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
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