Husky Roster Review: Omar Khan Wrestles With New Role

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.

Khan brings an interesting skill set to the UW. Not only does he overpower people, he can tie them up in knots.

From the Houston suburbs, he emerged as a 46-1 heavyweight wrestler at the Texas 6A high school level, losing only a close match in the state semifinals.

Transitioning into a football player, Khan has had to work on his pad level and spin moves rather than simply picking someone up and throwing them across Montlake.

At the Sun Bowl this past December, he was home yet he wasn't. While back in Texas, he still was more than 700 miles from home.

While he didn't play in any games as a freshman, he stood on the sideline in El Paso, behind the Husky bench, with his helmet on, seemingly ready to go in at any moment.

He spent much of spring football running with the third-team defense. To see him really put on a show was to watch him stretch by himself before practice.

Khan would balance himself on all fours and arc his back in a flexible manner that didn't seem possible for a man his size.

The trick now is to turn him into a reliable football player for the Huskies rather an athletic novelty. He's making progress.

"He's developing," UW defensive-line coach Jason Kaufusi said. "It's night and day from the time he showed up."

OMAR KHAN FILE

What he's done: Khan went through a learning year, appearing in no games, and he could be headed for another. He brings plenty of physicality, yet he's not quite a polished player yet.

Starter or not: He's being groomed to be a full-service defender, eventually mixing his power with football smarts. It might take a while and his success could depend on how patient he is with the process.

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