Huskies have continuity on offensive line, return experienced starters in 2021
When junior left tackle Jaxson Kirkland spoke to reporters at Pac-12 Media Day last month in Los Angeles, he said this Washington Huskies team is one of the most motivated he has played on.
“I would say guys are hungrier than ever,” he said.
Last season didn’t play out as planned. The Huskies won three of their four games, but had two more games canceled. They topped the standings in the Pac-12 North, but missed the conference championship game due to COVID-19, and didn’t pursue a bowl game, making a shortened season even shorter.
There’s more to see in a full season, and Kirkland wants UW’s veteran offensive line to set the tone.
The Huskies return five starters — including Kirkland, sophomore guard Ulumoo Ale, senior center Luke Wattenberg, junior guard Henry Bainivalu and sophomore tackle Victor Curne are projected to resume their roles — to a line that allowed only one sack in 2020.
Each of the five returners started every game last season. When it wrapped up, Kirkland was named to the All-Pac-12 first team, while Bainivalu, Curne and Wattenberg all earned honorable mention nods.
During the first week of fall camp, while other position groups sort out roles, the offensive line has remained mostly steady, with those five players taking nearly all of the first-team reps.
“That’s a huge confidence boost — just having us five,” Kirkland said. “Not many times does that happen when all five are returning. We see it as such a huge opportunity because we know what we’re capable of.
“Last year was literally just scratching the surface, and we think big things are in store for that group this fall.”
These five certainly have plenty of experience playing alongside each other, regardless of where they have lined up. Wattenberg and Kirkland have both been regular starters each season of their careers, Wattenberg having started 36 of his 42 games played across four seasons and Kirkland all 29 of his across three. Bainivalu has played in 27 games in three seasons. Ulumoo has appeared in 17 games and Curne in 11 both in two seasons.
“We gel so well together — all five of us,” Wattenberg said. “We move as one, and it just makes it that much easier to play O-line and see the defense.”
Beyond the five starters, the Huskies also return most of the rest of their room, including eight lineman with playing experience. They added two more recruits in the 2021 class.
“These guys get along really, really well,” offensive line coach Scott Huff said. “I feel like they’re the tightest group on our team and they’re even tighter than they were last year.”
The group builds chemistry off the field, too, when Huff breaks out his Big Green Egg grill and hosts his linemen.
“You see the pictures, he’s always cooking with his Green Egg and having those barbecues and he makes a lot of really, really good food,” Bainivalu said. “So whenever we all go over there it’s a good time. We eat a lot.”
Wattenberg said last time the group got together for a barbecue, tri-tip steak, sausage, mac and cheese, salad and ice cream bars were all on the menu.
Huff joked while speaking with reporters last week that his Twitter account mostly has two subjects — UW football and the grill.
“I do think guys like to eat, right? Especially the big guys,” Huff said with a smile.
It’s another way to build bonds in a position group that has already been so steady for the Huskies. Bainivalu said the continuity the line has, even in the early days of fall camp, “has been a big factor.”
“The fact that everyone has played together and we’re bringing everybody back has been a really big deal,” he said. “Everyone feels comfortable, and the fact that we feel so comfortable around each other, I feel like the offense has gotten a good kickstart with all of that going into camp.”
EXTRA POINTS
The Huskies held their first scrimmage of fall camp at Husky Stadium on Saturday. Here are some highlights:
▪ The first 11-on-11 period opened with the offense set up just outside of the red zone on the 25-yard line. Quarterback Dylan Morris guided the first-team offense and threw a 25-yard touchdown to Rome Odunze on the first play for the first of two offensive scores during the drill. Sean McGrew rushed for a 15-yard touchdown two plays later.
▪ Morris, graduate transfer Patrick O’Brien and five-star freshman Sam Huard each led five drives during the scrimmage, including a two-minute drill (the offense was actually given 1:30 on the clock) for their final drive. The offense scored two touchdowns during the scrimmage, first when Morris engineered a three-play drive by connecting with Terrell Bynum in stride for a 27-yard score, and later when Jay’Veon Sunday punched in a 1-yard score on a seven-play drive with Huard’s group.
▪ Cornerback Mishael Powell hauled in the first interception of the scrimmage on O’Brien’s first drive. O’Brien’s toss over the middle bounced off his tight end’s hands and directly to Powell.
▪ Two of the two-minute drills ended with end zone interceptions. Morris guided the first-team offense to the red zone on a 10-play drive — highlighted by a 24-yard toss to Odunze and a 27-yard dart to Cade Otton that set them up at the 2 — but his final throw on the run on fourth-and-goal was picked off by Julius Irvin. O’Brien’s drive stalled in the red zone. Huard then marched his group down the field, completing 5-of-7 passes on the eight-play drive — including an 11-yard completion to convert a third down near midfield — before his final throw was intercepted by linebacker Ben Hines to end practice.
▪ Peyton Henry connected on one of his two field goal attempts, wrapping up a seven-play drive by O’Brien’s group with a 26-yard field goal. His miss was from 50 yards out. Tim Horn capped the next 10-play drive by O’Brien’s group by connecting on a 25-yard field goal.
This story was originally published August 15, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
