Which freshmen might contribute for Washington in 2023? Analyzing redshirt odds
The Huskies have a deep, veteran roster, but a few freshmen are pushing for snaps.
Washington’s 2022 signing class included only nine high-school players, and there was little reason prior to the start of last season to believe any of them wouldn’t redshirt.
Sure enough, though, circumstances changed, and two true freshmen — defensive lineman Jayvon Parker and cornerback Jaivion Green — were pressed into action beyond the four-game limit.
With the Huskies’ 2023 roster stocked with experience on both sides of the ball, it’s again tempting to believe UW might be able to redshirt every one of its true freshmen scholarship players, a group of 20 that ranked No. 26 nationally in the 247Sports Composite (that ranking also included JUCO transfer Thaddeus Dixon). But a few have made more noise during preseason camp than others, and there seemingly always is a surprise or two.
After observing several open practices and hearing from coaches throughout the past month, here’s how I would categorize each of UW’s freshmen at present, with the caveat that these things tend to evolve throughout the season.