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Darin Conley is a great fit for Washington football's defensive line
- Story byHuskies Wire
- Darin Conley is a great fit for Washington football's defensive line
The Washington Huskies went into the transfer portal looking to bolster the interior of their defensive line and added Ball State's Darin Conley in hopes of adding to their pass rush.
Over two years with the Cardinals, the 6-foot-3, 290-pounder played in 24 games and compiled 44 tackles with 7.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks. Now, as he makes a move to the Big Ten, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters is hoping the junior can continue to be a disruptive presence in the middle of the front.
Throughout spring practice, the Kansas City, Missouri, native proved to be just that, consistently finding ways to get pressure on the quarterback, as Washington looks to be the right fit for him both on and off the field.
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"The reason I really chose UW is because of the coaches," Conley said on Washington's Dawg Days YouTube series. "They know what they're doing, they have an established program, they put people in the (NFL)."
Conley was one of three defensive tackles that the Huskies brought in through the portal, alongside Mississippi State's Kai McClendon and Sacramento State's DeSean Watts. While McClendon missed spring practice, recovering from a knee injury he suffered with the Bulldogs in early 2025, Conley proved that he should be a big part of Walters' pass rush this fall as he looks to deploy more five-man fronts as he has throughout his career.
"Darin Conley is exactly what you want in an interior defensive lineman," Walters said in the same video. "He's twitchy off the ball; he's going to provide some pass rush value for us on the inside."
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Darin Conley is a great fit for Washington football's defensive line
