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Washington spring practice, Day 5: A closer look at Denzel Boston (and other thoughts)
DerekJohnson
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(Usually I post these in the Wam, but once in a purple moon I'll post it on the main bored.)
SEATTLE — If you remember Denzel Boston’s collegiate debut, you likely remember it for two reasons.
He took a 2-yard handoff for a touchdown on an end-around in the fourth quarter against Portland State.
Shortly after, he puked on the sideline.
The Pac-12 Networks broadcast captured both.
But if you’re going to vomit, it’s best to vomit for the reason Boston submitted after Friday’s spring practice, reflecting on that score: “I’d never felt so overwhelmed with joy in my life.”
“So much adrenaline shot in my body,” he said. “Once everyone got around me, huddling me, they were all breathing on me, hitting me on the head and everything. I was like, ‘whooaa, a little bit too much.’ I had to run over and get it out.”
A 2022 signee out of Emerald Ridge in Puyallup, Boston redshirted last season but did appear in four games. He was one of only four prospects who committed to former coach Jimmy Lake but signed with Washington and stuck around to play for coach Kalen DeBoer. It was obvious early that DeBoer liked him, and similarly obvious that Boston would have to wait his turn behind Washington’s deep receiver rotation: Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk, Taj Davis and Giles Jackson.
Thing is, all five of those guys are back for 2023, and Boston is only getting better … and Germie Bernard transferred to Washington from Michigan State … and the Huskies’ three 2023 signees — two of them four-star prospects — won’t even be here until the summer.
(Odunze, by the way, was named a preseason first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation on Friday. So was edge rusher Bralen Trice.)
There will be no challenging Odunze or McMillan as the team’s top targets, and Ja’Lynn Polk — who caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Michael Penix Jr. on Friday — appears the clear No. 3 again. It should be quite the battle, then, between Taj Davis, Giles Jackson, Boston and Bernard for the rest of the targets. Davis and Jackson have the edge in experience, but Bernard has a year of college under his belt, and Boston is their tallest wideout at 6-4 and 195 pounds.
“I believe I kind of just add a spark. I feel like I have a different kind of attitude to it, when I play on the field,” Boston said. “I’m more of an aggressive receiver. I believe I add a deep threat to the game, just because I’m tall, (and) I can go up and get the ball. I’d like to say I’m quick and twitchy. But there’s always game for me to work on and everything. I’m still young. I know I’ll be able to add more in the future.”
He’s an interesting player to study now, too, as a potential new contributor at a position loaded with returning talent. Odunze, McMillan and Polk were so productive last season that it’s easy to take their continued ascension for granted. You know to expect a big play every now and then from Taj Davis. You know Jackson will move around the formation and touch the ball in different ways.
The unknowns, though, are Boston and Bernard, both of whom signed with UW in December 2021 before Bernard took his detour to Michigan State. He, too, has impressed his new teammates since enrolling in January. For example: McMillan said Bernard insists on sitting in the front row of their position meetings.
“He sits in the front of the room, asking questions,” Odunze said. “He gets up with Shep, like, ‘I don’t understand, can you show me, physically?’ He’s a visual learner, as well.”
Of Boston, Odunze said: “He’s always been a baller. I’ve seen that since the first time he came in. It comes from his work ethic. This summer he was competing out there, being first in the drills, first in the conditioning. He really wants it. … His future is real bright. I can’t wait for Husky Nation to see his play.”
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Will he get to show more of it in 2022? Boston said he’s made “tremendous progress” learning the offense.
“I know just from last year, confidence is key playing out here on the college field,” Boston said. “Having that playbook off the back of your hand and off back of your mind — it’s really nice to look over at the signals and already know what you’ve got to do. That instantly is going to give you confidence, because now you can focus on the defense and what you’re about to do in your route, instead of focusing on ‘should I be here, should I be there’ and worrying about if you’re wrong.”
Some more thoughts and observations from Washington’s Friday morning practice at the Dempsey Indoor, which was open to media in its entirety …
Rome Odunze runs through a drill at Friday’s practice. (Photo by Christian Caple)
Even if Odunze and McMillan are back after posting 1,000-yard seasons, they obviously each have identified areas to improve.
Odunze said that due to some nagging injuries last season,“I think my explosiveness wasn’t where I wanted it to be on film. I need to enhance that breakaway speed, make sure I’m making plays with the ball in my hand and accelerating this offense.
“Also, making those contested catches. All around, I think. Making sure my routes are just that much crisper. I try to rebuild myself every year and make sure I’m hitting all the key points, so I’m not lacking on one or the other.”
And McMillan?
“I wasn’t really happy with my 50-50 balls, and probably those sliding catches I would drop,” he said. “I’ve got to get better at those.”
Giles Jackson made the best catch of the day, snagging a great throw from Dylan Morris against the left sideline — right in front of me, in fact. Morris dropped it in the bucket, and Jackson got his foot down in bounds. The nearby official, right on top of it, ruled it a catch.
Very interested to see Dillon Johnson run with the ball more this spring. He ripped off a big run on Friday, bursting through a hole on the left side before attempting to fend off Dominique Hampton — who also wears No. 7 — and Jabbar Muhammad with a stiff-arm en route to the sideline.
Daniyel Ngata also made his first explosive play of spring, taking a handoff up the gut and 35 yards untouched to the end zone. I saw Cam Davis, Johnson, Ngata, Richard Newton, Sam Adams II, Will Nixon and Tybo Rogers line up at tailback today. Davis is still taking the first reps with the No. 1 offense.
Adams also scored on what appeared to be about a 25-yard run off right tackle during a team period. Rogers lost a fumble that Muhammad recovered, the only turnover of the day.
Michael Penix Jr. made a couple Michael Penix Jr. throws today, including a 35-yard touchdown to Polk with Elijah Jackson in coverage. Polk beat him up the right side and Penix threw a perfect ball. Penix also found Odunze for a gain of about 40 yards with Jabbar Muhammad in coverage toward the end of practice, with Penix rolling to his right and throwing across his body. Impressive stuff.
SEATTLE — If you remember Denzel Boston’s collegiate debut, you likely remember it for two reasons.
He took a 2-yard handoff for a touchdown on an end-around in the fourth quarter against Portland State.
Shortly after, he puked on the sideline.
The Pac-12 Networks broadcast captured both.
But if you’re going to vomit, it’s best to vomit for the reason Boston submitted after Friday’s spring practice, reflecting on that score: “I’d never felt so overwhelmed with joy in my life.”
“So much adrenaline shot in my body,” he said. “Once everyone got around me, huddling me, they were all breathing on me, hitting me on the head and everything. I was like, ‘whooaa, a little bit too much.’ I had to run over and get it out.”
A 2022 signee out of Emerald Ridge in Puyallup, Boston redshirted last season but did appear in four games. He was one of only four prospects who committed to former coach Jimmy Lake but signed with Washington and stuck around to play for coach Kalen DeBoer. It was obvious early that DeBoer liked him, and similarly obvious that Boston would have to wait his turn behind Washington’s deep receiver rotation: Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk, Taj Davis and Giles Jackson.
Thing is, all five of those guys are back for 2023, and Boston is only getting better … and Germie Bernard transferred to Washington from Michigan State … and the Huskies’ three 2023 signees — two of them four-star prospects — won’t even be here until the summer.
(Odunze, by the way, was named a preseason first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation on Friday. So was edge rusher Bralen Trice.)
There will be no challenging Odunze or McMillan as the team’s top targets, and Ja’Lynn Polk — who caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Michael Penix Jr. on Friday — appears the clear No. 3 again. It should be quite the battle, then, between Taj Davis, Giles Jackson, Boston and Bernard for the rest of the targets. Davis and Jackson have the edge in experience, but Bernard has a year of college under his belt, and Boston is their tallest wideout at 6-4 and 195 pounds.
“I believe I kind of just add a spark. I feel like I have a different kind of attitude to it, when I play on the field,” Boston said. “I’m more of an aggressive receiver. I believe I add a deep threat to the game, just because I’m tall, (and) I can go up and get the ball. I’d like to say I’m quick and twitchy. But there’s always game for me to work on and everything. I’m still young. I know I’ll be able to add more in the future.”
He’s an interesting player to study now, too, as a potential new contributor at a position loaded with returning talent. Odunze, McMillan and Polk were so productive last season that it’s easy to take their continued ascension for granted. You know to expect a big play every now and then from Taj Davis. You know Jackson will move around the formation and touch the ball in different ways.
The unknowns, though, are Boston and Bernard, both of whom signed with UW in December 2021 before Bernard took his detour to Michigan State. He, too, has impressed his new teammates since enrolling in January. For example: McMillan said Bernard insists on sitting in the front row of their position meetings.
“He sits in the front of the room, asking questions,” Odunze said. “He gets up with Shep, like, ‘I don’t understand, can you show me, physically?’ He’s a visual learner, as well.”
Of Boston, Odunze said: “He’s always been a baller. I’ve seen that since the first time he came in. It comes from his work ethic. This summer he was competing out there, being first in the drills, first in the conditioning. He really wants it. … His future is real bright. I can’t wait for Husky Nation to see his play.”
Leave a comment
Will he get to show more of it in 2022? Boston said he’s made “tremendous progress” learning the offense.
“I know just from last year, confidence is key playing out here on the college field,” Boston said. “Having that playbook off the back of your hand and off back of your mind — it’s really nice to look over at the signals and already know what you’ve got to do. That instantly is going to give you confidence, because now you can focus on the defense and what you’re about to do in your route, instead of focusing on ‘should I be here, should I be there’ and worrying about if you’re wrong.”
Some more thoughts and observations from Washington’s Friday morning practice at the Dempsey Indoor, which was open to media in its entirety …
Rome Odunze runs through a drill at Friday’s practice. (Photo by Christian Caple)
Even if Odunze and McMillan are back after posting 1,000-yard seasons, they obviously each have identified areas to improve.
Odunze said that due to some nagging injuries last season,“I think my explosiveness wasn’t where I wanted it to be on film. I need to enhance that breakaway speed, make sure I’m making plays with the ball in my hand and accelerating this offense.
“Also, making those contested catches. All around, I think. Making sure my routes are just that much crisper. I try to rebuild myself every year and make sure I’m hitting all the key points, so I’m not lacking on one or the other.”
And McMillan?
“I wasn’t really happy with my 50-50 balls, and probably those sliding catches I would drop,” he said. “I’ve got to get better at those.”
Giles Jackson made the best catch of the day, snagging a great throw from Dylan Morris against the left sideline — right in front of me, in fact. Morris dropped it in the bucket, and Jackson got his foot down in bounds. The nearby official, right on top of it, ruled it a catch.
Very interested to see Dillon Johnson run with the ball more this spring. He ripped off a big run on Friday, bursting through a hole on the left side before attempting to fend off Dominique Hampton — who also wears No. 7 — and Jabbar Muhammad with a stiff-arm en route to the sideline.
Daniyel Ngata also made his first explosive play of spring, taking a handoff up the gut and 35 yards untouched to the end zone. I saw Cam Davis, Johnson, Ngata, Richard Newton, Sam Adams II, Will Nixon and Tybo Rogers line up at tailback today. Davis is still taking the first reps with the No. 1 offense.
Adams also scored on what appeared to be about a 25-yard run off right tackle during a team period. Rogers lost a fumble that Muhammad recovered, the only turnover of the day.
Michael Penix Jr. made a couple Michael Penix Jr. throws today, including a 35-yard touchdown to Polk with Elijah Jackson in coverage. Polk beat him up the right side and Penix threw a perfect ball. Penix also found Odunze for a gain of about 40 yards with Jabbar Muhammad in coverage toward the end of practice, with Penix rolling to his right and throwing across his body. Impressive stuff.
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The safety combinations I noticed: Turner and Hampton, Makell Esteen and Kamren Fabiculanan, Hampton and Dyson McCutcheon, McCutcheon and walk-on Tristan Warner. Like I said, lots of rotating.
Tuli Letuligasenoa and Faatui Tuitele have been taking it easy as they recover from offseason procedures, but both did take at least a couple of snaps during light 11-on-11 work. Ulumoo Ale and Jacob Bandes take the No. 1 reps together, and the Parker twins also continue to play together a lot.
The Hatchett brothers took snaps together for the first time, with Landen stepping in for a short spell at center and Geirean lined up at right tackle. The older Hatchett continues to take reps at both guard and tackle, and coaches continue to mix in other players with the No. 1 o-line, too, giving Gaard Memmelaar a look at left guard for a series with Hatchett at right guard. The No. 1 o-line to start practice, though, remains Troy Fautanu, Julius Buelow, Matteo Mele, Nate Kalepo and Roger Rosengarten.
RJ Wyrsch is taking the No. 2 reps at left tackle, with either Hatchett or Samuel Peacock at right tackle. Parker Brailsford typically is the No. 2 center, with Memmelaar, Murao and Hatchett repping at guard.
Behind Edefuan Ulofoshio, Alphonzo Tuputala, Ralen Goforth and Carson Bruener, walk-ons Drew Fowler and Austin Harnetiaux are getting some reps at linebacker (you might recall that Alex Cook identified Harnetiaux as a player to watch). I saw Deven Bryant out there a bit, too, and I think Jordan Whitney got in for a couple snaps.
The Huskies practice again Monday morning. That session also is open to the media in its entirety. I’ll be there.
— Christian Caple, On Montlake