Thursday was just the eighth day of practice for true freshman offensive tackle Kodi Greene. But early on, the coaching staff and his teammates couldn’t speak highly enough about the way the former five-star has performed.
“Kodi Greene’s done some impressive things out here,” offensive line coach Mike Switzer said after practice on Thursday. “He’s talented in terms of his athleticism, his ability to play the game of football. But I’d say what’s most impressive is what he’s doing in the film room, how he’s understanding defenses, how he’s communicating with the offensive line. He’s taken it very serious from the day he got here, so it’s shown, and he’s doing some nice things.”
Former Five-Star Kodi Greene
Seemless Transition
A season ago, John Mills was in a similar spot. A highly-rated recruit is being asked to step in right away on a Big Ten offensive line. It’s no easy feat, as this offense requires its offensive linemen to get up and run in zone-blocking schemes while also being versatile in pass protection with a dynamic quarterback behind them.
“He’s an absolute stud,” Mills said of his new left tackle. “I’m so proud of just the way he’s come in and worked every single day. He’s never taken anything for granted, and he’s come in, and he asks all the questions. He works in the weight room and on the field. So I’m sure you guys can see, he’s an absolute dog.”
Immediate Impressions of Greene
Greene was the number three-ranked tackle in the class of 2026 nationwide. Thus far, he’s backing up that ranking. Greene is making a seamless transition from high school to the Big Ten level. That transition began right away when he arrived in the Winter during player-run practices, even before the Spring season.
“The very first thing that stood out was we were doing PRPs in the Winter, and he was coming off the ball, and he just looked fluid. He just looked super athletic,” Landen Hatchett said after practice on Thursday. “And as soon as we saw that, a couple of the guys kind of looked at each other like, okay, this guy’s the real deal.”
For Switzer, he said one of the most impressive components of Greene’s game is his natural athleticism. “I’ve been recruiting Cody for a long time and saw his athletic ability on high school film,” Switzer said of Greene. “I saw him move in person [this Winter] and he does some things naturally that are quite impressive.”
Understanding in the Film Room
That ability isn’t limited to the football field either. Greene’s high-level game also extends into the film room and in meetings. “Once he got here, he attacked the meeting room and understanding the playbook,” Switzer continued. “And that’s the single most important thing and biggest jump for a guy coming from high school to college is how they’re able to deal with that. And he had no issues with it.”
Listed at 6’-6” and 321 pounds on Washington’s Spring roster, Greene certainly brings Big Ten size to the position room. But beyond that, he’s already turning heads and making strides in this offense to project as a day-one starter. And that’s exactly what this staff expected of him after he signed over the Winter.
Main Photo: Nick Lemkau
