Commentary: Pressure is on for retooled UW football to deliver another season of euphoria

SEATTLE – Which Montlake figure would you least want to be right now?

Would it be new Washington Huskies football coach Jedd Fisch? That might be a place to start.

It wasn’t too long ago that Fisch was the toast of Tucson, leading a dormant Arizona program from a one-win season in 2021 to a 10-win season in 2023. That’s an impossible achievement without a top-tier recruiting plan and a first-class coaching staff, each of which could be attributed to Jedd.

A couple of more years of that and the Wildcats might have been challenging the men’s basketball team for the scepter of the city. But then the Huskies job opened up and Fisch took it … replacing the man who just led Washington to the national championship game.

Nobody will argue that Washington has been a vastly superior football program to Arizona over the decades. And UW’s jump to the Big Ten likely ensures that it will have the ability to compete for national titles in a way the Big 12-bound Wildcats won’t.

Still, to replace Kalen DeBoer as head coach in a new, more athletically prestigious conference sans more than a handful of familiar names on the roster? Who is facing more stress?

Oh, maybe quarterback Will Rogers.

Rogers can relate to Fisch in a few ways. He achieved notable success at Mississippi State, where he averaged 4,081 passing yards over his sophomore and junior seasons – finishing in the top 10 in yards per game both years. He suffered a left shoulder injury his senior year, but is all the way back and ready to start at Washington.

Only problem is … he is replacing Michael Penix Jr., the man who went 25-3 in his two seasons at UW while finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting last year.

What does it feel like to be a Mercedes replacing a Maserati? Rogers has weighed in before.

“I mean, it’s obviously going to be really tough to do what Mike did last year. He was pretty successful and really talented,” Rogers said. “I’m not Michael Penix or anything like that. I’m not going to be able to make some of the throws and the plays that he made.”

But will fans give him grace? Will they do the same for Fisch?

These are hard things to measure, of course. Message boards and social media posts don’t necessarily reflect the general public. These aren’t exactly enviable positions to walk into, though.

Same with the offensive line.

Not a single starter from that five-man unit is returning this season. The group that allowed just 12 sacks all season and finished fifth in the country in sacks allowed per game has been totally renovated. You could say that about most position groups.

Would you want to be any of the receivers who have to replace Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk or Jalen McMillan, who went in the first, second and third rounds in last spring’s draft, respectively? Probably not.

Will fans have patience with them as well? Would a 6-6 or 7-5 season – entirely possible records given the roster turnover and schedule – be digestible to the die-hards that just experienced one of greatest, most entertaining and least expected two-year stretches in program history?

We might find out soon. Unless, of course, UW breaks off another stunning season and extends this streak of euphoria. Fisch said he has no idea what the final product will look like. But the floor could be below sea level for all we know.

What these coaches and athletes have going for them is they’re wired a little bit differently than most folks. A common joke is that a backup NFL quarterback has the greatest job in the world because all he has to do is carry a clipboard around on the sideline while cashing a seven-figure salary. It’s just that … that isn’t how elite athletes think.

My guess is that few members of this year’s Huskies squad are scared of having to live up to last year’s hype. It’s more likely that they are embracing the opportunity to showcase the team’s new identity.

Still isn’t easy. I suppose there might be less pressure given all the new faces. These players haven’t been hyped as a College Football Playoff contender. But Washington is a proud football school that just had one of its best seasons.

It’s always tough to be the new guy. That’s rarely been more true than with these Huskies.