Jacobe Covington, a cornerback unable to secure a prominent role for two separate University of Washington coaching staffs, has entered the transfer portal and been removed from the team's online roster.
The 6-foot-1, 198-pound sophomore from Chandler, Arizona, is the first Husky football player to leave since spring practice began and likely not the last in college football's free-market environment.
Two weeks ago, Covington met with the UW-related media for the first time and acknowledged his frustration over not playing more early on, but said he never considered transferring.
"I love it up here — it's home," he said. "I wasn't going nowhere. I love the fans, I love the city. You know, anywhere you go, you've got to play football. I decided to stay here and stay loyal to the fans."
Covington, in fact, offered unsolicited how he felt he hadn't held up his end in becoming a team leader and was trying to make amends.
"I think I could be in more of a leader role in the cornerback room," he said. "I talked to my group about that today. I apologized and said I'm ready to take the next step. I don't think I've been a great leader in the room. Now I'm ready to take that step."
He played in all 12 games last season and collected 5 tackles, including an 8-yard sack against Arkansas State.
Covington was the latest in a long line of highly recruited Husky defensive backs, a 4-start prospect who came from Saguaro High School, the same place that sent much-decorated cornerback Byron Murphy to the UW.
He chose the Huskies over Oklahoma, Texas A&M, LSU, Nebraska and Arizona State, among others, but he never made the early breakthrough as a starter similar to the touted Budda Baker, Taylor Rapp, Sidney Jones, Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon.
As it stood this spring, Covington was destined to back up projected starters in fellow sophomore Mishael Powell and UC Davis senior transfer Jordan Perryman, and even at risk of getting passed over by redshirt freshman Davon Banks.
A year ago, Jimmy Lake's staff went to great lengths during spring practice to find a spot for Covington, trying him at safety before moving him back to cornerback, but it was considered a wash. He apparently has all of the physical tools to excel, but not the grasp of the mental game involving responsibilities and techniques.
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