Washington's Edge Depth Will Be Tested in 2023

Originally posted on FanNation Husky Maven
By Roman Tomashoff | Last updated 7/3/23

Washington's defensive line has gotten a lot of hype throughout the offseason thanks to the combination of Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui. Trice was recently named to both Walter Camp and Athlon's Preseason First-Team All-America for the 2023 season, while Tupuola-Fetui is looking to return to the form that got him elected to the 2020 Pro Football Focus Second-Team All-America.

But there are going to be questions about some of the pieces behind them. There's no doubt that there's a lot of talent at the position behind what is arguably the best duo of edge rushers in the conference, but with practices starting up in less than a month, what can be expected from the rest of the room?

Sioux Falls transfer Zach Durfee had an impressive spring. Edge rushers coach Eric Schmidt gushed about his burst and athleticism and as he becomes more comfortable in the defense, looks like he'll be a very productive player for the Huskies.

The same can be said about redshirt sophomore Maurice Heims, who has all the tools needed to succeed at both the college and professional level. He and Durfee will probably be the backups at the position on the depth chart and Heims should take a big leap forward in his development with a huge uptick in his snap count.

Sekai Asoau-Afoa should also be expected to fill the void left by Jeremiah Martin, but the junior college transfer looked good in run support during spring practice. He might rotate with Voi Tunuufi, who is the definition of a pure pass rusher.

Behind them, there are even more questions. Walk-on Milton Hopkins, held his own during spring practice while running with the second team, but he's still making a transition from inside linebacker to edge rusher. True freshmen Anthony James and Jacob Lane both look like they can be solid contributors in the future, but relying on them to take significant snaps in their first year on campus would mean something has gone seriously wrong.

The Huskies have a lot to be excited about on the edge behind the starters, but with most of the room lacking significant snaps taken at the Power 5 level, summer camp is going to be very important for the coaching staff to evaluate the edge position for 2023 and beyond.

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

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