{"id":59438,"date":"2024-05-01T15:00:09","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T19:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=59438"},"modified":"2024-05-01T12:27:42","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T16:27:42","slug":"players-to-watch-washington-spring-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2024\/05\/01\/players-to-watch-washington-spring-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Players to Watch at Washington’s Spring Game"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jedd Fisch<\/span><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Steve Belichick<\/span><\/strong>, and\u00a0<\/span>Brennan Carroll<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0will tout a\u00a0<\/span>very<\/span>\u00a0different-looking Washington Husky football team inside Husky Stadium on Friday night for the\u00a0<\/span>team\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0annual Spring game. There are new faces at nearly every position across this roster. The offense is going to feature a pro-style scheme under\u00a0<\/span>Carroll\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0direction. Defensively,\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0a New England Patriots-influenced defense coached by Belichick.\u00a0<\/span>There\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0been a lot to digest after a month\u00a0<\/span>full<\/span>\u00a0of Spring practices. But four players will be worth keeping a close eye on come this Friday night.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Demond Williams Jr.<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The football really bounces out of the hands of quarterback\u00a0<\/span>Demond Williams Jr.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0The true freshman would otherwise still be in high school had he not enrolled early at Washington. For\u00a0<\/span>the majority<\/span>\u00a0of the Spring, Williams has been the number two to the\u00a0<\/span>SEC\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0second-all-time leading passer in\u00a0<\/span>Will Rogers III<\/span><\/a>. But that gap is not what we thought\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019d<\/span>\u00a0be back in March. Throughout April, Williams has shown his abilities as a passer, a runner, and a decision-maker.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a passer, Williams has exhibited impressive ball placement to all\u00a0<\/span>levels of the field<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>We\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0seen him deliver touch throws to the corners of the field with the arm strength to\u00a0<\/span>deliver<\/span>\u00a0the football over 55 air yards. He can also put velocity on the football when needed. Williams has the ability to drive the football to the sidelines on out-breaking\u00a0<\/span>routes,<\/span>\u00a0and through the defense on over-the-middle throws. The quarterback stands at 5\u2019-1<\/span>1\u201d,<\/span>\u00a0but his height is far from a disadvantage. Williams can change arm angle and deliver the football around defenders and through the line of scrimmage in tight windows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His versatility as a passer\u00a0<\/span>is coupled<\/span>\u00a0with his ability to feel pressure, mobilize in the pocket, and explode up-field when needed. Williams gets from first gear to fourth gear\u00a0<\/span>in an instant<\/span>, putting the defense on its heels when\u00a0<\/span>he\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0in the game. But his composure sets him apart as a true freshman. Williams has shown that\u00a0<\/span>he\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0a pass-first quarterback. His eyes are consistently downfield while his body floats under pressure, and the break-away speed is always in his back pocket. Playing behind the veteran, Williams possesses a unique talent of what will be the future of the quarterbacks room at Washington. His first game action will be on Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n

WR Denzel Boston<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

People might be surprised\u00a0<\/span>to see<\/span>\u00a0that there\u00a0<\/span>won\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0be much of a step back in the\u00a0<\/span>wide<\/span>\u00a0receiver room at Washington. Three\u00a0<\/span>NFL Draft picks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0from last\u00a0<\/span>year\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0receiver room\u00a0<\/span>would<\/span>\u00a0typically leave holes to fill. But these receivers are very talented. One of the\u00a0<\/span>group\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0leaders is\u00a0<\/span>Denzel Boston<\/span><\/a>. The 6\u2019-4<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>receiver has made catch after catch this spring in\u00a0<\/span>a variety of different<\/span>\u00a0ways.\u00a0<\/span>Boston\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0catch radius is what will separate him this season.\u00a0<\/span>We\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0seen him extend over the middle, high-point the football, and make in-route adjustments to the throw\u00a0<\/span>consistently<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0He has\u00a0<\/span>very<\/span>\u00a0reliable, strong hands that can pull the football down in many locations. Boston also made multiple one-handed catches in the Spring. That includes one in tight coverage on the run, as he fell to the turf for a touchdown.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Boston also has shown his ability to make contested catches in the face of dependable cornerbacks\u00a0<\/span>including<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Ephesians Prysock<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Elijah Jackson<\/span><\/a>. His matchup battles with Prysock were fun to watch this Spring. Both players\u00a0<\/span>are listed<\/span>\u00a0at 6\u2019-4<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0Boston said he loves that battle. He said his work against the tall cornerback\u00a0<\/span>is,<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>Something I can add to my game\u2026 We battle every day\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0only getting us both better<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Boston\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0timing on jump balls allows him to get above the defender and pick the football out of the air at its highest point. He finishes those catches by elevating the football with his hands as he returns to the turf, keeping it out of reach of the defender. The technique and consistency\u00a0<\/span>we\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0seen in his pass-catching this Spring point to him being ready for a big season in the Fall. Boston\u00a0<\/span>was forced<\/span>\u00a0to sit behind three great receivers last season. But he said\u00a0<\/span>he\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0excited to take advantage of his opportunity now. He told us,<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>Waiting behind those guys was\u00a0<\/span>for sure<\/span>\u00a0the best thing for me to do, to stay patient.<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0his time this season, and\u00a0<\/span>we\u2019ll<\/span>\u00a0get an early look on Friday night at\u00a0<\/span>Washington’s<\/span>\u00a0Spring game.<\/span><\/p>\n

DB Jordan Shaw<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

One<\/span>\u00a0of the most impressive players on the defensive side of the football this Spring\u00a0<\/span>has been\u00a0<\/span>Jordan Shaw<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The sophomore played\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0four games at Indiana last season before\u00a0<\/span>he committed<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span>Fisch\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0staff.<\/span>\u00a0That commitment brought him to Washington. And now\u00a0<\/span>he\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0trending to be one of the starting defensive backs on\u00a0<\/span>Belichick\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0defense. Shaw primarily played the<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>STAR<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>position on defense.\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0a position similar to what was called the<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>Husky<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>in last\u00a0<\/span>year\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0defense and what many refer to as the nickelback. It has many of the same responsibilities, and Shaw described it as a position that requires the ability to be physical, patient, and know\u00a0<\/span>everyone\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0assignment on the defense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shaw impressed in that regard all Spring. During 11-on-11 sessions at practice, he routinely made plays on the football, breaking up passes and getting in passing lanes. During\u00a0<\/span>Washington\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0first scrimmage this Spring, Shaw had an interception and a pass breakup against Williams at quarterback. He\u00a0<\/span>was also credited<\/span>\u00a0with a sack on Rogers. Shaw told us a few weeks ago that his adjustment to Washington had been smooth and that\u00a0<\/span>he\u2019d<\/span>\u00a0been picking up the defense without any issues. That had certainly been on display in practice.\u00a0<\/span>He\u2019ll<\/span>\u00a0now\u00a0<\/span>get to<\/span>\u00a0show it off during the Washington Spring game inside Husky Stadium.<\/span><\/p>\n

DL Russell Davis II<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The line of scrimmage was one of the points of interest all Spring. Fisch is adding players on both sides of the ball via the transfer portal. The depth at offensive line has resulted in limited reps this Spring. But during the two team scrimmages,\u00a0<\/span>we\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0seen\u00a0<\/span>Russell Davis II<\/span><\/a>\u00a0be disruptive on the defensive line. Davis was one of the players that transferred up to Washington, following Fisch and staff from Arizona. He spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons in\u00a0<\/span>Tucson<\/span>\u00a0where he tallied 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks on over 430 snaps. He brings a\u00a0<\/span>good bit<\/span>\u00a0of experience to this Washington front and has been among the starting group all Spring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In\u00a0<\/span>two combined scrimmages<\/span><\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0he\u00a0<\/span>was credited<\/span>\u00a0for 4.5<\/span>\u00a0“<\/span>sacks<\/span>”\u00a0<\/span>and a couple of pass breakups.<\/span>\u00a0Sacks are\u00a0<\/span>largely<\/span>\u00a0a judgment call during practice, as the quarterbacks have no-contact jerseys\u00a0<\/span>on<\/span>. But Davis was getting in the backfield consistently and providing pressure\u00a0<\/span>in the backfield<\/span>. After he let up on one of his<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>sacks<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>the quarterback threw an interception that\u00a0<\/span>Carson Bruener<\/span><\/a>\u00a0returned for six points. Davis was also involved in a lot of run stops. He consistently forced congestion in the middle of the defensive front to stop short-run plays. His production from Arizona seems to be already translating well to Washington. Davis is going to be a player worth keeping an eye on during the Washington Spring game.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo Credit Nick Lemkau Last Word on College Football 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jedd Fisch,\u00a0Steve Belichick, and\u00a0Brennan Carroll\u00a0will tout a\u00a0very\u00a0different-looking Washington Husky football team inside Husky Stadium on Friday night for the\u00a0team\u2019s\u00a0annual Spring game. There are new faces at nearly every position across this roster. The offense is going to feature a pro-style scheme under\u00a0Carroll\u2019s\u00a0direction. Defensively,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a New England Patriots-influenced defense coached by Belichick.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0been a lot to digest after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3944,"featured_media":59445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,4],"tags":[7983,33155,33247,33356,33506,509,33385],"class_list":["post-59438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bigten","category-pac12","tag-big-ten-football","tag-demond-williams-jr","tag-denzel-boston","tag-jordan-shaw","tag-russell-davis-ii","tag-washington-huskies","tag-washington-spring-practice"],"modified_by":"Kate Pearson Halyburton, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3944"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59438\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}