5 UW football players who stood out during spring practice | Analysis

After 15 spring practices, Jedd Fisch has learned some important things about the character of his football team. 

“I think we’ve learned they like to compete,” Fisch said after Friday’s spring game. “They understand how to act like pros.”

The Huskies remain an intriguing — if inexperienced — mix of holdovers from the Kalen DeBoer era who just played in the College Football Playoff championship game, former Arizona players who followed Fisch and his staff and transfer portal additions looking for playing time, fresh starts and new challenges. 

“They enjoy doing things right, and they enjoy doing things the hard way,” Fisch said. “And that’s a credit to who was recruited here. That’s a credit to the guys that came here with us. The players that want to be here, they like to work really hard. They like to have long practices. They like to tackle. They like to be physical. 

“And they love the game of football.”

There’s still a lot to learn about this team. New spring portal transfers will arrive before the Huskies open fall camp, preparing for their first season in the Big Ten.

Here are five players who stood out during Fisch’s first spring practices on Montlake. 

1. Denzel Boston — sophomore wide receiver

It’s easy to forget Denzel Boston only has seven career catches. 

The sophomore wide receiver from South Hill played in four games as a true freshman following his standout preps career at Emerald Ridge High School. He scored a touchdown in his first game wearing purple and gold, taking a two-yard jet sweep into the end zone against Portland State. 

But Boston was buried in Washington’s talented wide receiver group, finding himself behind Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan, Germie Bernard and Giles Jackson. He was mainly a special teams contributor during the 2023 season, appearing in 14 games. 

Now, he’s at the top of the depth chart. Boston spent spring camp establishing himself as the team’s top receiver. The chemistry he built with former Mississippi State transfer quarterback Will Rogers was on full display during the spring game. 

The 6-foot-4 wideout beat junior cornerback Ephesians Prysock on a go-route down the left sideline to haul in a 41-yard catch from walk-on quarterback Teddy Purcell in the first half of the spring game. He began the second half by eluding redshirt freshman defensive back Leroy Bryant for a 28-yard touchdown on a pass from Rogers. 

Boston finished the game with seven catches for 127 yards. No other UW receiver had more than four catches.

“I saw huge improvement from the guys we all noticed, like Denzel Boston,” Fisch said. 

2. Zachary Henning — redshirt freshman center

Boston might have had the most-impressive statistical performance during the spring game, but Fisch said he’d been most impressed by Washington’s centers. 

UW’s lack of bodies on the offensive line — and at center, in particular — was a recurring theme all spring. Reinforcements like incoming transfer D’Angalo Titialii and injured sophomore center Landen Hatchett are on the way, but neither was available for spring practices, leaving UW in a difficult position. 

Redshirt freshman Zachary Henning was one of several players to step up in Washington’s time of need. Henning, along with walk-on redshirt freshman Parker Cross, took a majority of the snaps for UW this spring. True freshman Michael Watkins also took some reps at center. 

Fisch said the growth Henning exhibited from the team’s first practice until the spring game was crucial to the team’s ability to simply practice. 

“The ball was on the ground a lot early,” Fisch said. “I was a little nervous about spring ball, but [Henning, Cross and Watkins] did a great job. I saw a huge improvement there.”

Henning’s future might not be at center long term. The Colorado native might be competing for snaps at one of the guard positions if Titialii and Hatchett are settled and healthy for the start of the season. However, Henning gained valuable experience snapping the ball and making the line adjustments this spring, and the Huskies can feel comfortable with him as either the backup or third-string center entering 2024. 

3. Dyson McCutcheon — junior defensive back

One of the few remaining members of Washington’s 2021 recruiting class, Dyson McCutcheon played sparingly during his three seasons at UW. He’s accumulated five total tackles in 12 games. 

McCutcheon’s wait for playing time might be finished. Sixth-year defensive back Kamren Fabiculanan spent most of the spring playing safety, opening the door for McCutcheon to get repetitions as one of the team’s primary nickelbacks. He had three tackles during the spring game Friday. 

McCutcheon won’t have a clear run at a starting position when fall camp starts. Washington received a commitment from seventh-year safety Justin Harrington, who played nickel at Oklahoma before suffering a season-ending injury in 2023, this spring. But McCutcheon’s strong spring was a good step as he tries to earn the first significant playing time of his career. 

4. Thaddeus Dixon — senior defensive back

Washington defensive coordinator Steve Belichick certainly has some decisions to make at his outside cornerback spots. 

Junior cornerback Elijah Jackson is one of just two returning starters on defense from the team that went to the CFP championship game, while junior Ephesians Prysock, a 2023 All-Pac-12 honorable mention, followed Fisch and cornerbacks coach John Richardson to UW from Arizona. 

Senior cornerback Thaddeus Dixon, however, is making it a difficult decision for the Huskies. He was already having an impressive spring, jumping in with the No. 1 defense whenever Jackson or Prysock weren’t able to participate and sometimes even when they were available.

Dixon, a junior college transfer who joined the Huskies before the 2023 season, capped his strong spring by intercepting true freshman quarterback Demond Williams Jr. Dixon then returned it 41-yards for the touchdown, the second score of the game. 

5. Adam Mohammed — freshman running back

An unheralded three-star prospect from Glendale, Ariz., Adam Mohammed’s 247Sports profile didn’t even have a real photo. He originally committed to Fisch and running backs coach Scottie Graham when the staff was at Arizona. 

Mohammed enrolled early with the Wildcats but quickly transferred once Fisch departed for the Huskies and brought Graham with him. Now, Mohammed might be the most likely freshman to see the field in 2024. 

He was the primary running back for the purple team during the spring game. Junior Jonah Coleman and fifth-year tailback Daniyel Ngata were both on the white team, while sixth-year running back Cameron Davis did not dress. 

Mohammed carried the ball six times for 17 yards, and caught two passes for four yards. He scored the only rushing touchdown of the game — a bruising, 4-yard run that saw him barrel over junior linebacker Anthony Ward along the way. 

“It’s great, seeing where he came from and what he’s going to be,” Coleman said. “He’s still a baby. He just turned 18, so there’s still a lot to learn, but he’s gotten better.”

Fisch and Graham have also praised Mohammed’s development this spring. They said they envision him getting up to around 220 pounds — he’s currently listed at 205 pounds.

Coleman called Mohammed “a great human being” with an infectious smile. The junior former Arizona transfer said he’s happy to be a role model for Mohammed and help him adapt to the next level of the game. 

“He’s come far,” Coleman said. “The sky’s the limit for him.”