Transfer Portal DL
Not as many dudes as I would have liked. Think I'd rather see the staff concentrate resources on 1 DT rather than spread it amongst 2 DTs who aren't as good.
Projected DT depth chart for next year:
1-tech: Portal DT OR RS-JR Jayvon Parker (depending on how he recovers) / RS-JR Armon Parker (will be be healthy?) / RS-SR Logan Sagapoulo (is he coming back?)
3-tech: RS-Soph Elinneus Davis / RS-SR Bryce Butler / RS-Frosh Omar Khan
Comments
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Now that teams know what shitty bowls they’re playing in and what bowls they’re not playing in I expect a little more beef to jump in the portal over the next week.
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Apparently Bryce Butler redshirted so he will be a RS-JR.
It will be very chinteresting to see how Jayvon Parker recovers from achilles surgery. I suspect he had it in early Oct so he'll probably be limited for all of fall camp.
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Against Rutgers which was September 27.
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If UW just finds a Big 10 starting level guard and tackle on offense and somehow comes up with two Big 10 level DTs to pair with the injured and the young they have coming back on the interior I’ll take my chances with the LBs, edge and safeties. Maybe strike gold with a MW or Big Sky level guy for added depth. If Valdez was your second or third DT off the bench instead of your best DT he’d have been a really nice pickup. Save the money and roll it over to 2026 for a playoff push. Lame take but UW is poor.
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Yes, the injury happened Sept 27th but the surgery probably happened within a week (early Oct).
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It wouldn't surprise me if they went for Moe as their only portal OL since McCree is back and Faasolo could compete with Azzopardi and Justin Hykelma for the starting spot at RT. Tafai would be the backup LT (or could also compete at RT).
LT: McCree / Tafai
LG: Moe / Finau
C: Hatchett / Watkins OR Henning
RG: Memmelar / Watkins
RT: Azzopardi OR Faasolo OR Hykelma
There's also a chance the staff tells Azzopardi that they don't see him starting in 2025 and that he'll be a backup so he's better to try his luck at Cal or Boise State. It may depend on if they are able to land the experienced RT from Stanford, who is bigger and stronger than Azzopardi (whose didn't look the part of a Big 10 starting OT).
Another wildcard is Elijah Jackett. It was said he had the highest ceiling of the 2023 OL recruits but has been banged up while not being able to put on much weight (listed at 6'7" 271 lbs). Jackett would need to put on another 25 lbs of mostly muscle to be in the two deeps. There's also a chance Memmelaar decides to medically retire though I'm sure the staff would prefer to have a RS-SR with starting experience return than one or two of the younger guys who haven't played much (or at all).
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What makes you think Hykelma is ready to be a starter?
Was he a late signee, 3 star who needs more tim?
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That would be very stupid and a huge indictment to Fisch's commitment to winning. Faasaol, Tafai, Hatchett, Assorpardi, and the others were absolutely wretched in the games where they played teams with a pulse on defense. Those guys do not automatically level up to competent just because they played a year. I would not be opposed to Fisch buying 3-4 new o linemen and telling some of those guys to leave. I really don't get this narrative of "we're fine at o line"
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It all depends what Carrol thinks of the guys on the roster. How much can these guys grow? What’s the ceiling? Fish has mentioned Hatchett many times as a part of the future. Memmalar needs to go. Tafai looks like a possible future RT but that’s not next year. Get Moe to replace Gaard and take your lumps with RS freshman Paki. They need a proven upper class LT so they can play McCree at RT. If they’re poor like many of us think them that’s about as discounted as next years line could get and possibly not get Demond killed.
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They need to go hard with whatever they can possibly do on the OL and DL next year in the portal, especially if they can get guys with more than one year. Thinking anything they had this year is an answer is dooging. I'm not saying it's not possible to have some turnaround but I would be shocked.
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So you think Memmelaar medically retires, Jackett hits the portal, and maybe Faasolo does too? That would reduce the numbers to 15 and then they would add 1 or 2 players in the portal.
I'd be good with Moe at OG and this guy, who I think will be a true JR this year:
https://247sports.com/player/miles-mcvay-46080187/high-school-229626/
or this guy if Mcvay is too expensive:
https://247sports.com/player/luke-baklenko-46118501/high-school-270025/
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Or this guy could be in the mix from New Mexico State in case Moe falls through. Has experience and size:
https://247sports.com/player/richard-pearce-46102948/high-school-253582/
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I would plan on Parker redshirting this year (the injury was in Game 5 this year so in theory he isn't redshirting this year unless he gets a medical) … that's a full year injury for normal people and then when you add in being a larger human and it really being an injury where it takes an additional year after that to regain explosion and strength … I think you could make a compelling argument for him to redshirt next year and selectively choose to play in 4 games
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I think they like McCree but I'm not sure he's a LT … Tafai and Faasolo both looked very green and quite frankly have a decent amount of work to do in the weight room to be B10 caliber OL contributors
Gaard walked on Senior Day so that tells me that he's likely to be leaving the program.
The problem with the balance of the OL is that by B10 standards they for the most part were JAGs or worse. I'll cut Hatchett a little bit of slack given he had a knee injury late last year (believe during the CFP prep) and most likely was working his way back into condition throughout the year. I'm willing to give him another year to prove that he's part of the solution.
Azzopardi was not good for the balance of the year and increasingly so as the year got deeper and the better teams emerged. He's a G5 OL to me and best case for him as part of a P4 program would be him moving inside and frankly I think there are and will be better options on our roster or in the portal.
A lot obvious depends on what is available but what I think makes the most sense (ideally):
LT: Portal
LG: Portal/Paki Finau
C: Hatchett
RG: Portal/Finau
RT: Let those on the roster compete for this spot (nobody on our roster IMO is a LT)
You're likely going to need to piece together the OL in the portal this year and potentially next year before some of the recruiting class begins to move up the depth chart.
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Gaard either medically retires or just flat out retires with a degree and no material interest in the NFL … not sure what is the reason but you don't walk on senior day if you're expecting to return
If Jackett can't put on the weight then there really isn't much you can do with him. If he's not a candidate to move to the other side of the ball and try being a DL then you let him develop/play at a level more representative of where he is … you can't be that light in the pants and play in the B10.
Azzopardi I think you have a real honest conversation with and say that you didn't see enough this year for him to be a starter at RT next year and if he returns he most likely will be asked to compete at G … I would assume he doesn't like that idea and would therefore enter the portal
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Ok, I thought Parker was able to get a RS this year but assuming he didn't and will RS in 2025, the DTs could look like this:
1-tech: Portal / RS-JR Armond Parker OR Sagapulo (if he comes back)
3-tech: RS-Soph Elinneus Davis / RS-JR Bryce Butler / RS-Frosh Omar Khan
Frankly, the 1-tech is so thin that it would make sense to bring in two big-bodied DTs. Davis and Butler have the size to play 1-tech but would rather bring in top portal DT.
This guy has 2 years remaining and would be perfect but will probably cost at least $1 million so not sure the Huskies have the fire power unless they after fewer portal guys:
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LT - Portal
LG- Moe
C- Hatchett
RG- Paulido
RT- McCree
Assuming Paulido leaves Arizona this would be a major upgrade to size, age and strength up the middle. McCree was light last year, if he can add good weight he’s a nice option at RT. Azzopardi is a nice depth piece if he agrees to come back to compete and Tafai and Faasalo either aren’t good enough or need more time in the oven to bake. I don’t think you can run either of them off just yet.
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I think Paulido might be a medical retiree.
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McCree looked decent to me as a LT. He played pretty well against Michigan's good DL. But if UW can find someone better, it would be great if he moved to RT.
So for the OL, our guesses are Jackett portals, Azzopardi portals, Faasolo portals, and Gaard medically retires? That would reduce the numbers from 18 to 14 and allow the staff to add at least two veteran / better portal OL (1 OT and 1 OG).
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Paki had lots of hype and was compared to Troy when he signed. I imagine he’ll start somewhere and it’d be nice if he could pull a Troy and lock down that LT.👌👌
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the Michigan pass rush was jail break for most of the 2nd half. Not sure if McRee did good or not. I remember they had to play williams a lot because of it though.
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I thought it was more of interior OL (specifically the transfer who was a back-up at Ohio State). That was also when Azzopardi started struggling as well.
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McCree is the only returning one I'm potentially excited about. Hatchett I could see but he feels more like a guy who shouldn't be playing until his redshirt junior year.
The line really fell apart when he was gone. As much trouble as they had against Michigan they did way better than they did the rest of way against any of the good ones they faced, though all of those were on the road.
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He missed the season with injury. What injury would retire him?
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I don’t think all those guys will portal. They’re still young and have a lot of experience compared to their back ups. If UW portals in 3 or 4 starters I’d like to have those guys on the roster as experienced back ups. If they can’t improve with age then you eventually cycle them out. Saying goodbye after rough RS freshman seasons seems a bit rash. -
There are 2 positions I would absolutely take from Kentucky while the Wrong Stoops is there and that’s DL and DB.
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So true. Kentucky always has dudes on the DL. FatStoops has a knack.
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Me thinks Bear Alexander is too edgy for UW admin? Probably too pricey too as a true mercenary.
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Kentucky D superiority guy. For realz tho.
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We're spending at least $9m more next year than this year, so depending on the market rate…
