UW preview: Loaded with offensive weapons, Huskies primed to make run for Pac-12 title
2022 record: 11-2 overall, 7-2 Pac-12
Coach/coordinators: HC Kalen DeBoer, OC Ryan Grubb, DC William Inge and Chuck Morrell.
Storylines
Going out with a bang: Washington will depart the Pac-12 after the 2023 season and join the Big Ten. The Huskies are looking to go out on top. Washington won the conference’s first championship in 1916, and the Huskies have claimed 16 Pac-12 titles since then. This team might be right up there with the best of them. The Huskies return a ton of talent from their 2022 team, which went 11-2 under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer.
Passing offense takes center stage: QB Michael Penix Jr. could have been an early round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, but he wanted to accomplish more at UW. All of Penix’s top targets came back, too. Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan are perhaps the two best receivers in the Pac-12, and Ja’Lynn Polk is an excellent No. 3. The trio totaled 2,937 receiving yards and 22 TDs last year as the Huskies finished the season ranked No. 1 nationally in passing offense and No. 2 in total offense.
Crowded at the top: The Huskies have championship aspirations, but so do several other teams in the Pac-12. Southern California, Utah, Oregon and Oregon State each won 10 or more games last season. Washington will face them all in 2023. The Huskies can’t afford any slip-ups in the softer parts of their schedule.
Strengths
Elite QB, receivers: UW enjoys a Heisman Trophy hopeful at quarterback and a couple of All-American candidates at the receiver positions. The Huskies were the nation’s top passing team last season. This year, UW might be even more productive through the air.
D-line among Pac-12’s best: Bralen Trice is one of the nation’s top edge rushers. Edge Zion Tupuola-Fetui (12½ career sacks) is returning to form – he was an All-American in 2020 – after a couple of down years. The Huskies also return both of their starting defensive tackles in 317-pounder Faatui Tuitele and Tuli Letuligasenoa. The Husky defense should be stellar up front in 2023 after ranking 21st nationally last year in sacks (37) and 26th in rushing defense (121 yards allowed per game).
Weaknesses
New-look secondary: Washington’s most problematic position group last year, the Huskies had just seven interceptions and finished the season ranked 111th nationally in pass-defense efficiency rating. There’s still uncertainty on the back end, with new starters at four of five positions.
Running back position takes hit: UW lost standout tailback Wayne Taulapapa to graduation, then lost projected starter Cameron Davis to a season-ending injury during fall camp. The Huskies will likely roll with transfer Dillon Johnson, who shared snaps last year at Mississippi State.
Players to watch
QB Michael Penix Jr., Sr.: A Heisman Trophy candidate and a potential first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Indiana transfer emerged as a Pac-12 star last season. He earned an all-conference nod after passing for 4,641 yards – second nationally – and 31 touchdowns against eight interceptions.
WR Rome Odunze, Jr.: Odunze is a unanimous first-team preseason All-American after pacing the Pac-12 last year in receiving yards (1,145). The 6-3, 215-pound junior is unquestionably the most talented receiver in the conference.
WR Jalen McMillan, Jr.: Arguably the second-best receiver in the Pac-12, McMillan is also a preseason All-American and joins Odunze on the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award – given to the nation’s top receiver. Last year, McMillan amassed 1,098 yards and led the conference with nine receiving TDs.
Edge Bralen Trice, Jr.: Washington’s most valuable defender, Trice is a unanimous preseason All-American. He landed on the all-conference first team last season after leading the Huskies with nine sacks.
Pac-12 Conference tiers
Championship contenders: USC, Washington, Utah, Oregon, Oregon State.
Bowl teams: UCLA, Washington State, Arizona, Arizona State.
The rest: Cal, Colorado, Stanford.