Denzel Boston
Boston is the perfect third musketeer in the Huskies’ offense. He stands 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds but possesses the fluid route-running and exemplary ball skills needed to stretch defenses that otherwise focused on blitzing Williams Jr. and swarming Coleman.
Through eight games as a redshirt junior, Boston has 668 yards receiving yards (nation’s 13th-most) and seven touchdowns (T-10th nationally). Those are impressive totals considering he’s surpassed six receptions only once this season.
That came on Saturday against No. 23 Illinois, when he was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week after tallying 10 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown. He also connected with Coleman through the air for a 12-yard passing score, which means he now has as many passing touchdowns this year as he does dropped passes.
Is that the result of easy completions? Nope. According to PFF, Boston is tied for the nation’s sixth-highest average depth of target (15.2 yards) among receivers with 50+ targets. Of those receivers, Boston ranks third nationally in PFF offense grade (87.5) and sixth in receiving grade (86.4).
He’s had 50+ receiving yards in all but one game this year. The lone exception came against Ohio State, which was also the only game this year in which he’s averaged less than 10 yards a reception.
To make a long story short, Boston’s been excellent through eight games. However, he’s outside the top 10 in receiving yards and touchdowns, and his reception numbers have been limited by a UW offense which is ultimately defined by Coleman and Williams Jr.’s legs.
For that reason, Boston would need to see a drastic and immediate increase in production to have more than an outside chance at the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding receiver in college football.
Boston was named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list in August, and he’d make school history if he were to win it. Rome Odunze was a semifinalist in 2023, but no Husky has ever won the award.
Biletnikoff Award aside, a strong finish to the season would give Boston a good chance of earning some form of All-American recognition. Of course, his awards odds are even better in the Big Ten, where he currently ranks fourth in yardage and is tied for second with seven touchdowns.