Murphy grad listed as a starter in Huskies’ secondary

Published 1:30 am Monday, August 26, 2019

By Lauren Kirschman

The News Tribune

SEATTLE — The University of Washington football team released its two-deep depth chart Monday ahead of the season opener against Eastern Washington on Saturday.

Coach Chris Petersen announced Friday that junior Jacob Eason, a graduate of Lake Stevens High School, will be the Huskies’ starting quarterback. Because of Jake Haener’s subsequent decision to leave the program, redshirt freshman Jacob Sirmon will serve as Eason’s backup.

Some other highlights include:

— Kyler Gordon, a redshirt freshman from Archbishop Murphy High School, is listed as a starter at cornerback. He’s one of five freshmen in the two-deeps in the defensive backfield. One of them, safety Cameron Williams, will be the first true freshman to start in UW’s secondary since Taylor Rapp in 2016. Among the other freshman in the two-deeps, Trent McDuffie, is listed as Gordon’s backup at cornerback, Asa Turner is the No. 2 nickel back behind Elijah Molden, and redshirt freshman Dominique Hampton is the backup to Keith Taylor at the other cornerback spot. “We’re going to play different guys in that secondary, too,” Petersen said. “I think that’s one thing that coach (Jimmy) Lake and coach (Will) Harris have done. They’re going to rotate guys. We got our starters but it’s always open competition. We got some other guys that’ll play and deserve to play.”

— Salvon Ahmed is listed as UW’s starting running back, with Sean McGrew listed as his backup. Expect Kamari Pleasant to also get some carries. The distribution will be interesting to watch. Former running back Myles Gaskin averaged 18.2 carries per game over his four-year career, including 21.6 carries per game last season. Asked Monday if Ahmed would get the same amount of carries, head coach Chris Petersen said: “It’s always week to week and game to game. See how he evolves. See how healthy he stays. See how other guys are playing and we kind of adjust and adapt from there.”

— Tight ends Hunter Bryant and Cade Otton are listed on the depth chart with an “or” separating them. The two combine to give UW one of best tight end tandems in the country. Don’t be surprised if they play significant snaps together this season. “They are kind of different certainly in their roles but they both can do a lot of different things,” Petersen said. “We like them and it’s awesome to have those two guys.”

— Redshirt freshman Matteo Mele is listed as the backup at both center and right guard. Henry Roberts is the backup left tackle and Victor Curne is listed as the backup right tackle.

— Levi Onwuzurike and Josiah Bronson will start on the defensive line, with Tuli Letuligasenoa and Benning Potoa’e listed as the backups.

— Chico McClatcher played in eight games last season before stepping away from football for personal reasons. He returned to have a strong spring and fall and Monday he found himself listed as a starting wide receiver. Seniors Andre Baccellia and Aaron Fuller joined him. Junior Ty Jones, senior Quinten Pounds and sophomore Terrell Bynum were listed as backups. Jones has been slowed by a left hand injury this fall. Asked if Jones was 100 percent, Petersen said he’s “been working back.”

UW’s complete depth chart is listed below:

OFFENSE

WR

5 ANDRE BACCELLIA… . . Sr., 5-10, 175, Thousand Oaks, Calif.

20 Ty Jones … … … … … … … … Jr., 6-4, 213, Provo, Utah

LT

72 TREY ADAMS… … … … . . Sr., 6-8, 314, Wenatchee

59 Henry Roberts … … … … . . Sr., 6-6, 295, Bellevue

LG

76 LUKE WATTENBERG… . . Jr., 6-5, 300, Trabuco Canyon, Calif.

68 M.J. Ale … … … … … … . RSFr., 6-6, 352, Tacoma

C

56 NICK HARRIS… … … … … Sr., 6-1, 302, Inglewood, Calif.

78 Matteo Mele … … … … … . . RSFr., 6-5, 305, Tucson, Ariz.

RG

51 JAXSON KIRKLAND… … … … So., 6-7, 315, Portland, Ore.

78 Matteo Mele … … … … … . . RSFr., 6-5, 305, Tucson, Ariz.

RT

70 JARED HILBERS… … … … . . Sr., 6-7, 313, Beaverton, Ore.

79 Victor Curne … … … … … RSFr., 6-3, 320, Houston, Texas

TE

87 CADE OTTON OR… … … … So., 6-5, 246, Tumwater

1 HUNTER BRYANT… … … … Jr., 6-2, 239, Issaquah

QB

10 JACOB EASON… … … . . Jr., 6-6, 227, Lake Stevens

11 Jacob Sirmon … … … … … RSFr., 6-5, 234, Bothell

TB

26 SALVON AHMED… … … … . Jr., 5-11, 195, Kirkland

25 Sean McGrew … … … … … . Jr., 5-7, 186, Torrance, Calif.

WR

2 AARON FULLER… … … … Sr., 5-11, 188, McKinney, Texas

21 Quinten Pounds … … … … … Sr., 6-0, 176, Cypress, Calif.

WR

6 CHICO McCLATCHER… … Sr., 5-8, 183, Federal Way

4 Terrell Bynum … … … … . So., 6-1, 189, Long Beach, Calif.

DEFENSE

OLB

55 RYAN BOWMAN… … … … . Jr., 6-0, 277, Bellevue

41 Myles Rice … … … … … … . Jr. 6-3, 250, Houston, Texas

DL

95 LEVI ONWUZURIKE… … … … … Jr., 6-3, 293, Allen, Texas

91 Tuli Letuligasenoa … … … . . RSFr., 6-2, 318, Concord, Calif.

DL

90 JOSIAH BRONSON… … … … … Sr., 6-3, 291, Kent

8 Benning Potoa’e … … … … . .Sr., 6-3, 290, DuPont

OLB

9 JOE TRYON… … … … … … . So., 6-5, 262, Renton

52 Ariel Ngata … … … … … … … . So., 6-3, 213, Reno, Nev.

LB

30 KYLER MANU… … … … … . Sr., 6-1, 246, Pocatello, Idaho

43 Jackson Sirmon … … … . RSFr., 6-3, 238, Brentwood, Tenn.

LB

13 BRANDON WELLINGTON… … … Sr., 6-0, 226, Kent

53 MJ Tafisi … … … … … RSFr., 6-0, 235, West Jordan, Utah

DB

16 CAMERON WILLIAMS… … . Fr., 6-0, 191, Bakersfield, Calif.

23 Brandon McKinney … … … … . Jr., 6-0, 201, Orange, Calif.

DB

5 MYLES BRYANT… … … … . . Sr., 5-8, 185, Pasadena, Calif.

11 Alex Cook … … … … … . So., 6-1, 203, Sacramento, Calif.

DB

27 KEITH TAYLOR… … … … . . Jr., 6-3, 195, Long Beach, Calif.

21 Dominique Hampton … … … RSFr., 6-2, 208, Glendale, Ariz.

DB

19 KYLER GORDON… … … … RSFr., 6-0, 190, Mukilteo

22 Trent McDuffie … … … . . Fr., 5-11, 185, Westminster, Calif.

DB

3 ELIJAH MOLDEN… … … … . Jr., 5-11, 190, West Linn, Ore.

20 Asa Turner … … … … … … . Fr., 6-3, 191, Carlsbad, Calif.

SPECIALISTS

PK

47 PEYTON HENRY… … … … . . So., 5-11, 197, Danville, Calif.

37 Tim Horn … … … … … … Fr., 6-2, 211, Honolulu, Hawai’i

P

32 JOEL WHITFORD… … Sr., 6-3, 209, Neerim South, Australia

KOR

25 SEAN McGREW… … … … … Jr., 5-7, 186, Torrance, Calif.

6 Chico McClatcher … … . . Sr., 5-8, 183, Federal Way

PR

2 AARON FULLER OR… … . . Sr., 5-11, 188, McKinney, Texas

6 CHICO McCLATCHER… … Sr., 5-8, 183, Federal Way

LS

49 A.J. CARTY… … … … … … Sr., 6-2, 243, Santa Ana, Calif.

HLD

46 RACE PORTER… … … … … . . Jr., 6-2, 183, Seattle