For information on advertising, please call Brandon Forbis at (206) 695-2562 Go Huskies Magazine is published four times a year by Huskies Sports Properties, in conjunction with the University of Washington Athletic Department
GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE
Huskies Sports Properties, 2825 Eastlake Ave E Suite 320, Seattle, WA 98102
All material produced in this publication is the property of Huskies Sports Properties and shall not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission from Huskies Sports Properties and the University of Washington Athletic Department Please send all address changes to the attention of Tyee Club at University of Washington; Box 354070; 202 Graves Building; Seattle, WA 98195-4070 or by email at huskies@uw edu
EDITOR: Dick Stephens
EDITORIAL SUPPORT: Charles Beene & Steve Hamilton
WRITERS: Bob Sherwin, Mark Moschetti & Bart Potter
PHOTOGRAPHERS : UW Athletics
ADVERTISING:
Brandon Forbis (206) 695-2562 — brandon forbis@ HuskiesSportsProperties com
ART DIRECTOR : Robert Becker
Football & Men’s Basketball Flagship Radio Station: 93 3
D FROM THE DESK OF MEN’S HEAD SOCCER COACH JAMIE CLARK
ear Huskies, With August upon us, it means fall sports are getting ready to go. It’s my favorite time of year, as at the start of a season anything is possible! Every year brings new challenges, new obstacles, and most importantly new possibilities. The slate is blank, but an offseason of preparation provides the unseen foundation from which we draw belief.
For me, it’s year 14 at the helm of the men’s soccer program, and the excitement never wanes. The enthusiasm and dedication of our student-athletes, along with the unwavering support of fans like you, keeps the fire burning.
For me, and our team, this year brings a new and exciting challenge as we join the Big Ten. It’s a step into uncharted territory, and with it comes a fresh set of hurdles and opportunities. The excitement to prove ourselves in a new league, pushing to win Washington its first conference title is real. With a lot to prove, the old adage, “Hungry dogs run faster,” rings true now more than ever. We plan on hitting the ground at full speed, and the Husky faithful will be beside us the whole way.
Here’s to a memorable year of pushing bound -
aries, embracing new challenges, and letting new teams know about the Washington Huskies. Go Dawgs!
Jamie Clark, Men’s Head Soccer Coach
UW Men’s Head Soccer Coach Jamie Clark
SHOWS DAWG
BY BART POTTER
This first-ever Weber State battle will feature QB Richie Muñoz’s air attack
Weber State Wildcats 2023: 6-5, 4-4 Big Sky Conference
AUG. 31 • 8 p.m. • Seattle • Big Ten Network
Washington’s first-ever meeting with Weber State of Ogden, Utah, pits the Huskies in their non-conference opener against a Wildcat team that made noise late in the 2023 Big Sky Conference season. True freshman quarterback Richie Muñoz took over as starter midseason, throwing for 1,054 yards and 10 touchdowns in five games and led WSU to three straight victories to close the season, including a win against then-No. 4 (FCS) Idaho. Weber will count on a return to health for senior running back Damon Bankston, who averaged 77.6 yards per game and 6.1 yards per carry in five games before a season-ending injury. Returning All-Big Sky linebacker Jack Kelly leads the Weber defense (12 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles in ‘23).
LAST MEETING: Teams have never met.
Eagles defense preyed upon MAC foes in 2023 with stingy linemen and CBs
The Eastern Michigan Eagles of Ypsilanti, Mich., will be looking for a fourth straight postseason bowl berth as they enter their 11th season under Coach Chris Creighton. EMU was strong on defense in 2023, ranking in the top half of the nation in most defensive categories and were stingy on fourth down, ranking 11th nationally and second in the MAC with a 35 percent success rate. On offense, prolific University of Buffalo transfer quarterback Cole Snyder will take the reins for the Eagles after passing for more than 5,000 yards in 25 games at Buffalo. The run game is bolstered by the return of Jaylon Jackson (136 carries, 576 yards in 2023).
LAST MEETING: Teams have never met.
New wave Apple Cup at Lumen Field for 112th Dawgs and Cougs showdown
Washington State Cougars 2023: 5-7, 2-7 Pac-12 Conference
The first Apple Cup in the post-Pac 12 era will be played in Week 3 on a neutral field in Seattle. Washington will meet a Jake Dickert-coached Cougar team facing uncertainty about its conference future but with promising talent ready to compete for playing time in key spots. Top contender to fill the void left by the transfer of QB Cam Ward to Miami (3,732 yards, 25 TDs in ’23) is redshirt sophomore John Mateer of Little Elm, Texas. Wideout Josh Kelly’s portal exit to Texas Tech leaves pass-catching mainly in the hands of incoming transfers Kyle Williams (40 catches, 541 yards, five TDs at UNLV) and Kris Hutson (40 catches, 472 yards at Oregon in 2022).
LAST MEETING: 2023 – Washington 24-21. SERIES: Washington 73-32-6.
Big Ten debut features former Vandy and Mississippi State gunslinger Mike Wright
Northwestern Wildcats 2023: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten Conference
SEPT. 21 • Seattle • Time and TV TBD
David Braun had his “interim” tag lifted as Northwestern’s head football coach in November 2023 on the way to leading the Wildcats to an 8-5 record that included a Las Vegas Bowl victory over Utah. Braun was named consensus Big Ten Coach of the Year for turning a 1-11 team in 2022 into a winner in his first season. Former Vanderbilt and Mississippi State QB Mike Wright will step in as signal-caller, grad student Cam Porter (168 rushes, 651 yards) is a known quantity at running back and Bryce Kirtz (14.3 yards per catch) leads an experienced receiver group. Grad student linebacker Xander Mueller figures to be the best tackler on what projects as a strong Northwestern defense.
LAST MEETING: 1984 – Washington 26-0. SERIES: Washington 3-0.
East Coast away game will look to stifle Big Ten rushing leader Kyle Monangai
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2023: 7-6,
3-6
Big Ten Conference
Sept. 27 (Fri.) • 5 p.m. • Piscataway, N.J. • Fox
Washington travels to Piscataway to play Rutgers, which last season recorded its first winning season and bowl victory since 2014. The Scarlet Knights under Greg Schiano feature physical defense and a run-heavy offense, and with talent returning on both sides of the ball, they’re the team no one in the Big Ten wants to play. Senior stud Kyle Monangai led the Big Ten in rushing with 1,262 yards (with eight touchdowns) and was Pinstripe Bowl MVP — he’ll operate behind an offensive line that returns four starters. Quarterback is a question, but the o-line will help here, too — the unit allowed the fewest sacks in the conference last year. Senior linebacker Mohamed Toure (93 tackles in 2023) leads an experienced defense.
LAST MEETING: 2017 – UW 30-14. SERIES: Washington 2-0.
Championship rematch: Sherrone Moore’s new team led by RB Donovan Edwards
Michigan Wolverines 2023: 15-0, 9-0 Big Ten Conference
Oct. 5 • Time TBD • Seattle • Big Ten Network
Two teams that look very little like those that met for the national championship in January will face off in Seattle in a key Big Ten matchup. Michigan beat Washington, 34-13, in that title game, but the Wolverines lost their head coach and tons of talent to various destinations … just like the Huskies. The cupboard for new Michigan Head Coach Sherrone Moore is hardly bare. The defense, featuring DT Mason Graham, 6-3, 339-pound nose tackle Kenneth Grant and cornerback Will Johnson, should remain among the nation’s best. The offense should be fine, too, with junior Alex Orji debuting at quarterback and senior running back Donovan Edwards (104 yards vs. Washington in the title game) working behind a solid offensive line.
First UW showdown in 29 years Iowa only allowed 14.8 ppg in 2023
Iowa Hawkeyes 2023: 10-4, 7-2 Big Ten Conference
Oct. 12 • Time TBD • Seattle • Big Ten Network
Offense is the question in Iowa City. Quarterback Cade McNamara is so far not the answer. McNamara helped lead Michigan to the Big Ten title in 2021, was benched in 2022, then transferred to Iowa for 2023 as the designated savior for the Hawkeyes’ anemic offense. Then played only five games due to injury as the team averaged 234.6 yards per game, 133rd in the nation (dead last), scored 22 touchdowns in 14 games and averaged 15.4 points a game (132nd). McNamara is back for 2024. Thankfully, so is much of the defense, which had to be good for the Hawkeyes to win 10 games, and it was: 282.5 opponent yards per game and, critically, 14.8 points allowed, fourth best in the nation.
LAST MEETING: 1995 – Iowa 38-18. SERIES: 3-3.
Battle in Bloomington: Rebuilt IU has high hopes for portal star QB Rourke
Indiana Hoosiers 2023: 3-9, 1-8 Big Ten Conference
Oct. 26 • Time TBD • Bloomington, Ind. • Big Ten Network
New head coach Curt Cignetti takes over a program also needing an uptick on offense, and he worked the portal to acquire — and retain — talent on that side of the ball. The biggest get was former Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke (6-foot-5, 231 pounds) who amassed 8,479 yards of total offense in 33 quarterback starts at Ohio University. Wideout Donaven McCulley entered, then withdrew, from the portal — he led the Hoosiers in receptions (48) and receiving yards (644) in 2023. Cignetti’s former program, James Madison, yielded a cluster of premium defensive transfers, including all-Sun Belt Conference performers in defensive tackle James Carpenter (141 career tackles) and defensive end Mikail Kamara (17.5 tackles for loss in ’23).
LAST MEETING: 2003 – Washington 38-13. SERIES: Indiana 2-1.
West Coast whopper: USC looks to avenge last year’s 52-42 heartbreaker in LA
USC Trojans 2023: 8-5, 5-4 Pac-12 Conference
Nov. 2 • Time TBD • Seattle • Big Ten Network
Lincoln Riley, never lacking for offensive firepower in eight years as a college head coach, takes his Trojan program this season into the physical Big Ten with big shoes to fill at quarterback and big strides needed on defense. Redshirt junior Miller Moss, who threw for 372 yards and six touchdowns in the Holiday Bowl as No. 1 NFL draft pick Caleb Williams sat it out, will likely get first crack at the starting quarterback job. Mississippi State transfer Woody Marks stands to emerge as a multi-purpose star after 32 college starts at tailback. On defense, USC nabbed coordinator D’Anton Lynn from rival UCLA, where the Bruins improved from 87th nationally to 11th in one season under Lynn’s tutelage.
LAST MEETING: 2023 – Washington 52-42. SERIES: USC 52-30-4.
Lion’s lair: 106,000 PSU faithful to roar when Dawgs duel at Beaver Stadium
Penn
State Nittany Lions 2023: 10-3, 7-2 Big Ten Conference
Nov. 9 • Time TBD • University Park, Pa. • Big Ten Network
Penn State enters the 2024 season with new coordinators on both sides of the football for head coach James Franklin. Offensive coordinator Tony Kotelnicki had a leg up on day one of the job, with junior Drew Allar inked in to start at quarterback after a stellar 2023. Allar, 6-foot-5 and 238 pounds, threw for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns with two interceptions for the 10-win Nittany Lions. Senior wideout Julian Fleming, a transfer from Ohio State (80 career catches, 990 yards; 15.7 yards per catch in ’23), adds big-play potential to a thin receiver corps. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen can field strength on the edges with converted linebacker-to-defensive-end Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton, who combined for eight sacks in 2023.
LAST MEETING: 2017 – Penn State 35-28. SERIES: Penn State 3-0.
New helmsman DeShawn Foster brings UCLA to Jet City for 79th UW
meeting
UCLA Bruins 2023: 8-5, 4-5 Pac 12 Conference
Nov. 15 • 6 p.m. • Seattle • Big Ten Network
Things will look different for the UCLA Bruins in 2024, even beyond the program’s debut as a member of the Big Ten. After the dust had settled from the resignation of head coach Chip Kelly to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, the school hired former Bruin All-American and NFL running back DeShaun Foster as head coach. More dominoes fell: USC hired away UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, and successful NFL assistant Eric Bienemy was brought in to be the Bruins’ offensive coordinator. Former Husky star defender Ikaika Malloe was hired to be the new defensive coordinator. On the field in 2024, the Bruins will have talented pieces to attempt to fit together in a vastly different environment.
LAST MEETING: 2022 – UCLA 40-32. SERIES: UCLA 42-32-4.
Ducks
paddle though portal — CB Muhammad and QB Gabriel flock to Eugene
Oregon Ducks 2023: 12-2, 8-1 Pac-12 Conference
Nov. 30 • Time TBD • Eugene, Ore. • Big Ten Network
When the Big Ten admitted Washington and Oregon to its ranks, it also imported a fierce ready-made rivalry. The Huskies, who have taken three straight from the Ducks over the past two seasons, including the final Pac-12 championship game last December, travel to Eugene’s Autzen Stadium for the 2024 renewal in each team’s regular-season finale. Coach Dan Lanning’s Oregon program worked the portal to replace key personnel, notably acquiring quarterback Dillon Gabriel, last seen at Oklahoma (266 of 384, 3,660 yards, 30 TDs; 373 rushing yards, 12 TDs). Oregon got a portal steal from the Huskies in cornerback Jabbar Muhammad (Associated Press All-Pac-12 in ‘23), who is expected to lead the Duck defense along with senior defensive end Jordan Burch.
LAST MEETING: 2023 – Washington 34-31 (Pac-12 Championship Game). SERIES: Washington 63-48-5.
Giles Jackson WIDE RECEIVER
NEW BRAVE WORLD 20 24
Husky offense fully reloads depth chart for tough coast-to-coast Big Ten schedule
SBY BOB SHERWIN • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE
ymmetry should not be confused with similarity when it comes to the remarkably uniform starting points for the Washington and Arizona football programs, three seasons apart.
The Huskies, coming off their 14-1 season, losing to Michigan in the National Championship game, will open the 2024 season with 47 new scholarship players and just two returning starters, none on offense. Michigan ended the Huskies record 21-game winning streak and that once mighty roster has been depleted by transfers, graduations and the NFL — which featured a school record-tying 10 draftees.
Three years ago, entering the 2021 season, Arizona had lost 12 straight games then went on to lose eight more for a school record 20-game losing streak before winning one game, a 10-3 decision over a COVID-depleted Cal team on Nov. 6, 2021.
“One was coming off a 20-some winning streak as opposed to a 20-some losing streak at Arizona,” said UW first-year offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll. “The similarities are (were) both in a rebuild mode, but the difference is the culture here (UW) that has been ingrained for decades. They know how to compete.”
Carroll has seen both sides. He and five other Wildcat assistant coaches came to UW with Head Coach Jedd Fisch from Arizona during the offseason. They were part of that 20-game losing streak and the 1-11 season in 2021.
“We had zero expectations at Arizona. ‘We’re (Wildcat administrators) just glad you’re going to take care of the football program. We don’t have to think about it,’” Carroll said. “Here at Husky Nation, we compete for national championships, conference championships.”
Arizona did turn it around, which is the reason why Fisch and his staff were hired after Kalen DeBoer departed for Alabama four days after the Michigan loss. The Wildcats won five games the following year followed by a 10-3 record last season and an Alamo Bowl victory over Oklahoma. They know how to do it.
“We’re at our starting point here,” Carroll said. “We have a lot of revamping to do.”
Continued on page 12
Will Rogers QUARTERBACK
Offensive Line Packed with Portal Power
Besides being the offensive coordinator, Carroll, the oldest son of former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, is the offensive line coach. He had the same role at Arizona, as well as with the Seahawks (2015-20). It so happens that this unit needs the most revamping after four veteran linemen transferred out to Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma.
Entering spring, the Huskies had eight scholarship linemen as the staff brought in some needed experience through the portal: former Ohio State guard Enokk Vimahi, Portland State center/guard D’Angalo Titialii and Maryland tackle Maximus McCree.
There’s more experience from within, but sophomore center Landen Hatchett and junior guard Gaard Memmelaar, both coming off knee injuries, will need to be used sparingly until fully recovered.
“Both those guys have been in the program and kind of know what it takes in terms of the mentality, the work ethic and workload,” Carroll said.
There are also a bunch of promising true freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophomores vying for roles. Carroll said true freshman Paki Finau, 6-foot-5, 297 pounds, “had a heck of a spring. We tried to get him at Arizona. Essentially, it came down to Washington or Arizona, so eventually I’m going to get my recruits one way or another. He’s probably the closest one to getting in there.”
Demond Williams Jr. QUARTERBACK
Tight Ends
Corps: Moore and Otton
Staying on the line, Carroll said that there was a talented group of tight ends last year, but good ones remain. The starter likely will be senior Quentin Moore, the 6-6, 257-pounder from Inglemoor High.
“Quin is a big old creature out there, can move guys around and loves getting in the trenches and doing the dirty work,” said Car roll, who added that the tight ends will be particularly valued for their blocking ability to help the o-linemen. “Ryan Otton has battled through injuries but is another one who is going to be a physical guy. Even (freshman) Decker DeGraaf, who is just a young pup and has add ed 25 pounds, he’s going to throw it up in there, too.
“It’s a really cool group. We've taken some great strides. It’s just a matter of how far we can take these guys. This is a very tight endfriendly offense. There are three coaches on the staff that coached (John) Mackey Award winners. So, the tight ends will never be a forgotten element in this (pro-style) system. It’s wide open, man.”
Wide Receiver Depth Chart is New and Deep
What’s also wide open are wide receiver spots. UW must replace one of the best receiving corps in UW history, certainly the best in the nation last season. Rome Odunze (No. 9 overall pick by Chicago), Ja’Lynn Polk (37th overall pick, second round, by New England) and Jalen McMillan (92nd overall pick, third round, by Tampa Bay) took a ton of receptions, touchdowns and yardage to the NFL.
“You think there would be a big drop-off,” Carroll added, “but these guys have done great. Denzel (Boston, sophomore from South Hill, Wash.) had a breakout spring. He was fantastic for us.”
Jeremiah Hunter, who transferred to Washington after playing four seasons for Cal, has 143 career receptions for 2,056 yards and 13 touchdowns. Senior Giles Jackson, who caught a touchdown pass against Oregon for his first catch after missing five games with injury last season, played two years at Michigan before transferring in 2021. He knows how the Big Ten works.
“We have a really talented group,” he said. “We’ll be able to be explosive. We’ll use our size, and we have good depth, five or six guys who can really help.”
Running Backs Coleman and Ngata Will Carry the Rock
The running back position has some experience and some depth. Leading the pack likely will be junior Jonah Coleman, who also came over from Arizona.
“He had a breakout year for us this past season,” Carroll said. “He can make people miss, low center of gravity, really strong and dangerous out of the backfield.”
Carroll added that senior Daniyel Ngata, a transfer from Arizona State, had a great spring and will be in the mix. He said he’s anxious to see what senior Cameron Davis can do. Davis was injured in fall practice a year ago and missed the entire season.
Continued on page 14
Purple and Gold Forever
Remembering Our Heroes
Dave Williams, who still owns a University of Washington football record, and Bruce Stirling, the first Husky ever to win a conference men’s 1,500-meter track title, passed away earlier this year. We wish to honor their legacies.
Long before he became the very first Seattle Seahawk, Williams was a Washington Husky. Williams (1967), who performed not only on the football field but also on the track for the Huskies during the 1960s, died on June 19 in Amelia Island, Fla., following a lengthy illness. He was 78.
A two-time Associated Press All-American, Williams still owns UW’s single-game record for most receptions by a tight end, catching 10 passes in a 41-8 rout of Stanford in a Pacific-8 Conference game on Oct. 30, 1965. Just one week later, he caught another 10 in a 28-24 loss to UCLA.
For his career, Williams had 62 catches for 1,133 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also was a four-time All-American in track. At the 1966 NCAA national meet, he was fourth in the 440yard hurdles and sixth in the 120 hurdles.
Williams started his NFL career in 1967, playing first for the St. Louis Cardinals, and later for the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1976, Williams became the first player to sign a contract with the expansion Seahawks. But he never made it onto the field after injuring his knee during a summer track meet.
Bruce Stirling: Historic UW track pioneer
Stirling (1987), who won the 1987 Pac-10 title in the 1,500, died on Feb. 24 in Tacoma. He was 59.
A graduate of Roosevelt High School in Seattle, Stirling ran a winning time of 3:44.29. It wasn’t until 28 years later, at the 2015 Pac-12 meet, that another Husky man, Izaic Yorks, won the 1,500.
Stirling went on to post a then-school record of 3:39.89 to take eighth place at the NCAA Championships in Baton Rouge, La. That standard stood for 22 years.
In 1988, he ran his first sub-4 in the mile, clocking 3:59.10 at Oregon’s legendary Hayward Field. — Mark Moschetti
Dave Williams: Husky legend
Quentin Moore TIGHT END
Quarterback Rogers is SEC Record Holder 20 24
What makes this offense work, as with every offense, is the guy behind center. UW had one of its most prolific quarterbacks in school history last season in Michael Penix Jr., drafted with the eighth overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons. Senior Will Rogers, who was quite prolific for Mississippi State before transferring to Montlake, doesn’t need or want any comparisons.
“I’m not Michael Penix or anything like that,” Rogers told the media this spring. “I’m not going to be able to make some of the throws or the plays that he made. I’m my own self. With that being said, there’s just a confidence in myself that a lot of quarterbacks have. When I’m between the white lines, I like myself.”
Rogers played 43 games for Mississippi State, starting 40. He set 29 passing records at the school (most formerly held by Dak Prescott), finishing with the all-time school record of 12,314 yards and 94 touchdowns. He also set career SEC passing records for most single game (505 in 2021) and season (1,264) completions.
Carroll added, “Will’s training to be a pro, man. He has the right mindset, the mentality and the detail he puts into the position explains why he’s been so successful. This is his third system in three years. He's got a great command of the offense already. Great command of the pro-style. It’ll just be how far he wants to take it.”
His main backup and the school’s QB of the future will be fresh man Demond Williams Jr., a strong passer with the added benefit of speed.
The Huskies play the 13th toughest schedule in the country (it’s the Big Ten — get used to it), opening Aug. 31 with Weber State, then Eastern Michigan and Washing ton State before Big Ten play begins. Their toughest chal lenges will be Oct. 5, a rematch with Michigan at Husky Stadium, at Penn State Nov. 9 and closing the season at rival Oregon Nov. 30.
“You play in the Big Ten to compete against the best,” Carroll added. “You want to compete and prove yourself. To do that, you have to play a tough schedule. It’s all part of it.”
Hunter WIDE RECEIVER Jonah Coleman RUNNING BACK
“I’m big on relationships,” says former NFL coaching mastermind
Steve Belichick on building bonds as he rebuilds the Husky defense
SBY BART POTTER • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE
teve Belichick wasn’t ready, in late July, to establish any sort of pecking order among the defensive players in his charge as the defensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies.
He knew he had to get there sometime, well before the Huskies open the 2024 football season Sept. 7 against Weber State. He was still learning about his players and letting them learn about him and the new coaches of the position groups. There were a lot of new faces, on all sides.
He didn’t want to pre-suppose anything or rank any one player above or below another — not then. He had the month of August to do that part of his job — the job of placing the best defensive unit on the field that gives his team the best chance to win.
But first, he had to get to know his guys.
Continued on page 18
Steve Belichick DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Kamren Fabiculanan SAFETY
“I’m big on relationships,” he said. “I think that’s a huge part of coaching, developing relationships with players.”
Belichick spent the last 12 football seasons on the defensive coaching staff of the New England Patriots, where he was a part of five Super Bowls, with victories in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Belichick played four seasons of lacrosse at Rutgers before joining the Scarlet Knights football team as a long snapper for one season. He called the Patriots' defensive plays for four years (2020-23), while coaching linebackers (2022-23) and outside linebackers (2020-21). He worked with New England's defensive backs (2019) and safeties (2016-18).
His defensive coordinator job at UW is the first of his career where he’s not in charge of any defensive position groups.
Even if he wouldn’t name names, Belichick said he knew in those early days, and knows now, that there’s talent in every one of the Husky position rooms.
He knows, for instance, about a guy named Carson Bruener, whose relationship with ball carriers is typically violent. Bruener, a senior linebacker, was the Huskies’ third-leading stopper (86 total tackles) in 2023, despite starting only one of 15 games. He was named by coaches as the team’s most valuable special teams player at season’s end.
Elsewhere in the linebacker room, Belichick will look to two-year starter Alphonzo Tuputala (he calls him Zo) as a mainstay after the 6-foot-2, 230-pound senior totaled 140 tackles over 2022 and 2023. A fact his coach might appreciate: Tuputala won the team's Don James Perseverance Award after the 2021 season, when he played in five games after missing the first six with an injury.
For Belichick, it’s about relationships. Sixth-year safety Kamren Fabiculanan (he calls him Kam Fab) was one of the first Husky players he met in Seattle when Tuputala and Fabiculanan came up to talk to him about their former Husky teammate Myles Bryant, known to Belichick from his time on the Patriots roster. Belichick also can appreciate the experience Fabiculanan brings to the secondary after he recorded 26 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games for the Huskies last season.
Junior cornerback Elijah Jackson also brings needed seasoning and some pop to the Huskies’ recipe for 2024. The 6-1, 193-pounder from Carson, Calif., started all 15 Husky games in ’23 and had 61 tackles, fifth-best on the team.
It’s about relationships: Belichick said he established a rapport with Jedd Fisch when the new Husky head coach was quarterbacks coach for the Patriots in 2020. After Fisch built the Arizona Wildcats into a 10-win team in 2023 and then departed to coach Washington, he hired Belichick. Then, a solid group of Wildcat defensive players entered the transfer portal and landed with the Huskies … to
The most plug-and-play ready among the transfer ‘Cats might be cornerback Ephesians Prysock, who comes to Seattle as a junior after starting all 13 games for the Wildcats in 2023 and gathering 61 tackles, fourth-most on
Alphonzo Tuputala LINEBACKER
Jackson
Justin Harrington SAFETY
Sebastian Valdez DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Two other Arizona imports bring edge-rushing skills to UW after solid seasons for the Wildcats in 2023: 6-5, 227-pound sophomore Isaiah Ward (30 tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks) and 6-3, 217-pound junior Russell Davis II (16 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks).
Transfer issues that cost Zach Durfee most of his 2023 season were resolved in December, and the 6-5, 256-pound senior appears poised to contribute on the edge for the Huskies after posting 11 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss at the University of Sioux Falls in 2022.
The transfer portal also yielded two All-Big Sky Conference honorees for the Huskies. Defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez (6-4, 305) put up career numbers of 122 total tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in three years at Montana State. Safety Cam Broussard brings size (6-3, 193), physicality (73 tackles in 2023) and experience to Seattle after four years at Sacramento State.
Another Sacramento State transfer — 6-5, 292-pound DeShawn Lynch came to the Huskies, like Broussard, through the spring portal opening in May. Lynch registered 34 tackles and 4.5 sacks for Sac State in 2023. Broussard and Lynch have played together at every stop since high school football in Folsom, Calif.
Continued on page 20
Carson Bruener LINEBACKER
Broussard SAFETY
Hayden Moore
SAFETY
The May portal also brought in potential contributors and needed depth to the Huskies’ defensive roster:
• A premium prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, redshirt freshman linebacker Hayden Moore (6-2, 222) transferred from Michigan, where he saw no game action as a true freshman last year. He was credited with 197 tackles (95 solo) in his senior season at Regis Jesuit High in Parker, Colo., and was named all-state and Denver Post All-Colorado.
• Sophomore edge Jayden Wayne (6-6, 245), who prepped at Tacoma’s Lincoln High School, will look for playing time with the Huskies after his transfer from Miami (Fla.). He had 13 tackles in eight games for the Hurricanes in 2023.
• Safety Justin Harrington (6-3, 209) will play a seventh year of college football on Montlake after an injury ended his 2023 season at Oklahoma after two starts. Harrington started his college career at Bakersfield (Calif.) College, where he had 97 tackles and seven interceptions over two seasons.
It’s about relationships: In July, Belichick was looking ahead to the beginning of fall camp about a week ahead. All the pieces were in place … so let the competition begin.
In spring practice, Belichick said, he made sure every defensive player on the roster had room and reps to demonstrate his worth.
“I think they felt like they were getting a fair chance to compete,” he said. “If you’re a leader, then you need to lead people and bring people along and put targets ahead of them so they can hit their targets. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
Cameron
Kamren Fabiculanan SAFETY
QUESTIONS
A CONVERSATION WITH MARK MOSCHETTI FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE
When an athlete reaches a championship competition in any sport, many of them will make sure to offer thanks to someone who has been with them every step of the way.
Last January in Houston, University of Washington linebacker and special teams player Carson Bruener had one of those special moments.
When the Huskies made their ceremonial walk across the field inside NRG Stadium prior to kick off against the Michigan Wolverines, Bruener wasn’t wearing his customary No. 42.
Instead, he wore the No. 85 jersey that his father, Mark Bruener, wore in the 1992 Rose Bowl — which also was against Michigan. Normally, that jersey was framed inside his parents’ home in Woodinville before Mark took it down, removed the jersey, and brought it to Houston for the game.
Carson then put his regular jersey back on for the game.
Now, he is back for his senior season, coming off an outstanding 2023 campaign that included recognition for his work both on the field (All Pac-12 Honorable Mention) and in the classroom (College Sports Communicators Academic All-District).
In this issue’s 10 Questions, Bruener talks about becoming a top-caliber player, looks ahead to Washington’s first year as a member of the Big Ten, and shares some thoughts about that special moment in his dad’s jersey.
LIKE FATHER,
LIKE SON
Defensive dynamo
Carson Bruener
is ready to roll and loves “playing for the W on our chest and helmet”
Linebackers don’t always get a lot of spotlight, yet it’s one of the most important positions. What was one thing that attracted you to playing at and ultimately excelling at this position?
“One thing that attracted me to linebacker was the role of being the quarterback of the defense: Communicating the play to all 10 teammates on the field, taking control, and having the opportunity to fly around defending the run as well as the pass.’’
After each week’s practices are done and all the films have been watched and all the schemes have been discussed with the coaches, how do you in your own individual way get ready to go on game day?
“The night before, I like to triple-check everything, go through my install and make sure I’m dialed on all calls, checks, etc. Then when it comes to game day, making sure I can keep myself composed and calm throughout the day, listening to country/Christian music. But then when we get to the stadium before running out of the tunnel, it’s all hype from there.’’
You’re so valuable on the defensive side of the ball and on special teams. But if you could play on the offensive side, what position would you want to play, and why that position?
“I would love to play tight end. That’s a position I grew up watching as my dad played it, and I feel like that position would give me the best opportunity to excel on the field.’’
Looking back, was there a particular moment last year when it clicked in your mind that the team could go on to achieve all the things that it achieved?
“I don’t know if it was one singular moment. But I could say after we beat Oregon midseason at home, we knew we were going to be really good. We did a great job blocking out all the outside noise coming in and just focusing on what we can control. I feel like that was one of the main reasons why we achieved what we did.’’
Looking ahead to this year — different talent, different coaching, different experience, different conference — what do you see as a possible intangible or X-factor that could play a key role in helping the team be successful?
“I think the one thing that can make this team really successful is us coming together and playing for the W on our chest and helmet. We have a lot of new players and coaches on this year’s team. But one thing that hasn’t changed is our determination to make it back to the big game and coming away with a win.’’
Speaking of different coaching, how has the transition been for you to Head Coach Jedd Fisch and his assistants — specifically the assistants you’ll be working with every day?
“The transition has been great. Fisch and I have built a great relationship thus far. On the assistant side of things, coach (Robert) Bala has been a great addition to our room. I already have been able to learn a lot from him to develop my game to the next level, and I’m looking forward to playing for him this upcoming season.’’
You and UW are now part of the Big Ten. In fact, it has been a whirlwind of change since you and the rest of the Huskies gathered for last year’s preseason training. What has it been like for you digesting all of that change and just getting a grasp on it all?
“To be honest, I haven’t thought much about the transition over to the Big Ten, leaving the Pac-12 and so forth. My main focus right now and through the season is to do what I can do to help this team win games.’’
It seems as if every game on this year’s schedule is a headliner of some sort: Washington State at Lumen Field. A national championship rematch with Michigan. USC. UCLA. Oregon. Any of those games in particular that already has your competitive juices flowing?
“One game in particular that I am looking forward to playing is the national championship rematch (against Michigan) at Husky Stadium. I know Husky fans are going to show up and show everyone why Husky Stadium is the Greatest Setting in all of college football.’’
Along with being an All-Conference player, you are an Academic All-District student-athlete, majoring in communication. What’s your approach to balancing the time demands of football with also being successful in the classroom?
“Balancing both is never easy. But one thing I have focused on is maintaining a schedule and sticking to it, making sure you get your schoolwork done and on time so I can focus on football when it comes time for that.’’
Your dad, Mark, played on the 1991 UW national championship team. At last season’s national championship, you wore his 1992 Rose Bowl No. 85 jersey in the walk across the field, then switched to your regular No. 42. What was that moment like for you?
“That moment was very surreal. Being able to wear his jersey pre-game then flip to my own will be something I will cherish for a long time and never forget.’’
JEDD FISCH
is embracing the new opportunity for greatness at UW as the change agent leading the program’s overhaul
IBY BOB SHERWIN • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE
t’s an accepted truth that people generally don’t like change. It creates fear and anxiety. Change means leaving your comfort zone and dealing with uncertainty over what’s ahead.
That’s not what Jedd Fisch believes. The first-year head coach of the Washington Huskies has experienced enough changes for two lifetimes. Change is his charge, a directive for his entire football life.
He’s 47 and already has worked for eight NFL teams, six universities, one high school, one Arena League team and has held just about every job except assistant to the assistant traveling secretary.
“I’m good with no more change for a while,” said Fisch as he prepares for his first Husky season, the university’s first in the Big Ten (now 18) “It gets harder and harder to put things together. But, yeah, I don’t mind it (change). It’s an exciting time to put your own stamp on things. That’s what I like to do. That’s what makes it cool.”
The most remarkable aspect of all is the fact that he’s even coaching football, a sport he never played in high school or college, and not tennis, his preferred sport as a teen. He said he knew early on that he wanted to be involved with football, attending the University of Florida specifically to be part of Steve Spurrier’s program. It took him until his senior year and dozens of pestering notes until Spurrier finally made him a graduate assistant for one season, 1999-2000.
Asked why football, he says “that’s been written 4,000 times by now. I’ve worked really hard to do it. But this was 25 years ago. There’s been a lot of coaching since then,” suggesting let’s put that issue to rest. He has proven he can teach, direct, build, lead and turn a program around. Could there be a better example than Arizona (2021-23), with some striking similarities to what he faces presently at Washington.
The Wildcats were riding a 12-game losing streak when Fisch and his staff took over in 2021. They won one game in his first season. They won five the next season and were 10-3 with an Alamo Bowl victory over Oklahoma a year ago.
Fisch takes over a Husky program in the same relatively struggling state as his first year in Tucson, yet from a completely different perspective. Washington was 14-1 last season, losing in the NCAA National Championship game to Michigan. The Huskies then lost virtually their whole team — a school record-matching 10 NFL draft choices and dozens who ended their eligibility or transferred. Just two starters — both on defense — remain from that remarkable season.
“Based on where Washington was a year ago versus where Arizona was when we arrived, both programs are certainly involved in a complete overhaul of personnel,” Fisch said. “With 20 starters that would be new, if not all 22, we've got lot of work ahead of us to where we were the past two years and not fall back to some of the historical drops here.
“It’s a matter of how quickly we can teach the kids. We’re excited to teach our guys our brand of football and not talk about the past anymore.”
Fisch brought along seven coaches from Arizona to the Northwest. All were part of the Wildcat turnaround. They know what works. They have a shared vision with Fisch, along with similar backgrounds, paying their dues, learning the trade and moving up the coaching ladders.
Except for running back coach Scottie Graham, in his fourth year of coaching after 21 years on NFL/college administration staffs, the six other former Wildcat staffers have a combined 29 years of college/NFL coaching experience.
Continued on page 26
All those stops, all those job changes, have provided a wealth of experience and knowledge.
“I believe in our process, and I believe in our people,” Fisch said. “It’s a great challenge, that’s for sure. It’s going to be quite a challenge to be in the Big Ten, playing on a weekly basis. It’s one of the top two (with SEC) conferences in college football. The national championship game last year was Michigan vs. Washington, two Big Ten teams were fighting it out.”
Change upon change. New conference, new staff, new team, new everything.
“The defense is brand new, the offense is brand new, the special teams (approach) is brand new. There’s nothing that has carried over. The staff is brand new,” he said. “So, when you have everything that’s brand new, there’s going to be a learning curve. We’re going to have to deal with the obstacles that come with that.”
Fisch is confident the Husky players can handle everything thrown at them. It’s not like they’re not used to this kind of thing.
“They’re accustomed to it around here,” Fisch added. “Some of our players have had four different head coaches. We have five or six guys that were recruited by Chris Petersen that are still on this team. We have players that have transferred from two different institutions. We have to deal with all that in the 2024 world of college football.”
Level Up: Huskies Are Ready
Huskies prepare to rotate into a conference featuring a legacy of volleyball excellence
YBY MARK MOSCHETTI • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE
ear in and year out, they contended for Pac-12 Conference volleyball titles, along with the likes of Oregon, Southern California and UCLA. This fall, the Washington Huskies hope to contend for another conference crown.
And once again, they’ll have to deal with Oregon, Southern California and UCLA. But they’ll also have to deal with Nebraska, Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue, and Minnesota, among others. All of those perennial volleyball powers are now part of the Big Ten, a conference that has had at least one national tournament finalist in six of the past nine years.
“The Pac-12 was a great conference, filled with a bunch of great volleyball schools,” secondyear head coach Leslie Gabriel said. “So, for us, we won’t be a stranger (to playing top-caliber teams). We’re excited to go to some of these schools and play and compete, and we’re excited to bring those teams to our school and our fans.”
Between the 14 Big Ten holdovers and the four Pac-12 newcomers, seven teams played in last year’s NCAA tournament. Nebraska went all the way to the finals before being swept by Texas, 3-0. Wisconsin reached the semifinals. Oregon was a quarterfinalist. Southern Cal, Penn State, Purdue, and Minnesota all advanced to the second round.
Nebraska (No. 2), Wisconsin (No. 3) and Oregon (No. 7) all finished in the final national top 10.
Coming off a 16-15 season in which an NCAA invitation eluded them for the first time since 2000, the Huskies are looking to get back into that elite group. Gabriel has plenty of experienced talent to help them reach for it.
Heading the list is 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter Madi Endsley, who led the team with 341 kills (3.10 per set), hitting .220. Also returning are 6-1 junior outside hitter Audra Wilmes (281 kills / 2.40, 41 service aces, 217 digs) and 6-2 sophomore middle blocker Katy Wessels (87 blocks with 11 solos).
Wessels, who started all 31 matches, made the Pac-12 All-Freshman team, as did sophomore 6-1 outside hitter Kierstyn Barton. She started 23 matches, had 279 kills (2.79), 140 digs, and was a three-time conference Freshman of the Week.
Others back in the fold are 5-11 junior setter Molly Wilson (934 assists, 273 digs in 30 starts), 6-4 sophomore middle Elise Hani (92 blocks/10 solo) 106 kills in 30 starts and 5-8 senior libero Lauren Bays (team highs of 378 digs and 42 service aces in 29 starts).
More offensive punch is expected from the return of 6-3 outside hitter Emoni Bush, a redshirt junior who averaged 3.13 kills per set as a sophomore and was All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention but missed last season after shoulder surgery.
A pair of grad student transfers led their former teams in kills last year. Sophia Tulino, a 6-foot outside, slammed 261 (3.11) on .233 hitting for Santa Clara and was All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention. Kiune Fletcher, a 6-1 opposite, had 245 on .266 hitting for South Carolina.
“We’re excited about our depth at each position, and we’re excited to have a competitive gym,” Gabriel said. “When you bring a lot of good players together and they’re competing and getting after it, it creates a great environment and gets them ready to compete and get after it in our conference.”
Kierstyn Barton
Katy Wessels
Audra Wilmes
Lauren Bays
Molly Wilson
Blazing New Trails
UW women among front-runners — men ready to make their mark in the Big Ten ranks
The Washington women won the last Pac-12 title. Now, they’ll try to win their first Big Ten crown.
With six returners back from the team that went from conference champion to a top-10 finish at the NCAA nationals, the Huskies certainly will be considered among the front-runners in their new conference home.
Maurica Powell, the reigning West Region Coach of the Year, welcomes back her top four scorers from the national meet, at which Washington finished eighth, its best since 2011.
Leading the way is junior Chloe Foerster, who was 47th at NCAAs after placing seventh at Pac12s and 13th at Regionals. She subsequently went on to win the 1,500 meters at the Pac-12 outdoor championships last spring and made it to both the NCAA indoor (13th in the mile) and outdoor (22nd in the 1,500) meets.
Senior Sophie O’Sullivan was UW’s Pac-12 leader with a sixth-place finish and placed 56th at nationals. Also returning are juniors Julia David-Smith and Ella Borsheim. David-Smith joined O’Sullivan and Foerster in the top 10 at Pac-12s. O’Sullivan ran 12th in the NCAA outdoor 1,500.
Seniors India Weir and Tory Herman are the other two returning Huskies who raced for Washington at the NCAAs.
With Luke Houser (Brooks Beasts) and Joe Waskom (adidas) now running professionally, junior Nathan Green looms as the clear front runner for the Washington men. Green raced just twice last year, but came up big both times, placing third at Pac-12s and a team-leading 17th at West Regionals.
Also returning for coach Andy Powell is junior Evan Jenkins, who scored at both the Pac-12s (10th overall) and West Regionals (19th). Other returning postseason scorers are senior Leo Daschbach (16th at Pac-12), sophomore Jamar Distel (21st at Regionals) and sophomore Tyrone Gorze (19th at Pac-12).
Leo Daschbach
Nathan Green
Tyrone Gorze
Tori Herman
Jamar Distel
Evan Jenkins
Chloe Foerster
Ella Borsheim
Sophie O’Sullivan
Julia David-Smith
WOMEN’S SOCCER POISED FOR B1G THINGS
Kelsey Branson and the Dawgs are ready to take the pitch for their first season in the Big Ten. Photographs by RED BOX PICTURES To purchase Husky Athletics photography, visit HUSKIESPHOTOSTORE.com
