Huskies offensive delivers monster performance in win over Colorado State

Jonah Coleman may have received the national notoriety for the numbers he put up in week one against Colorado State, but as what's typical for the position, his offensive line was the unsung hero of the game. Especially after last season where the O-line struggled mightily, its performance to begin the season should inspire plenty of hope in Husky fans.

Last Saturday night's offensive line was mostly made up of newcomers – three of UW's five starters up front were from the transfer portal or freshman class. Left tackle Carver Willis transferred after four seasons at Kansas State, left guard John Mills is a true freshman, and right guard Geirean Hatchett transferred back to Washington after spending last season with Oklahoma.

Geirean's brother Landen started at center, and returning starter Drew Azzopardi was at right tackle to round out the group. Together, they were the foundation of a balanced offensive attack that totaled 509 yards of offense – 283 on the ground, and 226 through the air. It was efficient work, too, the Huskies averaged 5.5 yards per carry and 12.6 yards per completion.

The O-line's efforts garnered recognition from Pro Football Focus (PFF), a company that analyzes and grades player performances for every game. Mills was the highest-graded true freshman offensive lineman, with a grade of 80.8 (for reference, the top-rated guard overall scored 91.6).

Tackles Azzopardi received an 88.2 grade, one of the highest among all tackles, and Willis an 84.4. Landen Hatchett was one of the top-graded centers, with an 81.9 grade (fourth in the nation, tops among West Coast programs).

These early results are a massive improvement from last season – PFF ranked Washington's O-line 128th out of 134 teams in pass protection in 2024. Coming into this season, the position group was one of the biggest question marks when evaluating the team's outlook, especially with a young and talented quarterback to protect.

Through one game, they've eased many of those doubts, and now just need to prove that they can be consistent, healthy, and up to the task against tougher Big Ten opponents. Azzopardi in particular pleased many Husky fans in the game against Colorado State. He showcased a combination of great strength and agility all night, and wasn't responsible for any of the three sacks the team surrendered.

The Huskies have a layup game against UC Davis tomorrow night, which can serve as an opportunity for the O-line to instill even more confidence before heading into Pullman to take on the rival Cougars, and then conference play after that.