Washington 2023 Season Preview
It feels like the pieces are falling into place for the Huskies to make their first run at the College Football Playoff since their 2016 appearance. Nearly every season since (excluding COVID and 2021), we’ve seen the Huskies compete toward the top of their division and the Pac-12 but fall short in a one way or another. Their recent success is often overlooked and I see it being hard to ignore this team in 2023 considering the talent, depth, and experience they have on their squad.
Trying out a new Nespresso flavor in the ‘Sweet Vanilla’ roast. It smells like it is going to taste like a sweet cream cold brew but is far less sweet than anticipated. Nespresso knows how to balance the sweetness vs. the bitterness to provide a well-rounded cup of coffee. Much like the well-rounded roster we’ll see the Huskies field this season. Let’s dive in.
Synopsis
This will only be Kalen DeBoer’s second season leading the Huskies and you can already sense a winning culture brewing for the Huskies. DeBoer’s arrival was immediately followed-up by on-field production that led the Huskies to an 11–2 record that ended with a win in the Alamo Bowl over Texas. The offense was efficient as they ranked 7th nationally in scoring. The defense was balanced but gave up too many plays over the top last season that led to the Huskies dropping their 2 games by giving up 40+ points to their opponents.
For those that aren’t all-in on Caleb Williams for Heisman again, the popular second choice has been Washington’s Michael Penix. Jr. Last season was extremely impressive as he threw for 4,641 yards along with 31 touchdowns to only 8 interceptions. You won’t see Penix Jr. get outside of the pocket to run it all that often but he did manage to rush for 4 touchdowns in 2022 as well so that option is always there.
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While it’s great to have a talent like Penix Jr. under center, it’s better to have a supporting cast around such a talent. An argument is there that Penix Jr. has the best returning cast in the WR corps for the 2023 season. Washington returns their 3 leading receivers in Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillian, and Ja’Lynn Polk who combined for a staggering 2,937 yards last season with 22 touchdowns to go with it. They accounted for 63% of Michael Penix Jr.’s production and each of them are back in 2023. Let’s just say defenses better be ready when they go up against this high-powered offense.
Defensively for the Huskies, there is room for improvement from 2022. Ranking 99th nationally in pass defense is what truly kept them from running the table in the regular season and being in the CFP. Their two losses were bad losses to UCLA and Arizona State. UCLA is a strong opponent, but Washington should have controlled that game. However, the Huskies are aware of this and have addressed their needs. They bring in Jabbar Muhammad (CB) from Oklahoma State who is a former 4-star recruit that will immediately make his presence felt in the secondary. Asa Turner will be an experienced leader for the Huskies in the secondary as he hopes to build on his two interceptions from last season.
The defensive line was strong last season, ranking 25th nationally in rushing defense. The Huskies return Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui who combined for 14.5 sacks in 2022 and are fully prepared to build on that with the loss of outstanding linebacker Jeremiah Martin to the NFL who accounted for 8.5 sacks alone last season.
2023 Outlook
I wouldn’t consider the Huskies 2023 campaign to be easy by any means. While their non-conference isn’t full of powerhouses, they are teams that would put Washington on upset alert. The Huskies open their schedule hosting Boise State and travel to Michigan State two weeks later. The Huskies should have no issue with the Spartans but you have to be a little nervous with the Huskies getting an early taste of their future in-conference opponent. Pac-12 play for the final time isn’t too shabby for the Huskies. Traveling to USC isn’t great but the Huskies have the fortune of hosting Oregon and Utah in their own house.
If I could make an early predicition on my predicition here, I think Washington can prove me wrong. I had to keep myself from going all in on Washington because I can easily see a slip up here or there especially with the Huskies getting USC, Utah, and Oregon State late in the season over the course of 14 days. For the 2023 season, I see the Huskies going 11–1 with their lone loss in the regular season to USC in the Coliseum. That would be more than enough to earn the Huskies a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game against USC to get their revenge on the Trojans. Regardless, I expect a spot in the CFP to be on the line in the Pac-12 Championship which demonstrates the strides these programs have made in recent years.
