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Aug. 14 Notebook For Washington Huskies Football Practice
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- Aug. 14 Notebook For Washington Huskies Football Practice
(Jamie Sabau/Imagn Images)
Washington Huskies tight ends coach Jordan Paopao speaks to the media following a practice Thursday at Husky Stadium in Seattle . | Teren Kowatsch/Roundtable Sports
SEATTLE — A day after the Washington Huskies football team's first fully-padded practice Thursday at Husky Stadium, the team opted for a more lowkey practice Friday.
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On the seventh practice of fall training camp, a day before the first scrimmage of the late summer/early fall sessions, the Huskies opted to begin the day dressed down in t-shirts and shorts before throwing on the Spyder pads and helmets.
Even if a more lowkey practice environment (and running about a quarter speed/"bumping" when it came to contact), Washington still took Friday as an opportunity to get better.
Here's several notes, takeaways from the team's seventh practice session of the fall:
Kolt Dieterich progressing in new role
In an earlier practice Tuesday, Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch announced that Sam Houston State transfer Kolt Dieterich would receive the first team reps at center while usual starter Landen Hatchett is still recovering from a hand injury he suffered last season.
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Dieterich, a fourth-year player who was out the team's spring practice sessions due to injury, began snapping in the spring, is continuing to improve in his new role and has impressed the coaching staff, albeit not without a push to continue to improve.
"He had never played center," Offensive line coach Michael Switzer said after practice Friday. " ... So we taught him, and he did a great job in terms of attacking that. ... He's done some really nice things for a guy that's never played the position. The expectation is the position. So we're not using that as an excuse to say 'Oh you're not performing well, but you're doing great.' He's doing some good things. Are there things we need to work on? Absolutely."
Dieterich's natural position is tackle, but both spots are currently occupied by the team's highest-rated recruit in the Class of 2026, Kodi Greene (left tackle) and returning veteran Drew Azzopardi (right tackle).
The former Bearkat also has experience playing the guard positions. And although there may not be a starting role carved out for him on the team to begin the season, his ability as a potential "utility" offensive lineman will do the team well as it gets deeper and deeper into the season.
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"It's a lot of flexibility in terms of if anybody goes down," Switzer said. "Which happened last year, which a lot of guys did. And that's throughout the season. That's kind of the norm. You hope it doesn't happen but you got to be ready for it. Credit to Kolt in terms of how he's come in and prepared and put himself in a position to do that. Pleased with what he's been able to do but always room to improve."
Tight end room steadily progressing
Last year's tight end room was one with talent, albeit one with varying skill sets. While returning third-year tight end emerged as the go-to target for third-year quarterback Demond Williams Jr. as the receiving threat in the room, since-departed tight end Quentin Moore, who's currently competing in training camp with the NFL's Washington Commanders , was the best blocker in the room.
Moore had only 13 career catches to his name, but plenty more sealed edges in run blocking and pass protection, which netted him an NFL contract.
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Tight ends coach Jordan Paopao has the tight end room watching Moore's film as an example of what to do, and the team is taking it in stride.
In addition to its improvement while blocking, the tight ends have made more of an impact in the passing game this fall compared to the spring. DeGraaf, second-year tight end Baron Naone and second-year tight end Austin Simmons have all made impressive catches in team drills this spring. And the tight end room seems to be entering this season more balanced from an ability standpoint.
"Really like the room as a whole," Paopao said after practice Friday. "I think those guys have really responded to the challenge in the offseason of always getting bigger, faster, stronger but really putting exclamation points on blocks. ... Really develop the physical toll that I think our offensive line plays with, and I think (coach Switzer) does an incredible job of being able to develop that. ... We're an extension of (the offensive line) and we're going to take pride in whatever's asked of us."
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Fun in the sun
Scrimmages are often the most physical practice sessions of the fall for any program. It'll likely be the same thing for UW, which has been vocally (and physically) competitive against each other throughout training camp.
Beyond the ability to rest and reset that Thursday's "light" practice session provided the team, the players also took the early session in shirts and shorts to have some fun.
The team drills were essentially a slightly faster walkthrough than it was a straight competitive session, and the players took advantage of it. During an early practice session fourth-year running back Jayden Limar was running to the end zone in a team drill before tossing a lateral to his quarterback, Williams.
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As practice ramped up to being more competitive and more protective gear as introduced, the team approached the day with the same intensity it typically does. But the beginning of Friday was a good reprieve for the players before what is all but certainly set to be high-octane scrimmage Saturday.
