Really Good As Freshman, DeGraaf Out to Be Even Better

Coming off offseason knee injury, senior Quentin Moore could play this week for the University of Washington football team if there was a game. The coaches are just being careful with him.

Sophomore Kade Eldridge, the USC transfer but a local product, has shown off his well-advertised versatility since the day he showed up. He played a lot for the Trojans and will play a lot for his new team, too.

Then there's freshman Austin Simmons, who has surprised his UW coaches by picking up everything thrown his way from the outset.

Yet for all of these promising developments at Husky tight end, always a position of strength, these guys still have to contend with the imposing presence of sophomore Decker DeGraaf, who seems to be bigger and better than ever -- and he wasn't small or bad last season at all.

"I got my weight up," the 6-foot-3, 245-pound DeGraaf said. "Got stronger. Feel good. Feel fast. I feel like I'm a really good player right now."

He's not the only one who feels that way.

"Obviously the guy who jumps out in really what he is able to do is Decker," tight-ends coach Jordan Paopao said. "He's able to do some end-line stuff, split out wide and be a third receiver, split out with his ability to get out of breaks."

A third wide receiver in DeGraaf? Now that's a scary thought.

For a team thrown together last season, when the roster emptied out following a run at a national championship and a subsequent coaching change, DeGraaf was the one Husky who merited any sort of national attention,.

He twice was named as a first-unit All-Freshman Team selection by different football organizations, meaning it was unanimous that he was considered the best new tight end across the country.

He was exceptional as a freshman, catching a 33-yard touchdown pass against Weber State on his second college snap, while showing off plenty of speed and athleticism. He's since become a more effective blocker by continuing to work on his craft.

What Paopao didn't say is this San Dimas, California, product might have been more ready to play right away than every other UW tight end over the past couple of decades with the possible exception of Austin Seferian-Jenkins.