The Offensive Line in the Jedd Fisch era has been a work in progress over the last two years. 2025 showed immense improvements from a dismal 2024, and the 2026 unit aims to go from a good offensive line, to a great one.
“Every single day we’re getting better,” sophomore guard John Mills said, “We’re only going to get better as we keep practicing towards Washington State.”
Recently named a team captain, Mills headlines the unit. The left guard was a freshman All-American in 2025 and will be the vocal and physical leader of the group. Mills is joined by two other team-captains, fifth year senior tackle Drew Azzopardi and senior center Landen Hatchett, both returning starters from 2025.
Landen has been sidelined with an injury during fall camp, which has produced a unique candidate to fill in his shoes at center: his older brother, Geirean. Geirean, the mega-veteran seventh-year senior, normally plays guard, but with the injury, the elder Hatchett has become a Swiss Army knife up front.
“Wherever they need me, [I’m] willing to do whatever the team needs,” Geirean said.
Another candidate to step in for Landen is Sam Houston transfer Kolt Dieterich. The senior started all 12 games in 2025 at either left or right tackle for the Bearkats; however, he has also taken reps at center in the fall. Sophomore Champ Taulealea enters the fray as a candidate, alongside Geirean Hatchett, to play right guard.
The Fisch era has never experienced a healthy position battle on the offensive line quite like this before, and for good reason: this is the biggest, strongest, and most talented room Fisch has acquired in his three years. Instead of building tension in the locker room, the competition has bred a greater sense of camaraderie among the group, a belief that whoever gets the job earned the job.
“At the end of the day it’s a brotherhood,” Taulealea said. “Whoever steps up, I know that I trust that guy to be on the field.”
Washington’s top lineman a season ago, left tackle Carver Willis, was drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft by the 49ers. This left a massive whole in a unit that felt it was one piece away from becoming a great group.
From day one of the spring, the left tackle spot was Greene’s to lose, and he has not looked back. The 6-foot-6-inch 315-pound Greene was ranked as the No. 1 recruit in California and No. 20 overall recruit in the 2025 class according to 247Sports.
“[Kodi’s] done an absolutely phenomenal job coming in here and adapting to the way that we do things here in this program,” Geirean said.
Entering the Big Ten meant getting bigger up front, and Fisch has done just that. When measuring the probable starters (Greene, Mills, Dietrich, Taulealea, Azzopardi), this group checks out at a staggering 6-foot-6 and 325-pounds. Without even playing a snap, this unit oozes the makings of a Big Ten offensive line.
Along with the staggering size, this unit (aside from Greene) brings along a ton of experience. Azzopardi, both Hatchetts, and Dietrich all bring in over two years of starting experience to the table.
To say this unit measures up to the elite units of the conference (Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon) would be a stretch before having played a snap; however, Fisch could see his unit comfortably rank in the top half of the conference at season’s end.
“Everyone knows the team goes as the offensive line goes, you can’t really have a good team without a good offensive line,” Mills said.
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