DeBoer, Huskies Tackle Pac-12 Media Day

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — In less than nine months since Kalen DeBoer took over as head coach at the University of Washington a handful of consensus opinions have taken shape. 

At Pac-12 Media Day Friday both player representatives, senior offensive lineman Jaxson Kirkland and senior safety Alex Cook, agreed that DeBoer has pushed all the right buttons since he took charge of the program. 

“Coach DeBoer brought in all the right pieces,” Kirkland said. “In terms of position coaches, the right structure to offense and defense. Since I’m an offensive guy I’ll talk about that. I think we have the best kept secret in college football with Ryan Grubb at offensive coordinator.”

Kirkland, who was forced to sit out all of spring ball while waiting for a ruling on his eligibility for the 2022 season, got a unique view of the new offense up close, just not as hands-on as he will once fall camp begins in early August. He attended a majority of the 15 practices allotted this spring, often walking into the tunnel with other, younger linemen. 

“He’s a wizard on offense,” Kirkland added, referring to Grubb, refraining from giving away too much about what the Huskies offense will look like this fall. 

While Grubb and DeBoer have the offense covered, Cook has sensed the coaching staff is letting the players take the reigns.

“He’s kind of let the players take charge. He’s sort of all ears – how we want the program to look like,” he said. “I think that’s special because as we’re building this program it’s what the players want the program to look like. Not so much the coaches. I think that’s special because a lot of the best teams in the country are player led.”

DeBoer at the Podium

As the Huskies wrapped up their first spring under the new coaching staff it was clear that no starting quarterback would be named until at the earliest, towards the end of fall camp. 

However, DeBoer put a challenge out to all three — Dylan Morris, Michael Penix Jr., and Sam Huard — for the summer. 

He wanted to see one of them take over as a leader, on, and more importantly, off the field. He’s seen that develop in a healthy way. 

“Systematically he understands what we do,” DeBoer said of Penix Jr., who transferred to UW from Indiana University,  in the winter and enrolled for the start of spring practices. The two were both in Bloomington for one season, 2019, when IU finished second in the Big Ten Conference at 302.4 passing yards per game. 

“That was an easy transition for him during spring ball. You see him being able to coach guys up and being a little more confident in that. In those workouts that we had, those 15 practices.”

Of the two non-transfer quarterbacks, DeBoer said he’s seen growth in several facets of Morris’ game from last season to present. Huard has the most room between where he currently stands and his ceiling, according to DeBoer. 

“It’s cool hearing the guys that are on the team and hearing them talk about how much they see Dylan’s improvement from last year already to where we’re at now,” he said. “That’s only going to continue to happen and develop. 

“Then you got the up-and-comer. You’ve got Sam Huard. His ceiling, he’s probably the furthest away from his ceiling because he’s younger, hasn’t taken as many snaps as the other two have. Every day his growth is the one that probably will continue to be the most extreme each and every day.”