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Washington welcomes back kicker Grady Gross at fall practice
- Story byHuskies Wire
- Washington welcomes back kicker Grady Gross at fall practice
Grady Gross is back on Montlake.
The Washington Huskies kicker reappeared on the roster and at fall camp on Wednesday after an NCAA injunction allowed class of 2022 players who had expended their eligibility to play a fifth year, in line with the NCAA's new 5-in-5 eligibility rule that allowed class of 2023 athletes and younger to play five seasons of college sports.
Gross joins defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei on the 2026 roster after Uiagalelei utilized the same ruling to return to the Huskies last week. Gross and Uiagalelei are the two players from the 2025 roster who could have used the ruling to come back to college football - all other players from the 2025 roster who would be affected are currently on NFL rosters. (There is a different injunction, reported Wednesday after Gross' appearance at practice, that has allowed a handful of players who signed NFL contracts to return to college football and enter the transfer portal. No former Washington players were named in that injunction.)
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Gross was invited on a predraft visit with the Seattle Seahawks and joined the Kansas City Chiefs for rookie minicamp, but was not able to parlay either opportunity into an NFL contract. The ruling that he has returned under also did not allow him to enter the transfer portal (for now), meaning that a return to the Huskies was necessary in order to use his extra season of eligibility.
How much Gross features in that extra season is up for debate. With new kicker Tyler Robles, a transfer from Texas State who made the Lou Groza Award preseason watchlist, wearing his No. 95, Gross came to practice in No. 20. Washington also has Eastern Washington transfer Hunter McKee, who the Huskies expected to be their kickoff specialist, and freshman CJ Wallace on the roster. Gross did not handle kickoffs last season - that fell to Ethan Moczulski, who transferred to Illinois this offseason - but kicked off in his other three seasons on Montlake.
McKee is only in his second season of college after handling kickoffs for Eastern Washington last season, so Washington could theoretically have Gross kick off this year while grooming McKee to handle those duties in 2027 and beyond. Gross attempted one field goal in practice on Wednesday, making a 41-yarder.
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Gross has made 46-of-61 field goals in his career to this point, with a long of 51 yards. Four of his misses were blocked. He originally earned a scholarship by making a 42-yarder as time expired to secure a 24-21 victory in the Apple Cup in 2023.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington welcomes back kicker Grady Gross at fall practice
