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Dunne Deal: New UW Punter Has Size, Big Foot, Duck Past

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 7:28 PM ET

Practice No. 8 for the University of Washington football team on Friday afternoon on the East field was hot and sweaty, a little hot-tempered at times, long on regimen.

Situational plays, rather than full-on scrimmage snaps, were the norm, with special teams also receiving more attention than usual, and Saturday's coming workout seemingly set aside for a return to more concentrated game-like conditions.

Freshman wide receiver Deji Ajose had the catch of the day, getting behind redshirt freshman cornerback Dylan Robinson to juggle a ball that was deflected by the defender high in the air, pull it in as he backpedaled and complete an electric 60-yard scoring pass.

Players getting angry at other players seems to be daily occurrence, this time with sophomore safety Vince Holmes surrounded by much of the UW offensive line and getting a healthy shove from one of them after dropping a receiver hard to the ground.

Out of all of this grinding and occasional mood-changing moments, it seemed like a good time to introduce new Husky punter Luke Dunne, an Australian and Oregon transfer, who knows how to practice international diplomacy.

"It's a crazy story," he said of being a Husky and a Duck. "I've got a lot of love for both places."

Dunne comes to the Huskies after two years in Eugene, serving as the back-up punter throughout his stay.

In 2023, he watched the Huskies beat his Oregon team three times while last season he shared in a late-season victory over the UW in Eugene, never getting on the field in any of those outings.

Dunne should be eager to launch his career in Montlake after punting nine times for 42.7 yards last season, with a long kick of 51 yards.

In Seattle, he's not unlike the tourists crowding downtown and looking over the waterfront. It's been a bit eye-opening.

"I love it," he said. "I'm grateful for every opportunity I've got. Coming to America, it's a blessing being able to play college football. It was something I thought I would never do."

Dunne replaces three-year starter Jack McCallister, a conventional-style punter who transferred first to Nebraska and then Purdue.

The Huskies sort of underwent a house-cleaning by retaining only senior place-kicker among all of their kicking specialists who include kickers, punters, snappers and holders.

Not only that, they hired the loud and demanding Chris Petrilli as special-teams coach who stopped Friday's practice for a moment, seemingly looking for a better effort, and asked, "We're going to go a little bit more now. Is that OK with you guys?"

Dunne began kicking with his father, doing what he described as playing "footy" and "having a kick." He tried out with ProKick Australia, which places its countrymen with college football teams in the U.S., and he had an Oregon scholarship nine months later.

The big thing was to learn how to launch an American spiral rather than an end-over-end Australian Rules Football kick.

He should be good with pressure. The idea is, if he can deal with Petrilli's high-octane approach, where the coach can be heard from one end of the field to the other when he's revved up, the punter should be able to handle anything.

"Coach Petrilli, he's a legend," Dunne said. "He's a great guy. He was unreal when I first got here. Like a cat on a hot tin roof, I didn't know where to go. He's been great with like directions, like he tells me what he wants me to do, like what he wants from me, what he expects, everything. He just lays it out."

Dunne should know it all by now.

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This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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