The Spring Game is here! We finally get to watch some Washington Huskies football! It’s not an actual game, but it sure feels like Jedd Fisch and the Washington athletics department are investing a ton into making things feel exciting and intriguing for fans.
There are a ton of festivities attached to this, Fisch has on multiple occasions put a ton of energy into promoting this and making it accessible for fans, and UW has done a great job of promoting this across all of their channels.
And now, we get to watch some Washington Husky football.
With the Huskies playing tonight, there are a few things that I want to keep an eye on. I’m sure there are more than just three storylines that are worth watching in this game, but here are three that I’d like to keep up with as the Huskies play the *checks notes* Huskies.
No. 3: The coordinator changes will be fun to start paying attention to
On both sides of the ball, Washington is seeing some changes in the coaching staff. Steve Belichick left the Washington Husky defensive coordinator gig to go work for his dad at North Carolina and then Brennan Carroll ditched the Washington Husky offensive coordinator job to go work for his dad with the Las Vegas Raiders.
So, the sons of legendary NFL coaches are gone and now Fisch had the chance to retool his staff a bit.
Given that Fisch has a ton of control over the way the offense operates, that’s not a huge and drastic deal, all things considered. It obviously stinks to have to navigate that change, but it’s feasible and makes the opportunity to promote Jimmie Dougherty into the role of UW’s offensive coordinator.
And then on the defensive side of things, while it stinks to lose Belichick given the work he was doing for the Huskies, Washington was able to get a phenomenally talented defensive coordinator who is familiar with the Big Ten landscape as Ryan Walters made his way to Seattle.
And I’m definitely intrigued in how all of this impacts Washington on the field this coming season. I don’t think we’re going to get a ton of answers for what this looks like in this game, but I will certainly be interested in seeing if there are any discernible differences in the way the offense and defense operate tonight.
No. 2: Who has a bigger impact on their respective offense, Jonah Coleman or Denzel Boston?
Okay, look, they play very different positions and operate differently and contribute to the Washington Husky offense in very different ways. I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But, I am intrigued in seeing how these two perform in this game and how they impact things for the Huskies when they’re on the field.
Of course, hopefully we’re not seeing too much of them on the field. Hopefully they’re able to show up, make fans excited, and then go get some rest.
That said, I’m fascinated to see which of these guys has a, relatively speaking, bigger impact on their respective offenses. Boston gets the opportunity of playing on the same roster as starting quarterback Demond Williams Jr., which will almost certainly give him opportunities to thrive.
But, interestingly enough, it’s almost fair to expect that Coleman will be the focal point of the Gold Team’s offense (while he’s still playing and not resting) because of the quarterback situation there.
And speaking of quarterback situations…
No. 1: I’m very much so interested in the backup quarterback situation behind Demond Williams Jr.
Without any sort of insider knowledge, I fully expect Demond Williams Jr. to be the starting quarterback for the Huskies this year. I really don’t feel like you need insider knowledge to expect that because, well, he was phenomenal towards the end of last season and there’s not been anything consequential that has happened that could possibly dethrone him.
That said, there is an interesting twist on the quarterback situation heading into this season that UW didn’t really have last year. The backup quarterback situation fascinates me here.
You’ve got Kai Horton, who seems like the most likely candidate to be the No. 2 QB for the Huskies this season after moving to Seattle from New Orleans and playing for Tulane. After that, there are a few interesting young quarterbacks and I’m intrigued to see how Jedd Fisch navigates the roster management and redshirting here.
Dash Beierly and Kini McMillan, both fascinating three stars who really seem to fit well within the offensive identity that Fisch wants to install on Montlake, will almost certainly have opportunities to get some playing time in this game to showcase their skill sets and development progress on an interesting stage. Of course, they’re both entering their first year of college eligibility.
So, what will Fisch do to navigate that? I have no clue. All I know is I can’t wait to see the progress from those two guys and to see how they fit within the offense that Fisch wants to run.