Huskies notes: 3 defensive backs to enter NFL Draft; 5 transfers commit elsewhere
The Washington Huskies football offseason has been busy.
Coaches have departed and arrived. Standout players have declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. Others have announced transfers or new destinations, while some have transferred in.
Many of the changes have happened in recent weeks. Here’s a recap of the updates:
MCDUFFIE, GORDON, RADLEY-HILES DECLARE FOR DRAFT
Three defensive standouts for the Huskies are officially headed for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Cornerback Trent McDuffie, an All-Pac-12 first-team pick in the fall, declared for the draft last week following three seasons at UW.
McDuffie was key to a Huskies secondary that finished the 2021 season with the fewest passing yards per game allowed (143.3), fewest passing yards per completion allowed (8.87) and fewest passing touchdowns allowed (six) among FBS teams.
He started the 11 games he played in, finishing with 35 tackles, including two for losses, one sack and six passes defended.
McDuffie played in 28 games for the Huskies during his career, finishing with 94 tackles, 4 1/2 for losses, the one sack, two interceptions, eight passes defended, three forced fumbles and three recoveries.
Kyler Gordon, who started at cornerback opposite McDuffie and was also an All-Pac-12 first-team performer in the fall, announced he will enter the draft on Wednesday evening.
Gordon started each of UW’s 12 games in 2021, led the Huskies with seven passes defended, finished tied for the team lead with two interceptions and added 45 tackles, including two for losses.
In his four seasons at UW, the former Archbishop Murphy standout appeared in 33 games — including every game the past three seasons — and collected 97 tackles, including for for losses, the two interceptions, 12 passes defended, two forced fumbles and one recovery.
Brendan Radley-Hiles, who played defensive back for the Huskies last fall following three seasons at Oklahoma, announced he was declaring for the draft on Tuesday afternoon.
In his one season with the Huskies, Radley-Hiles played in 11 games and finished with 46 tackles, including three for losses, two sacks, one interception and four passes defended.
He appeared in 37 games in his three seasons at Oklahoma, where he collected 115 tackles, including nine for losses, one sack, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 11 passes defended, one fumble and one recovery.
TRANSFER PORTAL UPDATES
Three former Huskies have committed to Pac-12 schools in California in the past week, as the transfer portal continues to turn.
Following five seasons with the Huskies, wide receiver Terrell Bynum announced he would transfer in late December, then committed to USC on Monday.
Bynum played in 34 games the past four seasons, tallying 65 catches for 934 yards and six touchdowns. In eight games last fall, he averaged 16.8 yards per reception, hauling in 26 catches for 436 yards and four touchdowns.
Former inside linebacker Jackson Sirmon, who led the Huskies in tackles last fall, announced Wednesday he has committed to California.
Sirmon played in 33 games for UW the past four seasons. He tallied 91 tackles, including four for losses, an interception, forced fumble and recovery last fall as a sophomore.
At Cal, he will reunite with his father, Peter Sirmon, who is the Bears’ defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach.
Sam Taimani, a regular starter at defensive tackle the past two seasons, entered the transfer portal last month and announced Thursday he is headed to rival Oregon.
In four seasons at UW, Taimani played in 29 games, and started 10 of the 11 he played in last fall, leading Huskies defensive linemen with 41 tackles, including two for losses, and added two passes defended and a fumble recovery.
Former Huskies outside linebacker Laiatu Latu, who played in 12 games as a true freshman in 2019 before medically retiring last spring, announced last week on social media he will continue his career at UCLA, where he will reconnect with Malloe.
Former Huskies wide receiver Sawyer Racanelli also announced Wednesday he has committed to Montana after entering the transfer portal last month.
Racanelli appeared in 13 games for the Huskies the past two seasons, primarily on special teams.
The Huskies have also added from the transfer portal, including officially announcing the additions of Michael Penix Jr. and Jordan Perryman late last month.
Penix committed to the Huskies in December after playing the past four seasons at Indiana, including one season alongside DeBoer, who was the Hoosiers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019.
During his four seasons in the Big Ten, Penix completed 59.4% of his passes for 4,197 yards and 29 touchdowns to 15 interceptions in 20 career games.
He started five games for the Hoosiers in 2021 as a redshirt junior, completing 87-of-162 passes for 939 yards and four touchdowns to seven interceptions before a shoulder injury ended his season in October.
Perryman also committed to UW in December after five seasons in UC Davis’ program. As a junior last fall, he collected 63 tackles, including 2 1/2 for losses, one interception, 12 pass breakups, one forced fumble and two recoveries.
Linebacker Demario King, who played two seasons at Cerritos College in California, also announced his commitment to the Huskies in late December, and has since been added to UW’s roster. He tallied 57 tackles in 11 games as a sophomore last fall.
COACHING CHANGES
By the third week of December, Huskies coach Kalen DeBoer, who was hired from Fresno State in late November, had the 2022 coaching staff set.
Ryan Grubb (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach), William Inge (co-defensive coordinator and linebackers), Chuck Morrell (co-defensive coordinator and safeties), Lee Marks (running backs), Eric Schmidt (special teams coordinator and edge rushers), Julius Brown (cornerbacks) and Ron McKeefery (strength and conditioning) joined DeBoer from Fresno State.
Nick Sheridan (tight ends) signed on with the program after previously coaching alongside DeBoer at Indiana, and Inoke Breckterfield (defensive line) joined UW from Vanderbilt.
Two members of the previous staff were set to return in wide receivers coach Junior Adams and offensive line coach Scott Huff.
Adams has since departed for a new role, signing with Oregon as the program’s co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, the program announced Monday.
“Junior Adams is a great addition to this coaching staff,” Ducks coach Dan Lanning said in a release. “He has tremendous experience on the West Coast both as a player and a coach, as well as knowledge and familiarity working in the Pac-12 Conference. Coach Adams is a terrific teacher and mentor of young men, and I am excited for our student-athletes to get the opportunity to learn from him.
“He has a track record of developing NFL talent at the wide receiver position, and I am looking forward to seeing him develop some more playmakers here at Oregon. His experience as a play caller will be extremely beneficial to our staff as we work to install our offensive system here at Oregon. I am thrilled to welcome Junior and his family to Eugene.”
Adams joins the Ducks after coaching wide receivers in Seattle the past three seasons. UW has not announced a replacement.
Several of the assistants from the departing 2021 staff also have new destinations. Former running backs coach Keith Bhonapha is returning to Boise State, former outside linebackers coach Ikaika Malloe is joining UCLA’s staff, former defensive line coach Rip Rowan and former defensive backs coach Will Harris are both joining Georgia Southern and former assistant defensive backs coach Terrence Brown is headed to Cal.
HUSKIES IN TOP 6 FOR SEATTLE LINEMAN
Rainier Beach High School standout Josh Conerly Jr. announced the six college programs he is still considering Monday afternoon — and the hometown Huskies remain in the mix for the five-star offensive lineman.
Conerly, who is considered the state’s top recruit in the 2022 class, and the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation by 247Sports.com, also listed Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan, USC and Miami in his top six.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Huskies notes: 3 defensive backs to enter NFL Draft; 5 transfers commit elsewhere."
