guys like Voi Tunuufi, Lance Holtzclaw, and Maurice Heims. A combination of those guys all have the opportunity to see a bunch of snaps in high leverage situations.
There will be a ton of storylines as fall practices continue, but those are the important positions to keep an eye on this fall.
