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Husky Roster Review: Davit Boyajyan Is Apprentice in Training

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 11:39 AM ET

Davit Boyajyan wasn't heavily recruited, wasn't recruited by the University of Washington football coach he answers to now and wasn't brought in to play center.

Yet this Armenian-American offensive lineman -- that's Davit, not David, and he has a pair of y's in his last name -- has withstood every obstacle to pull on a purple uniform and a gold helmet and make himself at home in Montlake.

Two years ago, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound redshirt freshman was discovered by Kalen DeBoer's then UW staff just up the street from where those coaches used to work at Fresno State.

Considering Boyajyan held offers only from Fresno State, Sacramento State and the Huskies, DeBoer felt the need to to try and sell the little-known player to his media audience when he sized up his recruiting class back in December 2023.

"Things happen for a reason," DeBoer said at the time. "He was kind of a late comer in the process for us. Once we saw him, the guys just blew us away."

In his second year in the UW program, Boyajyan now finds himself as the third-team center, behind junior Landen Hatchett and sophomore Zach Henning, after spending 15 spring practices learning the nuances of the position.

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the Husky roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did this past spring and what to expect from them going forward.

DeBoer told how his staff uncovered Boyajyan at Clovis North High School, just six miles from the Fresno State campus, after opposing high school coaches had tipped him and his UW staff off to the big guy.

Boyajyan didn't play football until reaching high school. He came to the Huskies as a tackle. He has possibilities.

"He's a big massive human," DeBoer said. "Quick first step."

Such is the nature of college football these days that DeBoer and his coaches were long gone by the time Boyajyan arrived in Seattle, with the head coach and many of his assistants relocating to Alabama.

During spring ball for Jedd Fisch's staff, Boyajyan went about his business as an apprentice in training.

One of his obstacles was the other older centers felt the need to initiate him, such as in spring ball when he tried to pull on a knee brace at practice and walk-on sophomore Parker Cross playfully shoved him to prevent this from happening.

Time to push back.

DAVIT BOYAJYAN FILE

What he's done: Boyajyan redshirted as a freshman and didn't appear in any games in 2024. As a third-teamer, he has some ground to make up before Husky playing time will come his way.

Starter or not: Maybe some day. Near the end of the Spring Game, Fisch's staff sent an offensive line onto the field that had the look of the future to it, with redshirt freshman Justin Hylkema at left tackle, freshman Champ Taulealea at left guard, Boyajyan in the middle, freshman Jack Shaffer at right guard and freshman Jake Flores at right tackle.

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

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