Washington football: Should Myles Murao start on day one?

The verdict

At the very least, Murao should get a look at center. Any reps that he gets during the 2020 season will be because he earned them, as Scott Huff’s offensive line room is arguably the most talented on the team. The 2020 class is arguably the most talented to ever sign with Washington, and this is coming off of 2019 where you could’ve said the same thing.

Redshirting Murao should be a priority, because an extra year of development could be key not just for him, but for the long term success of the program, as an anchor like him along the offensive line is incredibly important to a team’s success, look at how the Huskies rallied around Nick Harris over the last two seasons.

This is where the four-game redshirt rule becomes even more amazing and important. The Huskies can let Murao play a few games and get acclimated to the college game, while retaining that extra year of eligibility, and at the same time if he performs at a level where they can’t keep him off the field, Jimmy Lake shouldn’t have a problem burning his redshirt to get the best players on the field.

Final verdict: redshirt him, as burning redshirts has come back too many times over the past three-four seasons to bite the Huskies, and even if Murao decides to leave early for the NFL Draft, a redshirt would be best for his long-term health, and the success of the program.