As of right now, the biggest question on Washington’s defense, and arguably its entire roster, is at defensive tackle. After two members of the room transferred out following the 2021 season the depth at the position was concerningly thin, so much so that Ulumoo Ale, who played in all 12 games along the offensive line was converted into a defensive tackle.

While Ale has come on very strong throughout the spring, and before he suffered a leg injury in fall camp, relying on a converted offensive lineman to start right away along the defensive line isn’t necessarily a recipe for success. What is a recipe for success is the return of Faatui Tuitele. The former four-star defensive tackle from Hawaii suffered a leg injury in the spring, and it appears he’s been a full-go at practice for the past few days.

If Tuitele can come out and prove that he’s a dominant force in 2022, he and Tuli Letuligasenoa are going to be a lot of trouble for opposing offensive lines as the starting duo in the middle. But at one of the most dangerous positions on the field, having depth is important. The Huskies have guys that can be those depth pieces up front, but there are still questions surrounding them.

Kuao Peihopa has all the makings of a superstar, but the redshirt freshman needs to show that to the rest of the conference and put together a full season after suffering an injury in 2021. Voi Tunuufi put together a very productive true freshman year in 2021, but after cutting his weight down to 258 pounds, will he be as disruptive on the interior?

Then there’s sophomore Jacob Bandes, who still has a lot to prove, and could be a valuable asset if he takes a big leap forward in 2022. Finally, there’s redshirt freshman Siaosi Finau, who’s arguably the most athletic defensive tackle on the roster, but he hasn’t gotten any game action yet to show what kind of contributor he can be.

There’s a lot to be excited about up front, but there are also a lot of questions. It feels like the biggest leap is going to come from Tuitele, who showed flashes of brilliance last season, but thanks to the porous scheme against the run, didn’t have many opportunities to shine. That won’t be the case in 2022, and if he proves that he’s progressed as a run defender, he could wind up as one of the best defensive tackles in the Pac-12.