The Washington Huskies haven’t had a true freshman start a game along the offensive line since Nick Harris got the nod from coach Chris Petersen in 2016. If everything goes according to plan for Jedd Fisch in 2024, that should continue.
But, as any college football fan knows, things are hardly perfect all year long for any coaching staff in the country. And by a landslide, if there’s one thing Washington fans are most concerned about as the Huskies head into the Big Ten, it’s their standing along the offensive line after losing all five starters of the group that won the 2023 Joe Moore Award.
Enter Justin Hylkema. Aptly nicknamed “Moose,” the 6-foot-8, 315-pound offensive tackle had originally committed to Fisch and offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll at Arizona before following the coaching staff to Seattle.
A promising, underrecruited player, Hylkema brings an exciting combination of athleticism and physicality to the table, especially when considering his hulking size could allow him to play early on in his career.
“The angry and aggressive blocking style he plays with will fit well into an offense that is going to feature the run game heavily at Washington,” Huskies Wire’s Ben Glassmire wrote in his evaluation of the freshman. “In addition, he possesses ideal length and a trim frame that allows him to add weight if needed or stay at a leaner size for optimal mobility. Hylkema may have only been a three-star recruit, but he has the ceiling of one of a much higher ranking.”
Washington has plenty of questions it needs to answer along the offensive line, especially at left tackle. Redshirt freshmen Soane Faasolo and Elishah Jackett displayed that they might not be ready to play just yet, especially when considering their respective weights of 290 and 259 pounds.
Former junior college All-American Maximus McCree, who also has two games of Big Ten experience under his belt after one season at Maryland, seems to have the edge at the position, but Hylkema might not be as far behind as some think.
He still has a lot to learn as a pass protector, as most high school offensive linemen do, but could climb the depth chart quickly this fall thanks to his impressive size and Fisch’s willingness to let his young players to see the field early.
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