Fisch Not Shy About Playing Freshmen — Here's Who Might Have a Shot

Let the youth movement for the University of Washington football team begin, with plenty of jobs to be had for the young and the restless, and no one at the door checking IDs. 

Here comes new Husky coach Jedd Fisch, who promises to play first-year guys ad nauseam, or as many as necessary to plug glaring lineup holes for the coming season.

"We've played freshmen," the former Arizona football leader said. "At the last place we were at, we had a freshman All-American. Then we had another freshman All-American. I think we would have a third player who would have been one if he hadn't got hurt."

The aforementioned award winners were, in order, Wildcats freshman offensive guard Jonah Savaiinae two years ago and redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Fifita last year, while highly regarded offensive guard Raymond Pulido suffered a preseason bicycle accident and a football-season ankle injury that forced him to miss seven of the 13 Wildcats games last year, including the Washington game. 

The 6-foot-6, 335-pound Pulido was the coach's prize recruit in the desert, flipping his commitment from Alabama to Arizona late in the process, probably encouraged by the idea of instant playing time.

Kalen DeBoer's Husky football staff had no trouble putting freshmen on the field when you'd least expect it, with wide receiver Denzel Boston suddenly inserted on the opening drive against Oregon in Eugene in 2022, but it wouldn't start them. The coaches almost did, suggesting that then-freshman Jaivion Green would open at cornerback against California two years ago before pulling back on that plan.

When Fisch faced the UW in  Seattle in 2022, he started three freshmen and had another 11 true or redshirt freshman penciled in as back-ups.

Last season against the Huskies in Tucson, his lineup counted three redshirt freshmen in the opening lineup and another six youngsters waiting in the wings as back-ups. Again, without the ailing Pulido.

"So we feel comfortable playing true freshmen or redshirt freshmen in the same regard here — I believe the same," Fisch said. 

All of this made everyone who monitors the continual reshuffle of the UW football team to ponder who exactly might be pressed into duty this coming season. 

The first place to look, of course, is the Husky offensive line, which is badly in need of a total revamp for all five starting jobs. Freshmen Justin Hylkema and Paki Finau immediately come to mind.