OT Kaleb McGary returns to Washington Football for senior year.

All Washington Football fans are ecstatic about right offensive tackle Kaleb McGary decision to remain a Husky one more year.

And so, at the end of each season, the Washington Football team faces a number of players defecting to the NFL. Of course there are seniors, who have exhausted their NCAA eligibility. And then there is a second group who had the tough decision to go pro or stay put. The juniors whose performance has attracted NFL interest. Among those juniors are defensive tackle Vita Vea, running back Myles Gaskin, quarterback Jake Browning, and right tackle Kaleb McGary.

Thankfully right tackle Kaleb McGary, jersey number 58, will return as a Washington Husky for his senior year.  That means the team returns four of the five starting offensive lineman.

So long Coleman Shelton

Only center Coleman Shelton is defecting to the NFL this year. Although he anchored the offensive line for the Huskies, the belief is that this year’s offense can be even more proficient.

After all, injuries to the team truly took their toll on this roster. The passing game regressed in 2017, not from poor play, but rather from the number of injuries to the team’s receivers. Of course it didn’t help that left tackle Trey Adams fell to injury either. But the team welcomes back former coach Bush Hamdan, whose role as new offensive coordinator will likely help restore the total offense back to 2016 levels.

Senior seniority

Kaleb McGary is one of the Washington Huskies who gives his all on each play. And it shows up in both the running game and the passing game. He is a road grader on the field. A solid fundamentally sound right offensive tackle who can clear the  running lanes, bookend pass blocking, and move out to the second level on designed plays. And he studies game videos, already adept at analyzing what did and didn’t work from previous games.

The fact that the Washington Football team gets their starting right tackle back is huge. This is an offensive unit which runs the ball well and doesn’t give up many sacks. In fact, the team has averaged just 13 sacks a year, or about one sack per game. Outstanding performance.

Perhaps an even better advantage is the projections for the running game. McGary has started each season on the offensive line. And for each year, running back Myles Gaskin has rushed for over 1,300 yards.  I don’t that’s just coincidence.

Great player, and mentor

But he doesn’t make many mistakes. In fact, his expertise helps improve the team’s defenders, as he helps to raise the bar for them in practice.

He is not just a system offensive lineman. One of the strengths to this young offensive tackle is his ability to process what he sees and experiences on the football field real time.

Always processing

He is constantly analyzing hand placement, stance, footwork. And if something isn’t just right on a play, he is already self-coaching himself to clean things up. And he takes the time to help the younger guys. As he related in this piece by 247Sports.com Luke Mounger, the veteran guys reach out to younger players:

"““That’s kind of where the o-line bond kind of comes into play. When we get out there we always talk to them on the sidelines during the games. Before they go in, if we come out, we always tell them what we’re seeing, what they’re doing. They ask us questions and stuff all the time.”"

The best player on any team is the guy who elevates the play of those around him. Kaleb McGary is such a player.

Heroic path to the NFL

Kaleb McGary has earned the right to take any NFL contract offered this year and run with it. After all, his path to the pros has been an even more compelling story off the field. An excellent account of McGary’s tribulations appeared on February 9, 2018, written by Seattle Times Adam Jude. The article discusses family bankruptcy, Kaleb’s diagnosis and grueling battle to overcome AFIB, and the most recent tragedy of losing the family home to a fire.

If there was ever a young man who needed to turn pro to help out the family, Kaleb McGary would certainly be on that list.  Two homes and a ton of health procedures over the span of three years. A huge NFL paycheck could go a long way for the McGary family right now. instead, Kaleb McGary’s girlfriend, Brianna Shannon, has set up a GOFUNDME donation page to help offset the costs for the family.

Staying a Husky

But he didn’t take the easy early payout. He stayed with UW. For all the headlines and social media that brings hope and faith in humanity to its knees, this type of story brings all of those positives upright and standing at full attention once more. Not just about a young man, but about the entire family.  If you want a feel good story, check out this second-and previous- article by the same Adam Jude. If you can read both articles without your eyes misting up, you are a better person than I am.

Next: Washington Football 2019 recruiting lining up behind Corey Luciano

In summary, McGary is NFL ready. He put up a 35 inch vertical leap despite weighing in at 318 pounds at the last UW Combine Day. Beyond that, the 2018 NFL Draft is not as loaded with offensive tackles as some years. But in the end, it comes down to loyalty. I’m grateful that he is coming back. Here’s hoping he has one helluva year and lands in the first round of that 2019 NFL Draft. While that would mean great things for the Washington Football team, to me this one is about Kaleb McGary. I’m hopeful that it all proves to be worth it someday. And a solid NFL career would be a great step on his way to that destination.