The Washington Huskies faced unfortunate injury luck in the first half against Weber State as starting tight end Quentin Moore went down with an injury and has yet to return. With coach Jedd Fisch’s team shallow at the tight end position, California transfer Keleki Latu and true freshman Decker DeGraaf are the next players up.
Washington relied heavily on their tight ends in the first half to assist their struggling offensive line, and DeGraaf found a way to impact the game as a receiver when he scored a 33-yard touchdown to extend the team’s lead to 14-0 on his first career snap.
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If Moore is out for an extended period of time, it wouldn’t be surprising if DeGraaf takes over the starting role as the season wears on. The high-upside freshman developed quicker than expected during the offseason, and Fisch and his staff may be forced into trusting a younger player like DeGraaf for an integral position within the offense.
With quarterback Will Rogers relying on check-downs to move the ball, tight end will continue to be one of the positions he targets most frequently.
DeGraaf was a three-star recruit coming out of high school, but the coaching staff was extremely excited about what he could bring to the team. Though he’s on the smaller side for a tight end, he moves extremely well, something that Fisch and offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll value highly at the position.
The Huskies will have multiple star freshmen entering the program next year, so if DeGraaf can establish himself as the clear starter if Moore has to miss an extended period of time, it could go a long way to securing his future role with the program.