Derek Colman-Brusa has wasted no time making himself at home at Washington.
The Kennedy Catholic product has started all three of the Huskies’ first games as a freshman defensive tackle, and he’s done more than just occupy a spot in the opening lineup. Through those three outings, he has become one of Washington’s most effective defenders, ranking as the team’s fifth-highest graded player on defense with a 72.7 mark from PFF.
What stands out most is how many different ways he’s already affecting games. Colman-Brusa has been useful against the run, active as a pass rusher, and disruptive enough to show up in the passing lanes too.
Inside, the assignment starts with stopping the run, and Colman-Brusa has handled that responsibility well. He has logged five stops in three games, which ties him for fourth on the team. He’s also collected seven tackles overall, including two tackles for loss, and he has recorded at least one stop in every game so far.
There has been plenty to like when Washington has asked him to attack the pocket as well. At 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds, he has the frame to create problems, and he picked up the first sack of his career in Week 2 against Utah State. He’s also tied for third on the team with five pressures and leads the Huskies’ interior defensive linemen in that category.
His length has shown up in another way, too. In the season opener against Washington State, Colman-Brusa got a hand on a Caden Pinnick pass that was later intercepted. That kind of disruption can change a play even when it doesn’t show up as a sack or a tackle.
Washington’s depth up front has helped make all of this possible. The Huskies’ interior defensive line rotation includes Colman-Brusa, Darin Conley, DeSean Watts, Kai McClendon, and Omar Khan, and four other interior linemen have already played at least 40 snaps through three games. Elinneus Davis is not part of that total yet, but he is set to return this weekend against Minnesota and add even more depth to the group.
That matters because Washington is about to step into Big Ten play, beginning this weekend against the Golden Gophers. The level of competition is only going up from here, but Colman-Brusa has already shown he belongs and has become a steady presence in Ryan Walters’ defense.
In Other News...
Michael Penix Jr. Just Gave Huskies Fans A New NFL Reason To Watch
Michael Penix Jr. is back on an NFL field, and Washington fans have a fresh reason to keep one eye on Atlanta this fall. The former Huskies quarterback completed 18 of 25 passes for 256 yards in the Falcons victory over the Green Bay Packers, a strong return for a player working his way back after ACL surgery and a long rehab stretch that kept him out of action since late last season.
For Washington supporters who watched Penix steer the Huskies offense, his comeback carries a little extra meaning because it is about more than one game. Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski praised the work Penix put into his rehabilitation, and Penix spoke afterward about both his performance and where his health stands now, leaving the next chapter of his NFL story very much worth following. [Read more 🡒]