It’s game week on Montlake. Jedd Fisch met with the media for the first Monday press conference of the season, and there’s a lot to get into. Fisch named Will Rogers III the starting quarterback of the Washington Huskies. Along those lines, he also discussed the ins and outs of his first depth chart as head coach in Seattle. On the injury front, Fisch confirmed that wide receiver Kevin Green Jr. did sustain a long-term injury during Washington’s Mock Game last week. It will hold him out until around the bye week after the team’s road trip to Iowa. Fisch dove into a lot of information during the 20-minute availability. Let’s get to what we learned.
Confidence in the Quarterback Room
Fisch feels really good about his quarterbacks. Rogers has started 40 college football games and was named a team captain on Monday of game week. “With a team of inexperience, it’s a nice thing to have a lot of experience at that position,” Fisch said. He added that Rogers has embraced learning the offense at Washington. Fisch also praised the command that his quarterback has over the offense, as well as the maturity and leadership he expresses day in and day out. “We’re very excited about Will right now as our starting quarterback.”
But according to Fisch, there’s, “Somebody that’s really, really good nipping at his heels.” That would be true freshman Demond Williams Jr. It’s not a question of if we’ll see Williams on the field this season, it’s feeling like more of a “when.” Fisch was asked if there would be any offensive packages built for Williams this season. With a smile, the head coach said, “The answer to that question is…Maybe.”
Fisch referenced his former quarterback Noah Fifita. He played four games as a true freshman, maintained his redshirt, and came back to win Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. That’s not to say the script for Williams will be identical. But all of this does indicate that we will see Williams on the field this season for Washington. Whether it be in certain packages, or for extended periods remains to be seen.
Jayvon Parker Named Starter
Jayvon Parker appeared as one of the team’s starting interior defensive linemen on the week one depth chart. The junior defensive tackle was out for much of Fall camp, so it raised eyebrows to see him listed with the first team. Fisch disclosed that Parker had to get his knee “fixed up” due to an injury sustained during the Spring. It was a three-month recovery period, and that held him out of much of the Fall. But Fisch confirmed he is back to health at his press conference on Monday. He added, “When he was healthy, he was a starter for us.”
The head coach made note of the mental reps that Parker took while injured and his time spent in the film room. He said those things contributed to him earning his name back in the starting role despite missing time. Fisch said that Parker has put himself in a position to take substantial reps on Saturday. But there will be an evaluation period this week. Over the three or four days leading up to the game, the coaching staff will continue to evaluate if they are fully comfortable with him as a starting defensive tackle.
Best Eleven Guys on Every Down
We know that Washington will run a base nickel package on defense. But how it will look is going to vary from snap to snap. “It’s our job each down to get the best eleven out there to stop what they’re doing on offense.” These words come from Bill Belichick and are played out through Steve Belichick as Washington’s defensive coordinator. Fisch said this of Belichick during his Monday press conference. And it speaks volumes to what the Washington defense will be this season.
At defensive back, Fisch said that they have three cornerbacks, three safeties, and two players at STAR that will allow for a lot of different personnel groupings. “We’re not going to get wrapped up in, ‘Are you allowed to play with three corners?’ Sure… As long as there’s only eleven out there.”
In the same vein, Washington has six players listed on the two-deep depth chart at the EDGE position. When asked about this, Fisch pointed to the different ways EDGE players are used. Whether it be in pass defense, run defense or some sort of hybrid look, there will be a variety of players utilized at the EDGE spot. In the same way that we expect to see shuffling around in the defensive backfield, we will see different looks up front. In addition to providing different looks, having rotational players is critical for the long-term health of the group. It appears that the defensive backfield and the players in the trenches are well-equipped for Washington’s first season in the Big Ten.
Photo from Nick Lemkau
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