Devin Culp almost went to Oregon out of Gonzaga Prep in Spokane.
Then, he went to Eugene for a game that the Ducks lost 70-21 to No. 5 Washington, led by Jake Browning.
Culp committed to the Huskies that April. The rest is history.
While he had to wait his turn behind Cade Otton and Drew Sample, Culp got his chance in 2021 and held down the starting job for three seasons. While never a hyper-productive player, Culp was often the break-in-case-of-emergency option for quarterback Michael Penix Jr. during the Huskies’ run to the national championship.
Now, he’ll work towards a chance to be that same option for quarterback Baker Mayfield, after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him with the No. 246 overall pick. Culp reunites with Otton, his 2023 teammate Jalen McMillan, who general manager Jason Licht took in the third round, and four other Huskies in Tampa Bay.
Culp is a versatile player who’s played in-line, in the slot, and out wide at Washington. He’s built a little slightly for tight end, at just 231 pounds, but he makes up for that lack of size with elite straight-line speed. He ran an eye-popping 4.47 40 yard dash at February’s NFL combine.
Tampa Bay surely has a vision for that speed. And now, Culp will have a chance to prove that he should’ve gone earlier than this.