Takeaways From Washington's First Fall Practice

Originally posted on FanNation Husky Maven
By Roman Tomashoff | Last updated 8/2/23

Headlined by a few big plays from wide receivers Germie Bernard and Denzel Boston, Washington's first day of fall camp was a successful one. It took a few drives for Michael Penix Jr. to find his rhythm, but once he did the Huskies were hard to stop.

Over the last few drives of Wednesday's practice, Penix threw a perfect ball to Boston, who made a juggling catch while Thaddeus Dixon was in tight coverage on the play. Penix followed that up with a 45-yard touchdown to Bernard, when Elijah Jackson and Asa Turner busted the coverage and the receiver flew by both of them on his way to the end zone.

Quarterback play was a key point of interest at Monday's practice, as while neither participated in team drills, both Austin Mack and William Haskell showed why both earned scholarship offers from Washington's coaching staff.

Mack displayed a compact release, good mechanics, and great ball velocity, while Haskell is a fluid athlete who is going to pick up the offense rather quickly while redshirting alongside Mack this season.

Inside the notebook

Notable exclusions from the first practice were tight end Ryan Otton, who was off to the side working on what appeared to be an upper-body injury. Linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala participated in drills but was held out of team sessions on Wednesday.

True freshman wide receiver Keith Reynolds made a few plays during the 7 on 7 portion of practice. Reynolds is quick in short areas and also possesses impressive long speed. He won't find his way into the rotation in 2023, but looks like he could be a potential playmaker for the Huskies in the future.

Running back Cam Davis took the majority of reps with the first-team offense on Wednesday, but Mississippi State transfer Dillon Johnson looks like he will push him hard for the job. Johnson showed that he has great balance to go with the impressive power, pass-catching ability and vision that also pops on his SEC tape.
Bralen Trice recorded a sack on Michael Penix after running straight through left tackle Troy Fautanu. Thaddeus Dixon also nearly recorded an interception on an overthrown ball from Dylan Morris

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.

This article first appeared on FanNation Husky Maven and was syndicated with permission.

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