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DawgmanRadio: Recapping Saturday's Spring Scrimmage Apr 21, 2024

Show notes

The Huskies' ninth practice of the spring was mostly a scrimmage with the players and coaches getting in over 100 plays during the nearly two-hour and 30 minute workout. The guys from Dawgman.com -- Kim Grinolds, Harlan Grady and Scott Eklund -- were there and they talked about everything they saw from their seats in Husky Stadium.

DawgmanRadio: A blustery Day 8 is in the books for UW spring ball Apr 19, 2024

Show notes

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - got together to talk about an eventful Day 8 of UW spring ball even though the team wasn't in full pads on Thursday. Does that likely mean full pads Saturday starting at 11 am? You would think so, but there's only one way to find that out.

The talk started with the weather of the day - beautiful but blustery on the east field sandwiched between Husky Stadium and Lake Washington. As such, it was hard for the quarterbacks to develop much rhythm and timing, but that improved a lot as the day went on. Jeremiah Hunter had a very strong practice on offense, and Elijah Jackson - though wearing yellow on the day to typically signify no contact - had a strong day on defense with a couple of interceptions. And true freshman quarterback Demond Williams continued to show why fans should be excited for this fall - and there were a handful of others the guys mentioned as having stood out during the 150-minute workout.

After talk on practice, the chat turned to the transfer portal after a quick break (news of D'Angalo Titialii's commit took place after we recorded this podcast). More players entered the portal Thursday and that trend will continue through April 30. And then that's roughly the same time Washington will look to fill open roster spots, especially along the offensive line. Scott and Chris talked about that process, as well as why things aren't happening as quickly as maybe they were laid out a week ago.

There should definitely be more visitors coming for Saturday's practice and Scott will hopefully have a list of who we believe is expected on Montlake this weekend. But as always in the transfer portal era, news chances fast, even by the hour - so be patient!

DawgmanRadio: Plenty of competition even without full pads on Day 7 of spring football Apr 17, 2024

Show notes

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - wrapped up Day 7 of UW spring football with a half-hour chat on what they saw, as well as what is going on off the field with the transfer portal.

In the first half of the podcast recap, the guys gave their impressions of who stood out, why they stood out, and who has been making moves up and down Jedd Fisch's completely theoretical depth chart. It starts at quarterback and moves on from there, but the guys continue to rave about true freshman Demond Williams.

And they also had a little debate over what the play of the day was. Was it the gymnastics Battle Royale between Jonah Coleman and Carson Bruener? Or was it the one-handed sellout catch by Denzel Boston against Davon Banks?

After a quick break, the guys went in to talk about the biggest storyline of the day in college football: day one of the transfer portal window. How much was Washington affected by it, and what positions are the Huskies targeting as far as numbers? There are at least one or two position groups that are already a major focus, as you'll hear.

To finish off the podcast, Kim gives a quick update on what's going on with men's basketball in terms of recruiting and also who is involved in Danny Sprinkle's search for assistant coaches.

DawgmanRadio: Big Plays On Offense Highlight Day Six Of Spring Ball Apr 13, 2024

Show notes

The second Saturday practice of spring football continued to see the Husky offense make some strides against Washington's defense. The guys from Dawgman.com -- Kim Grinolds and Scott Eklund -- took in the two-hour-plus practice and came away with some thoughts.

Washington's offense continued to shine, at least in the passing game. Quarterback Demond Williams took most of the first team reps while Will Rogers got a majority of the second team reps.

Denzel Boston and Jeremiah Hunter shone brightly for the wideouts while Decker DeGraaf saw some targets at the tight end spot.

Defensively, Jordan Shaw had another interception while linebacker Bryun Parham forced a fumble near the goal line on a play that saw the defense erupt.

In addition to all of the action on the field, there were a lot of visitors on hand to go through including Jack Del Rio, 49ers GM John Lynch and 49ers offense line coach Chris Foerster and several official visitors as well.

DawgmanRadio: Fifth Day Of Spring Ball Sees Offense Make A Statement Apr 12, 2024

Show notes

The guys from Dawgman - Scott Eklund and Chris Fetters -- were both on hand for Washington's fifth day of spring football. There were some eventful moments including several big plays by the offense.

Since spring practices began back on April 3rd, it's been quite obvious that the Husky defense is much further along than the offense. Considering how much talent and depth was lost following the 2023 season, especially along the offensive line, that was to be expected, but it still has been a thorn in the side of those watching as there have been very little in the way of big plays from the passing game or running game.

That changed on Thursday as Will Rogers and Demond Williams made long throws to Denzel Boston and Elijah Hunter as well as freshman wideout Jason Robinson Jr. two of which went for touchdowns and the other putting the offense is prime position to punch things in, which they did.

To be sure, the defense had their moments as well.

They forced at least a half dozen interceptions and also made things very difficult on the Husky running game.

The guys gave their thoughts and assessment of what they saw and also got in depth on who will be on campus this weekend for visits, both officially and unofficially, and what to expect when the Transfer Portal opens on April 15th.

DawgmanRadio: Lots to talk about after Day Four of Spring Ball Apr 10, 2024

Show notes

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - recapped a very busy Tuesday afternoon/evening on Montlake, one overshadowed by the news that running back Tybo Rogers was arrested last Friday on two rape charges and is currently out on bail.

After offering thoughts on Rogers and the situation he finds himself in, the talk then gets back to Tuesday's practice and the fact that the defense is well ahead of the offense so far. Not to worry, said UW Head Coach Jedd Fisch after practice. Every program he's been a part of saw the defense jump well ahead of the offense during spring ball. But what is causing the gulf in play between the two sides? The guys hash that out, and there are some definite reasons why.

And before going any further, Chris wanted to make sure not to bury the lede; the appearance of Bill Belichick at practice. And the former New England Head Coach wasn't just watching, he was actively helping out with all the defensive position groups. Belichick has been at UW since Friday, first to give a couple of talks during Washington's Coaches Clinic, and now he's helping out on the field.

The guys talk about what they saw Belichick do, who he was helping, seeing Belichick and his son - Washington Defensive Coordinator Steve Belichick - coaching at the same time, and more.

And to wrap things up, Scott gives a brief recruiting update on a top prospect that happened to be at practice today.

DawgmanRadio: Bill Belichick makes his way to Montlake on Day Three of Spring Ball Apr 06, 2024

Show notes

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - got together after Saturday's full pads practice, the first one for Washington this spring, to talk about what they saw and who stood out.

The practice coincided with Washington's annual coaches clinic, which also meant the arrival of Hall of Fame Coach Bill Belichick, father of new UW Defensive Coordinator Steve Belichick. So it wasn't surprising the number of coaches on hand was higher than normal.

Today's recap started with the offense, and especially the play of quarterbacks Will Rogers and Demond Williams, yet the single biggest highlight of the day came courtesy of Dermaricus Davis.

There were a few 'live' periods of practice where the team played close to full tempo and could take the ballcarrier to the ground. It allowed us to see some work in the trenches and also some passing plays down the field too.

We talk about those things, and then after a quick break we turn to the defensive side of the ball, the side that won the day. Starting with the defensive line, they certainly have the upper hand over a very inexperienced offensive line at the moment.

We also talked about the arrival of Belichick, as well as some other dignitaries at practice like former UW star DL Danny Shelton and Indiana DL Philip Blidi, in town on an official visit.

DawgmanRadio: Breaking it all down on Day Two of Spring Football Apr 05, 2024

Show notes

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - braved the cold and the rain normally associated with fall football to check out day two of Washington's spring football campaign, and there was plenty to talk about - even if a lot of it had to do with the team breaking things down and continuing to get back to basics.

To start the show, the guys focused on the offensive side of the ball and especially at quarterback. There appears to be a clear pecking order already with Will Rogers, Demond Williams, and Dermaricus Davis, with Williams continuing to earn a lot of praise for his athleticism and how quickly he seems to be picking things up.

The media got a chance to talk to OC/OL Coach Brennan Carroll today, as well as OL Drew Azzopardi and Zachary Henning, so a lot of the talk in the first half of the show had to do with the offensive line and their struggles. To be fair to the group, they've fully embraced the challenges of being down in numbers and trying new roles, but the coaches have also made it clear they are going to go to the transfer portal early and often to fill out the rest of the offensive line room.

After a quick break, the talk turned to the defense and what each of us saw during practice. There was a lot of breaking things down to the bare fundamentals, and if that meant only going half-speed or slower, that was what had to take place. We also offer our thoughts on new DC Steve Belichick, as well as how the bedding-in period for the defensive coaches will be longer than for the offensive coaches. Outside of DL Coach Jason Kaufusi, all the defensive coaches are new to Jedd Fisch and the staff he brought with him from Arizona, while all the offensive coaches are straight from the Wildcats' program.

DawgmanRadio: Washington Spring Practice Day One Recap Apr 04, 2024

Show notes

The guys from Dawgman.com -- Chris Fetters and Scott Eklund -- were on hand for Jedd Fisch's first practice as the head coach for the Washington Huskies on Wednesday. They broke down the the format of practice and also discussed some of the coaches they saw in action, particularly defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and linebackers coach Robert Bala.

In addition to those observations, the guys also talked about what they saw at quarterback as it was their first chance to see Will Rogers in a Husky uniform and freshman Demond Williams who looks to have the strongest arm of the bunch.

The offensive line is a work in progress and Fetters and Eklund broke down who played where and how players were flipping sides of the line to get them reps on both sides.

They also broke down what they saw from many of the new faces on hand, including cornerback Ephesians Prysock, tailback Jonah Coleman, defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez, offensive lineman Drew Azzopardi and defensive linemen Isaiah Ward and Russell Davis.

DawgmanRadio: Recapping an incredibly busy week on Montlake Mar 29, 2024

Show notes

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - found some time at the end of an incredibly busy week to recap all the comings and goings on Montlake.

To start, the guys give their thoughts on the passing of one of our favorite posters, David Handy - otherwise known as AANDY. His Meanderings became the stuff of message board legend, and he will be sorely missed.

Talk then turned to all the happenings on campus this week, headlined by Washington State Athletic Director Pat Chun moving from Pullman to Seattle to become UW's new AD. As you could expect, nerves are somewhat raw on the other side of the state. And the influence of former AD Jen Cohen continues to resonate with the hiring of Chun, who tripled fundraising efforts while at WSU and brought them championship-level coaches.

Right as Chun was being introduced as Washington's 17th Director of Athletics, 19 former UW football players took part in their Pro Day at the Dempsey Indoor Facility. The guys talked about who had a big day, starting with QB Michael Penix Jr, who ran - depending on whose stopwatch you trust - anywhere from 4.45 to 4.6 in the 40-yard dash.

Why has the draft world suddenly come to the conclusion that Penix is a first round lock? The guys ended up talking to 13 of the 19 players who took part and they give their stories and thoughts on some of the players they spoke to.

After a quick break the talk turned back to the current comings and goings with respect to UW Football and the Wednesday pre-spring press conference with Jedd Fisch, Brennan Carroll, and Steve Belichick. What stood out? It's probably not what you might expect.

Later Wednesday afternoon came the introductory press conference for new UW Men's Basketball Coach Danny Sprinkle. Kim and Chris were both on hand; what were their takeaways from the event?

Scott then offered up the latest recruiting news, starting with arguably the biggest news that was overlooked in a week full of news; the verbal commitment of 2025 running back Julian McMahan. He also talked about upcoming official visits and more as recruiting continues to heat up to coincide with spring ball.

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