Career Restored, Buelow Welcomes Another Chance to Play Michigan

HOUSTON — Julius Buelow, as much as anyone who wears a purple and gold uniform, deserves another shot at Michigan. 

Why wait for the initial Big Ten conference matchup between the University of Washington and the Wolverines scheduled for Oct. 5 at Husky Stadium?

Walking out of New Orleans' Superdome last Monday night after beating Texas 37-31 in the Sugar Bowl, the UW's starting right guard and the team's tallest player — who insists he's 6-foot-9, or an inch taller than listed by the school — was one tired football player who took a moment to reflect on where he's been and what he's done.

"This is insane," Buelow said with a smile. "You were there in 2021."

Two years ago, the big Hawaiian was a redshirt freshman starter for a Husky team that went into Ann Arbor and got battered 31-10 by Michigan. He's one of just four UW starters who remain from that game along with defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa, tight end Jack Westover and linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio.

As that 2021 season began to fall apart under Jimmy Lake, Buelow was one of the first to draw blame for the team's poor performance. He lasted just three more games, five in all, before getting pulled from the starting lineup. 

"I felt like I kind of let the team down," Buelow said in the spring. "Even though I was a young guy, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a productive member of the team. No matter what my age was at that time, I felt I should have stepped up more."

Even with the coaching change to Kalen DeBoer, Buelow remained a back-up player during the Huskies' resurgence as an 11-2 team that capped off the 2022 season with an Alamo Bowl victory over Texas. He played sparingly in eight games. 

At that point, it wasn't out of line to think Buelow might be considered damaged goods and not long for DeBoer's program with his career bogging down. Yet the coaching  staff patiently worked with him and got Buelow ready to play again. It's hard to give up on a mobile 6-foot-9, 313-pound guy. 

Still, it wasn't easy for Buelow to regain what he once had. He began this season as a back-up player when redshirt freshman Parker Brailsford beat him out to become the starting right guard.

Yet when starting center Matteo Mele was lost to a season-ending injury against Tulsa, Brailsford took Mele's spot and Buelow entered the starting lineup at guard at Michigan State — only to suffer a leg injury in the second half and miss the next two games.

Buelow hung in there. Finally, he re-entered the lineup against Stanford and he's held down a starting assignment for seven consecutive games. He's played well, kept opposing defenders from getting their hands on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and shared in the Huskies' Joe Moore Award, given to the nation's top offensive line.

He's preparing to face Michigan, a personal rematch for him, in  this Texas city in a national championship setting. He's healthy and productive. It's almost too much to comprehend. 

"Yes, there's like no words," Buelow said of his personal comeback. "I'm just thankful and grateful for the boys. [We] dogged it out. Fourteen and oh. Going to the Natty."