Kalen DeBoer kept “someone” a secret …
At least, for 1 minute and 27 seconds.
During his first game-week news conference of the 2022 season, DeBoer — who will make his UW debut when Washington hosts Kent State inside Husky Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday — was asked whether this offseason has felt like a whirlwind.
“So I just sent a text off, uh — to someone — this morning,” he said Monday, sporting a black polo and a hinting grin. “That text was: ‘Man, it’s gone really fast. But when you think about how much you’ve done in that time, it’s been a little bit of a grind, too.’
“But it’s great. It feels different [this week]. I can hear the band outside my office, getting ready. That felt like a game atmosphere this morning. So we’re excited. But there’s been a lot of work that’s gone into this, and I’m excited to see our guys reap the rewards of it.”
Of course, Chris Petersen knows plenty about both — having compiled a 147-38 record in 14 seasons as the coach at Boise State and Washington. That included a 55-26 tally and two Pac-12 titles in six seasons in Seattle, from 2014-19 before he abruptly resigned.
So after mentioning this somewhat mysterious text, DeBoer was asked if he still corresponds with Petersen.
“It’s funny you ask, because that text message I’m talking about was to Chris,” DeBoer said with a laugh, after chuckling quietly upon hearing the question. “He’s been amazing. First off, I said it from the beginning, you’d be foolish not to take the insight and any information he has to share and learn from it. He loves this program and loves the players he knows still that are in it, that he recruited. There’s still a high number of those. He is a great source.
“I just know, over the different places I’ve been … [there was former Fresno State head coaches] Pat Hill and Jeff Tedford when I was at Fresno the last couple years. Pat in particular was around practice daily. Chris has just been a great source, bouncing things off of. There were text messages back and forth even this morning. He’s always welcome around here. He knows that, and I appreciate him to a very, very high level.”
The Penix comparison
To state the obvious: Michael Penix Jr. is not Michael Vick, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning.
But for those who haven’t seen the Huskies’ starting quarterback play, who does he most resemble stylistically or athletically?
“He’s none of those,” responded offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ryan Grubb, partially rejecting the premise. “I think he’s none of those, in the meaning that he’s not Michael Vick with how he runs, and he’s definitely not a statue back there. He’s a very, very capable runner. He’s an outstanding athlete. If you saw him on the basketball court, he’d go out there and stand under the rim and dunk it behind his head with no problem. He’s very explosive. He’s more sudden than people realize.
“But what I’ve always liked about Mike, even when he was playing for coach DeBoer at Indiana, is he’s a true quarterback. He’s not going to see pressure and think, ‘How do I get out of here and run?’ He’s going to think about how he can accomplish the play and be a threat with his arm. So he is a pure thrower in that sense, but he’s also a ballplayer. He’ll get out there and have the guts to make the play when he’s asked to.”
Which, of course, provides precarious potential — considering each of Penix’s four college seasons have ended with injuries (two torn ACLs, a sternoclavicular joint injury and an AC joint shoulder issue).
But though violent contact is inevitable in this sport, Grubb and Penix have prepared to prevent another contracted campaign.
“Mike’s done a great job of trying to be proactive,” Grubb said. “Ultimately that’s what it is, in the preservation of the season for him, is trying to build himself into something he hasn’t been in a long time — feeling really strong and whole and not nursing anything going into Game One. That’s where he’s at. He’s as strong as he’s been in years.
“I think our strength staff and training staff is probably tired of hearing from me. I’ll send them videos and articles and [say], ‘Hey, I’ve seen this for shoulder and spine stability.’ It’s never-ending. That’s really what I want for those guys, not just Mike: finding ways to make them as durable as possible. He’s really chased that. He’s done a nice job.”
Ale update
When 6-foot-6, 333-pound defensive lineman (and converted left guard) Ulumoo Ale tumbled to the turf during a practice Aug. 10, the fear was he’d be lost for the season. But the injury was deemed less severe, and it’s possible Ale will play Saturday. The fifth-year junior is listed as a starting defensive lineman, beside veteran Tuli Letuligasenoa.
But Ale’s status remains uncertain, co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell said.
“He’s got a big week ahead of him,” he said. “We feel pretty strongly he’s on track. We’ve got to make sure we’re being smart in terms of how and when we’re bringing him back, but he’s certainly working back into things now.”
Extra points
- Grubb was asked whether UW has a receiver who can consistently take the top off of opposing defenses. “Yes. Rome [Odunze],” he replied, without bothering to hear the end of the question. He added that “Jalen McMillan can do the same thing at any point, but Rome is certainly that guy.” Which is certainly intriguing, considering Odunze averaged just 10.1 yards per reception last season — ranking sixth among Husky wideouts. But that was also an offense that struggled mightily to put its playmakers in positions to succeed.
- As a condition of his NCAA reinstatement, sixth-year senior left tackle Jaxson Kirkland will not play against Kent State. But it appears the 6-7, 340-pounder might be dealing with an injury as well. DeBoer said, when asked about his availability for the Portland State game Sept. 10, that “we don’t want to push it too much. That’s the expectation, that he’ll be able to get out there week two in some capacity and help us out.”
- DeBoer was asked about former Husky All-American and Super Bowl champion safety Lawyer Milloy, who spoke to the team in a meeting last week. “We really appreciate all he’s done, and there’s a heartbeat to him that’s different,” DeBoer said. “Our guys know it and I know it, and when he comes and speaks to the team they just feel the passion he has, and also just the way he did it and how long he was able to do it in the NFL, there’s a lot of things we can learn. We want to make everything about growth moments while we’re learning the history of this program and really acknowledging how some of these great players that went through this program did it and who they are.”