Washington has a program record 13 players invited to this year’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis. The event takes place from February 26th through March 4th and showcases college football’s premier NFL prospects. For the Huskies, that includes nine players from its prolific offense and four players on defense. The previous Washington record was nine participants after the 2019 season.
Washington’s Offense at the NFL Combine
All four components of the nation’s second-leading passing offense will showcase their skills inside Lucas Oil Stadium at the end of the month. Michael Penix Jr. won the Maxwell Award in 2023 as the best player in college football. His 4,903 yards and 36 touchdown passes led Washington to the National Championship Game in January. Washington’s three leading wide receivers Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan are also headed to Indianapolis. The “big three” combined for over 3,300 reception yards last season and 48% of the offense’s total yardage. Odunze had 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns, finishing in third place in the 2023 Biletnikoff Award voting.
Dillon Johnson will join the other skill position players in Indianapolis after leading the Huskies in rushing last season. The former Mississippi State transfer tallied 1,195 yards and 16 touchdowns in his lone season in purple and gold. Johnson had a career game against USC last season where he scored four rushing touchdowns with 256 rushing yards and nearly 10 yards per carry. Johnson battled a lower leg injury towards the end of the year but played through it in the team’s biggest wins of the season.
The Huskies are also sending two tight ends to the NFL Combine later this month. Devin Culp and Jack Westover will represent Washington in Indianapolis. Westover was the team’s fourth-leading receiver with over 400 reception yards and four touchdowns. Culp had just 16 catches on the year in a heavy pass-catching lineup but managed over 200 yards and a couple of scores. Culp is 6’-4” and 237 pounds, and Westover stands at 6’-3” and 248 pounds.
Joe Moore Award Offensive Line at the Combine
Two of Washington’s offensive linemen will be present in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine. Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten represent the nation’s top offensive line in 2023 and will be showcasing their skills with the best in the country. Fautanu played left tackle for Washington’s National Championship run last season, starting all 15 games for the Huskies. He allowed just two sacks all season. He excelled at pass blocking with an 88.2 overall rating according to Pro Football Focus. That ranks eighth nationally among Power Five offensive linemen to take more than 130 snaps on the season. Fautanu was on the field for nearly 1,000 snaps in 2023.
Rosengarten was Washington’s right tackle last season and did not give up a single sack. He started all 15 games for Washington at right tackle and saw the field for nearly 2,000 snaps in 2022 and 2023 combined. He and Fautanu were both multi-year starters for Washington and were key to the success of the Husky passing game over that stretch.
Washington’s Defense at the NFL Combine
Bralen Trice was invited to the NFL Combine and he’ll represent the purple and gold on the defensive line. The edge rusher ranks fifth among all Power Five at his position according to his Pro Football Focus grade of 88.1. Trice was a key contributor all season for Washington’s front seven with 11.5 tackles for loss on the year. Trice also had two sacks against Texas in the Sugar Bowl with seven quarterback pressures en route to victory.
Washington had two linebackers receive invitations to Indianapolis. Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Edefuan Ulofoshio combined for 123 tackles on the season and 13 tackles for loss. Both of these players have incredibly experienced resumes as well. Tupuola-Fetui was a sixth-year player with over 1,500 snaps taken. Ulofoshio played five seasons at Washington, with one limited due to injury. He had over 1,400 snaps at linebacker.
At defensive back, Dominique Hampton was another sixth-year player who will be showcasing in Indianapolis. Hampton led Washington last season with 109 tackles and also tallied seven pass breakups. Both of those totals were career highs for the senior.
