With Everyone Back, Will Husky OL Settle In and Produce?

With Landen Hatchett back from his wrist injury and plenty of position shuffling, one might have expected some improvement for the beleaguered University of Washington rushing attack.

Instead, things got worse, a lot worse, as the Huskies finished with a negative total for just the second time in 14 seasons.

A -3 rushing output in the 41-24 loss to Iowa was exceeded by a slightly more dismal -5 output at Arizona State in 2013.

The UW now has four of its five offensive-line starters from last season available all at once for the first time this fall, or most of the group that enabled the Huskies to rush for 165.5 yards per outing in 2025. It's currently a dismal 90.3 average.

Only previous left offensive tackle Carver Willis has moved on, though he happened to be in downtown Seattle on Sunday afternoon sharing in the San Francisco 49ers' 29-26 victory over the Seahawks.

So the next objective is to open some holes with all of this veteran manpower finally on hand.

Yet the Huskies' longest run against Iowa was 9 yards by quarterback Demond Williams Jr. on a scramble and just 5 yards by either running back that played, with freshman Brian Bonner Jr. covering the latter distance.

Here's where the Huskies stand at each OL starting position as they try to put all the pieces together for the final six games of the regular season. After what's happened so far, no guarantees.

CENTER -- After missing nine consecutive outing over two seasons, Landen Hatchett received the go-ahead to play again and drew 50 of 85 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Of course, he's not in optimum game shape for having missed so much time. Otherwise, he's a quality center.

The Huskies tried to spell him in each half with Kolt Dieterich, who started the first five games as the replacement snapper who rotated from the No. 1 left offensive guard to over the ball again.

"I thought he played pretty well," UW coach Jedd Fisch said of Hatchett. " But we need to find a way to be more cohesive up front and that starts with coaching."

LEFT TACKLE -- John Mills drew his first start at left tackle after previously opening 14 times at left offensive guard and twice at right tackle in two seasons.

Considered the Huskies' top offensive lineman, the 6-foot-6, 325-pound Mills played nearly 50 snaps at his new position and returned to guard for a series in each half, but wasn't dominant. He'll need some time to make this new job work for him.

Freshman Kodi Greene, the starter for the first five games at left tackle, rotated into that spot during each half against the Hawkeyes.

LEFT GUARD -- Normally a tackle and this season an emergency center, Dieterich started in Mills' guard slot and played every snap moving between between that position and center.

The coaching staff can't praise him enough for his versatility and, when or if things settle down up front, Dieterich should have a better chance to show what he can do.

RIGHT GUARD -- The 6-foot-5, 340-pound Champ Taulealea started for the third time this season and second consecutive on the right side, and then split snaps with Geirean Hatchett, previously a three-game starter.

While Taulealea, a sophomore, clearly needs more strength, he's being groomed to become a reliable blocker in time. But how much time?

RIGHT TACKLE -- Drew Azzopardi started for the 30th game at right tackle for the Huskies and is the only UW offensive lineman last Friday who didn't have a new assignment to contend with.

The fact the 6-foot-7, 325-pound fifth-year player doesn't rotate with someone or have another job these days suggests he's likely having more good moments than bad, but it's hard to see when the group continually breaks down.

So there it is, the Husky offensive line with all of its top players together for the first time. It's way past time for this group to open some holes. Basic holes.