The most interesting sight from Washington football’s third spring practice on Saturday came with an equally intriguing sound. As coach Jedd Fisch and the Huskies wrapped up their annual coaching clinic, it felt as if the room fell silent when its keynote speaker, eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick walked in.
As the longtime New England Patriots head coach entered the Dempsey Indoor Center, the eyes of everyone in the area turned towards him as he watched practice alongside Fisch. And on Washington’s first day in pads, he got to see a lot of action.
It started early during the first team period when wide receiver Denzel Boston took a screen pass from quarterback Will Rogers 50 yards for a touchdown. While Boston has been arguably the most impressive offensive player through the first week of spring practice, redshirt freshman Rashid Williams appeared to outshine him on Saturday.
Williams, a former four-star recruit, made multiple impressive grabs as he battles for a spot on the depth chart, highlighted by a strong catch from a Rogers pass on the far sideline in front of cornerback Elijah Jackson.
Freshman quarterback Dermaricus Davis also made his best play of spring practice so far, showing off his legs for what would have been a nearly 40 yard touchdown run.
Spring practice notebook
- Sophomore running back Tybo Rogers wasn’t at practice on Saturday and freshman Adam Mohammed took his place on the second team, impressing with a few nice runs, highlighted by a 20 yard reception on a swing pass.
- One of the biggest winners of the day (in my opinion) was defensive tackle Jayvon Parker. The junior from Fordham, Michigan, displayed excellent burst during some running drills and is continuing to develop as a pass rusher. He appears ready to take a big step forward this season as he pushes for a starting spot.
- Also along the defensive line, edge rusher Lance Holtzclaw saw some snaps with the first team while Arizona transfer Isaiah Ward appeared to record a pseudo-sack during the final scrimmage period.
- The coaching staff also worked with its kick and punt returners for the first time, tabbing five wide receivers, Boston, Audric Harris, Keith Reynolds, Giles Jackson, and Jeremiah Hunter along with cornerback Jordan Shaw with the duties.