The Washington Huskies are headed into Friday night’s matchup with No. 20 Iowa already sorting through their offensive line again, and the reshuffling could put a different look on the field at Husky Stadium.
Washington is 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play, and the line in front of the offense has become one of the main storylines as the Huskies try to steady things after five weeks. Against No.
19 USC on Oct. 3, true freshman left tackle Kodi Greene was on the field for just 14 pass snaps and finished with a 0.0 grade from Pro Football Focus. That opened the door for second-year offensive lineman and 2025 true freshman All-American John Mills to slide in at left tackle, a move Washington has used in different doses over the past two weeks.
Mills made the most of it. Pro Football Focus gave him a 90.8 pass-blocking grade, the best mark on the team in pass protection.
At his Monday news conference at Husky Stadium, head coach Jedd Fisch was openly impressed with Mills and made it clear more movement is coming this week in practice. That could lead to Mills starting at left tackle against Iowa.
"I thought John played really well at left tackle," Fisch said Monday. "As we've evaluated, how we grade it out, he graded out at a high level.
I think, as we go into practice this week, we're looking at (fourth-year Landen Hatchett) back at center. We would be shocked if that's not the case.
So there will be some rotation there with (fourth-year Kolt Dieterich) at center, Kolt at guard. There will be rotation with Kodi at guard, Kolt at tackle.
Rotation with Kolt at tackle, John at guard. Tomorrow will be a rotational day, get ourselves back in action.
And then we'll play the best five for this moment in time."
That update points toward a possible season debut for Hatchett, who has missed Washington’s first five games despite being on the preseason Rimington Trophy watchlist. He had been a game-time decision in each of the last two Big Ten games.
If Hatchett is back at center, Dieterich would then be free to move around between guard and tackle. Dieterich had not played center before arriving at Washington this offseason, but he was the highest-graded offensive lineman in Conference-USA last season at Sam Houston State. Last year, he started at right tackle in 11 of 12 games and at left tackle in the other one.
The biggest adjustment may be Greene’s. A move inside to guard would be a tough turn for the highly touted freshman, who arrived with plenty of buzz as the team’s highest-rated recruit in the Class of 2026.
Fisch said he has already talked with Greene about that possibility and tried to frame it as part of the bigger picture.
"What I mentioned to Kodi is, I remember two years ago, we were coaching Jordan Morgan (with the Arizona Wildcats)," Fisch said. "(He) was a first-round pick at left tackle, he got picked by the (Green Bay Packers) and in the first year, he played guard.
And now he's playing left tackle. So, if we decide to move him back inside at this point in time or not, we'll make that decision to see what's best for the team.
If we keep him outside, that means we believe that's best for the team. But right now, I would say I was excited with the way John Mills played left tackle and the physicality that he brings."
For now, Washington is still searching for the right five up front. And with Iowa next on the schedule, that search is happening fast.
In Other News...
Washington May Have Finally Found The Lead Back It Needed
The Huskies have spent much of the fall piecing together their backfield as injuries kept reshuffling the depth chart, but Brian Bonner Jr. has started to look like a back who can handle more of the load. The true freshman has moved into a bigger role, and against USC he showed why the staff keeps leaning on him, working as a steady option between the tackles and giving the offense a runner it could trust.
Bonner finished that game with 19 carries for 89 yards and also chipped in as a receiver on a short catch, a useful sign for a back trying to expand his workload. For the season, he has 215 rushing yards on 41 carries and is averaging 5.2 yards per attempt, numbers that matter even more with Jordan Washington, Quaid Carr, Jayden Limar and Julian McMahan all dealing with injuries in a thinned-out room. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Faces One Big Lineup Question In Its New-Look Debut
The Washington mens basketball team is about to get its first live look at a roster built almost entirely from scratch, with an exhibition against Washington State set for Oct. 25. Nine new players are on the Huskies roster, and the turnover is significant enough that the early weeks of preseason have been less about refining a rotation than figuring out who fits where after the departures of last seasons familiar names, including Hannes Steinbach, Zoom Diallo and Franck Kepnang.
One piece of the puzzle is already in place: Wesley Yates III is the only starter currently locked in. Beyond that, coach Danny Sprinkle still has a few choices to sort through, with newcomers like Ryan Beasley and LeJuan Watts among the players expected to factor into the mix alongside Lathan Sommerville and Mady Traore. The exhibition should offer the first real glimpse at how the Huskies intend to line up when the season starts, even if the final answer is still a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Faces One Big Friday Chance Against Ranked Iowa
Washingtons Friday night test just got a little more interesting with Iowa taking its first loss of the season against Ohio State, a game in which the Hawkeyes managed only 14 points. Both teams have had trouble getting much going on offense, so the matchup already had the feel of a grinder, the kind where field position and one mistake can matter more than big-play ability.
The biggest question hanging over it now is Iowa quarterback Hank Brown, who is dealing with a mild shoulder or collarbone sprain but still has a chance to suit up. Brown has been a key part of what Iowa has done through the air this year, and his availability could shape how conservative or aggressive the Hawkeyes are in a game that figures to be low-scoring anyway. [Read more 🡒]