The Mason/Brennan Preseason Hype! Awards are back, and Week 1 already gave Washington fans a fresh batch of names to obsess over.
This annual exercise was built as a lighthearted salute to the players who get pushed into the spotlight before they’ve really done much at the NFL level. It also ends up shining a light on the under-the-radar guys who have a real path to the roster.
The whole thing traces back to Colt Brennan, the former Washington Redskins sixth-round pick who arrived with a mountain of college hype after starring at Hawaii. Brennan became a cult favorite in Washington during his short stay, and the awards carry his name in tribute.
He died five years ago at the age of 37.
The rules keep the field tight. Eligible players have to be late draft picks or undrafted free agents signed by Washington, and players who spent most of their time on the practice squad, inactive list, or with very limited production can still qualify. There’s also the Keenan “the Barbarian” Robinson Amendment, which limits first-year eligibility to sixth-round picks or later for their first two seasons.
Washington is in the third year of the Adam Peters/Dan Quinn era, coming off a disappointing 5-12 season after entering the year with Super Bowl hopes following an NFC Championship Game run in Year 1. Quinn changed both coordinators, and Peters set about trying to fix a defense that had problems.
Training camp opened last week, so the preseason hype machine is already spinning again. Last season, Bill Croskey-Merritt went from preseason darling to winning the Pepsi Rookie of the Week Award four times.
Here’s the latest crop of nominees making noise early:
Robert Henry Jr. showed up with some buzz already attached after his college highlights, but his offseason and camp had been pretty quiet until Friday night. Once he got on the field, he brought a different energy with his running style, and fans are already talking about him as more than just a roster hopeful. The excitement is real enough that people are pushing him not only to make the team, but to matter right away as a rookie.
Kaytron “Fatman” Allen picked up his first NFL touchdown on Friday night, and he said the spark came after Robert Henry Jr. scored first. The rookie back didn’t lose a yard on his carries, and with Jeremy McNichols set to miss the next few weeks because of a quad injury, the competition in that room is only getting sharper. Allen looks like he’ll have a role in the offense.
Malik Spencer gave Washington its first interception of training camp and added the final pick in the preseason game against Miami. The play came after veteran defensive tackle Byron Cowart hit Dolphins backup quarterback Quinn Ewers as he released the ball. Spencer is fighting for a spot at a position that still has some uncertainty, and more nights like that would go a long way toward helping him stick on the roster or land on the practice squad.
Athan Kaliakmanis turned a rough quarterback situation into a jolt of energy. Sam Hartman came in earlier than expected after Marcus Mariota sprained his knee on just his fourth snap, and Hartman struggled badly, throwing a pick and looking unsure with no zip on the ball.
Once Kaliakmanis entered, everything changed. AK16 was slinging it all over the field, and both the receivers and the team had to be relieved to see him take over and finish the game.
Fans should expect plenty more of the Baklava Bomber over the next two games.
Colson Yankoff is still eligible for the award, even though he hasn’t been nominated this year. Bill asked whether that was still the case, and the answer is yes because of how little offensive playing time Yankoff has had over his first two seasons with Washington.
He has been stacking impressive catch after impressive catch in training camp, and one content creator who covers camp every day even called him the MVP. The question now is whether he can close enough ground on former second-round pick Ben Sinnott to make this a real conversation.
Matt Gulbin entered camp as a Day 3 pick at a spot where opportunity was available quickly, with Nick Allegretti projected to start after Tyler Biadasz was released. Then Allegretti got hurt on the first day of camp, and Gulbin started climbing the depth chart.
Friday night gave him his first NFL action, and he held his own while showing some real promise. Center has been a nerve-wracking spot for fans, and probably for coaches too, so if Gulbin develops into a draft steal, that would be a massive win for Washington’s future.
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