Will Taeshaun Lyons burn his redshirt in 2023? Probably not, but anything is possible. The former four-star recruit out of Tennyson High School in California had a slow start to fall camp, but now is being asked to step into a bigger role.
Senior receiver Giles Jackson suffered a thumb injury earlier in the week and it's severe enough that offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb told the media that Jackson could utilize a medical redshirt for the season. That's elevated Lyons, who struggled with drops through the first week of camp, to the second team.
Lyons has begun to come into his own after getting his timing down with Washington's quarterbacks and to show the playmaking ability that helped earn him his four-star ranking. But even with the injury to Jackson, playing time is going to be hard to come by for the freshman.
The Huskies are as deep as anyone at wide receiver with Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk. Second-stringers are left to push for starting reps as best they can, according to position coach JaMarcus Shephard.
"If everyone could attend our practices, they'd be talking about Denzel Boston. ... He's going to make impact plays this year. Shephard said in an interview with 93.3 KJR. "He's pushing Rome [Odunze] to the brink,"
Alongside Boston and Michigan State transfer Germie Bernard, Lyons has displayed good athleticism and the ability to make plays. The coaching staff has tried him out as a punt returner, too, especially since Jackson looked like he was slated to be the team's primary return man.
Lyons' biggest strengths on film are his long speed, ability to see the field and tenacity to slip through holes to break off chunk plays. While there's a lot of competition in front of him, if Lyons can find his way onto the field early and often, it should speak volumes as to how Washington's coaching staff feels about one of the highest-rated recruits in its class of 2023.
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