SEATTLE — With the way people have been talking about Austin Seferian-Jenkins in these parts, one would almost expect wings to sprout when he removed his shoulder pads and maybe a ray of light to shine down on his head as he spoke.
But the University of Washington’s true freshman tight end and star-in-waiting gives off no trace of self-importance — even if Husky Nation has given the Gig Harbor native every reason to.
Yes, he’s 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, carrying an NFL frame on a teenager’s body.
Yes, UW head coach Steve Sarkisian recently said he is “as talented physically as anybody I’ve ever had at that position.”
Yes, Seferian-Jenkins graduated from high school early just so that he could join the team in the spring.
And, yes, he is expected to step in and start as a true freshman while single-handedly resurrecting a position that has gone the way of the drop-kick.
But in speaking to the Huskies’ man-child, it’s apparent that Seferian-Jenkins’ best asset may well be perspective.
“It’s tough sometimes; you get sore and stuff,” he said Tuesday when asked about the rigors of college football. “But I just keep it in my mind, I always have a smile on my face because I love what I’m doing. There are a lot of people that wish they could be doing this. I’m living a dream that a lot of people couldn’t live.”
Not bad for a five-star recruit who hasn’t even played a college football game yet.
When Sarkisian was asked Tuesday whether he expects the pressure and spotlight to get to Seferian-Jenkins, the coach shook his head.
“He’s a really humble young man,” Sarkisian said. “Great work ethic, great want-to. It matters to him from within, not (outside) perception. So I’m not concerned about that.”
Spending a few minutes with Seferian-Jenkins, as reporters did for the first time in his brief UW career Tuesday, one gets the impression that there is nothing this kid can’t accomplish.
Of his early graduation from high school, the UW freshman shrugged and said: “I did good in school. I just took a couple extra classes. And my good grades from previous years helped me out. It wasn’t much of a struggle. It was just doing three or four classes online, just finishing them before January. So it wasn’t too hard.”
Of his uninitiated spot as the star-in-waiting, Seferian-Jenkins said: “I’m not really worried about it. I’m just coming out here every day loving what I do. Just working out, having fun, having a blast with my teammates. I don’t really worry about what other people think.”
If the massive freshman is able to live up to the hype and reward Husky Nation with a storied career, the fans might have last year’s tight end struggles to thank for it.
Seferian-Jenkins, who was recruited by numerous top-25 programs and ended up choosing the Huskies over Texas, said watching UW’s inability to get the tight end involved helped push him toward Washington.
“It made me smile,” he said, referring to an offense that completed just six passes to the tight end position in 2010. “I saw an opportunity. I chased an opportunity and felt like I just wanted to be a part of something special. I knew this was special. They didn’t have a tight end.”
Seferian-Jenkins is battling sophomore Marlion Barnett and second-year freshmen Michael Hartvigson and Evan Hudson for playing time, but it’s already apparent that he is likely to rise to the top of the pack.
Since making a relatively seamless transition from high school to college football last spring, he has shown enough to warrant extensive work with the No. 1 offense.
“He’s got extremely soft hands, and he has the ability to keep his feet underneath him and the ability to release using his hands yet use wiggle,” Sarkisian said earlier this week. “You can’t teach that kind of stuff. But what he possesses where I was probably more impressed with him is his mental toughness, his makeup, his competitiveness. He wants to be great and he works at it that way.”
Seferian-Jenkins scoffs at the notion that his transition into college football has been easy, even though it might look that way in how he performs at practice.
“It’s definitely a lot harder,” he said, “but everything that’s easy isn’t worth it. Everything that’s hard is.”
Because of his added experience that came with spring enrollment, Seferian-Jenkins has been helping some of his fellow freshmen get acclimated. He’s taken on somewhat of a leadership role after being the only member of the 2011 freshman class to enroll early.
And even though he hasn’t even played in a single game yet, Seferian-Jenkins is already loving life as a college football player.
“I love what I do,” he said. “It’s a privilege to play Husky football. I’m going to take every advantage of it and make this team the best team that I can in the position I’m in every day.”
Of note
Tuesday’s practice was plagued by botched snaps, most of which came from the hands of backup centers. The Huskies are trying out starting guard Colin Porter and true freshman Siosifa Tufunga at the position after losing Mykenna Ikehara to injuries, Gregory Christine to graduation and Daniel Kanczugowski to grades. … Wide receiver James Johnson, who is trying to re-earn a role and already seems to have fallen behind true freshman Kasen Williams on the depth chart, had a solid practice. He made a nice diving catch of a deep pass from Nick Montana during one-on-one drills, then beat starting safety Nate Fellner for a big play in the 11-on-11 team drill. The latter reception came one snap after Williams dropped a quick pass in the flat to open the 11-on-11 portion of practice. … Cornerback Desmond Trufant was back on the practice field Tuesday after straining his hamstring Monday. … Walk-on linebacker Nick Holt, the son of UW’s defensive coordinator, has been playing fullback during the current camp.
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