UW’s cornerback competition is heating up as fall camp winds down

SEATTLE – John Richardson was irate with the corners and safeties during Thursday afternoon’s first position drill.

When Richardson called upon veterans to finish the drill on a positive note, the only cornerback tasked with stepping in was junior Ephesians Prysock.

But who can say he’s guaranteed a starting spot in this tightly contested battle?

“Who said save and solidify?” Richardson joked about Prysock being the one lock. “I’m missing that part. It’ll be a competition all the way up to Game 1.”

The UW cornerbacks coach, in his first season with the Huskies after one year with Jedd Fisch at the University of Arizona, is honored to be coaching at a place with such a rich history in its secondary. To him, it’s what the program is all about.

“It’s competition,” Richardson said. “It’s constantly competing to be the best versions of themselves. That’s something I don’t take lightly.”

Leading the new era for the “Death Row” secondary, Richardson had his corners participate in a drill where they wore boxing gloves on their hands while in press coverage.

It was a way to encourage them to rely on their feet, stop using their hands and focus on running, as hands are a byproduct of proper footwork for a defensive back.

“The goal is always to get the job done and not allow explosive plays,” Richardson said.

Compared to previous position rooms he’s been in, Richardson has never worked with a group that has a multitude of older players with game experience all vying for a starting spot.

Deciding on the two starting spots has been far from easy; every corner has had a chance to compete with the ones. For both Richardson and the corners, it’s all part of learning what “Death Row” is all about.

“That’s how it should be with all competitive guys that play football at the college level,” Richardson said. “They’re growing, they’re maturing and they’re gonna compete every day.”

While many positions on the Huskies are lacking veteran players, cornerback is not one of them.

Washington added a cornerback with extensive experience under the Husky coaching staff. With his 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame, hip mobility and quickness against wide receivers on the outside, Prysock has been penciled in the rotation.

A 2023 All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention, he recorded seven pass breakups, 61 tackles and an interception as a sophomore for Arizona last season.

Joining him are junior Elijah Jackson, one of the two returning starters from the national championship team, and senior Thaddeus Dixon.

Rotating in behind the starters last year, Dixon is playing the villain role during fall camp, doing whatever it takes to toughen up the team and push them when the competition isn’t up to standards.

Starting in their 52-42 victory over USC last season, the 6-foot-1 physical cornerback came up with a season-high six tackles. As a competitor, starting matters to him, but he acknowledges that they’re all making each other better. There’s no bad blood; it’s just part of the grind.

“I was born a competitive man,” Dixon said. “That’s one of the main reasons I stayed. I just love competition.”

For him, as Richardson noted, it will come down to balancing aggression, adjusting to the referees and understanding the flow of the game.

Jackson, who won over Husky fans last season by swatting away a pass on the final play of the Sugar Bowl to preserve a 37-31 victory over Texas, is another player who has started at this level. Starting all 15 games in 2023, he finished the season with 61 tackles, ranking fifth on the team.

A four-star prospect who flipped from Oregon, redshirt freshman Caleb Presley has been adjusting to the college game’s pace and learning the intricacies of the position following an injury-plagued season, according to Richardson. Presley might lead a shortlist of freshmen who are in contention for playing time this season, joined by redshirt freshman Jordan Shaw and Curley Reed III.

“He’s been growing,” Richardson said of Presley. “Just like any adversity we all face in life, you have to work through it to get back on the field. That’s what he’s doing right now and he’s doing a good job at it.”

Another player who has excelled with the opportunities given is junior Darren Barkins. During a full-field live no huddle walk-through to end practice, Barkins made an acrobatic play, going up to get an interception off freshman quarterback Demond Williams Jr.

Entering the cornerback competition this past spring, redshirt freshman Leroy Bryant appeared in seven games for Kalen DeBoer’s coaching staff, including three postseason games, preserving his redshirt status. After leaving practice Monday to get treatment, he did not practice Tuesday and Wednesday, and there is no timetable for his return.

At the end of the day, Richardson and his staff are seeking players with a “next play” mentality – those who never turn down an opportunity, because it’s how they finish the game, not how they start it, that truly matters.

“These guys just keep coming out daily with energy,” Richardson said. “In the dog days of camp – when you don’t even know what day it is – it’s all you can ask for.”