1 of 7 | Landen Hatchett (right, in black) and members of the Husky offensive line runs through drills Thursday during camp at Husky Stadium, in Seattle. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
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By
Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
Landen Hatchett didn’t realize he’d broken his right wrist until after the game ended.
It was Oct. 25. Washington was hosting Illinois on a damp Saturday afternoon at Husky Stadium when Hatchett, the team’s starting center, injured his wrist early during UW’s first drive. At first, he simply tried to shake off the discomfort. Hatchett knew something was wrong when he started hearing his wrist click when he snapped, but was determined to finish the game.
Hatchett played all 69 offensive snaps for Washington in its commanding 42-25 victory against Illinois. But when the Huskies sang “Bow Down to Washington” with the Husky Marching Band, Hatchett was unable to lift his helmet straight into the air with his right hand.
“It kind of flopped on me a little bit,” Hatchett said. “So I was like, ‘OK, something’s a little more messed up.’”
Hatchett’s broken wrist has kept him out of Washington’s first eight spring practices. He’s been forced to watch from the sidelines as the Huskies and offensive line coach Michael Switzer have started incorporating UW’s young talent. But Hatchett, a rising senior, said he’s enjoyed watching the younger players get chances to improve while getting healthy for 2026.
“This spring, I’m really focused on taking weight off of it,” he said. “I don’t want to try to push it. Obviously, it’s disappointing not being able to be out here right now, but it’s just about taking advantage of the opportunities you do have. This spring, I’m just going to keep it resting as much as I can and get it healthy as soon as possible.”
Hatchett, a 6-foot-3, 314-pound center, is one of four returning starters on Washington’s offensive line. Fifth-year right tackle Drew Azzopardi, listed 6-7, 322 pounds, and sophomore John Mills are also back on Montlake for 2026 after enjoying breakout seasons in 2025, along with Geirean Hatchett, Landen Hatchett’s older brother who was granted a seventh year of eligibility after missing most of 2024 because of a season-ending biceps injury at Oklahoma.
Despite UW’s returning experience, Switzer and coach Jedd Fisch have given plenty of opportunities to a trio of young offensive linemen.
Kodi Greene, the 247Sports composite five-star freshman from Renton via Mater Dei High who was the top-rated recruit in UW’s 2026 recruiting class, has taken a majority of the repetitions as Washington’s first-choice left tackle. Hatchett said Greene’s athleticism has been apparent since the Huskies’ player-run practices during winter quarter. Greene’s speed and strength have translated smoothly against UW’s veteran linebackers and defensive linemen, too, Hatchett said.
Switzer also praised Greene’s athleticism, along with the true freshman’s communication skills and football instincts. But the UW offensive line coach said he’d been particularly impressed by Greene’s commitment to film study.
“He does some things, naturally, that are quite impressive,” Switzer said, “Once he got here, he attacked the meeting room and understanding the playbook. That’s the single most important thing, and the biggest jump from a guy coming from high school to college, how they’re able to deal with that. He’s had no issues with it.”
Mills, who similarly impressed as a true freshman early enrollee during spring practices a year ago, offered a simpler evaluation of Greene’s spring performance.
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“He’s an absolute stud,” Mills said. “I’m so proud of the way he’s come in and worked every single day. He’s never taken anything for granted. He asks all the questions. He works in the weight room and he works on the field. … He’s an absolute baller.”
Greene, however, isn’t the only new face to impress Switzer and Hatchett during the past weeks. Redshirt freshman Champ Taulealea opened spring practices as UW’s primary right guard after Geirean Hatchett shifted to center to replace his injured brother.
Taulealea, a 6-5, 344-pound guard, played in five games — four during the regular season and the LA Bowl — during his true freshman campaign. He was the highest-rated offensive linemen UW signed during the 2025 recruiting cycle, one that also included Mills.
Azzopardi said Taulealea’s physical growth has been particularly notable this spring. The redshirt freshman was listed at 330 pounds in 2025.
It’s even more apparent to Azzopardi because he still remembers playing Taulealea at the high school level. Azzopardi was a senior at Junipero Serra High in San Mateo, Calif., while Taulealea was a freshman at rival Valley Christian High in San Jose, Calif. Azzopardi said Taulealea has “all the intangibles to be a great player.”
“Champ’s just growing a lot,” Azzopardi said. “Super strong. Super powerful. He has such a bright future ahead of him.”
Greene and Taulealea were expected to be major contributors entering spring practices. Fisch anointed Greene as a potential starter during his signing day news conference, while Taulealea was pushing for snaps as a true freshman in 2025. But UW’s spring practices have unearthed another rising young player.
Redshirt freshman Jake Flores had never played center before spring practices started. Originally a tackle at JSerra Catholic High in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Switzer moved the 6-5, 305-pound offensive lineman to guard for most of his true freshman season in 2025.
But with Landen Hatchett injured for spring practices, Switzer said they encouraged Flores to get some snapping repetitions to vary his skill set. So when Geirean Hatchett went down with an arm injury during UW’s second practice, Flores was called upon to play center with the top group.
Switzer said Flores’ football intelligence made him an obvious candidate to move to center, particularly after second-choice center Zachary Henning, who performed well during Landen Hatchett’s absence in 2025, transferred to Arizona during the offseason.Landen Hatchett said Flores has responded well to the abrupt changes this spring, and said seeing the position through the eyes of a new player has helped give the veteran Hatchett more perspective. Landen Hatchett added that Flores’ balance and technical proficiency have also stood out, especially considering the redshirt freshman’s lack of experience at the position.
“It’s been awesome watching Jake Flores get the reps he’s been able to get,” Landen Hatchett said. “Continue to see him improve every day — day in, day out. Been really impressed with his mindset.”
Extra points
• True freshman wide receiver Mason James ended practice with a touchdown Thursday, running up the left seam before hauling in a 15-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Elijah Brown during a situational late-game period. Brown was 4-for-5 passing for 38 yards during the period, while adding 7 yards rushing on two carries.• Junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr. scored a touchdown during a 10-yard scramble to finish his late-game drive. Williams was 3-for-5 passing for 45 yards, including a long completion to sophomore wideout Dezmen Roebuck and a pair of 8-yard completions to junior wide receiver Rashid Williams. However, the offense failed to score during the two-point conversion after Demond Williams Jr.’s pass intended for redshirt freshman running back Quaid Carr was batted down by fifth-year linebacker Jacob Manu.
• Redshirt freshman Treston “Kini” McMillan had the longest completion of the day for a second consecutive practice, connecting with sophomore wideout Justice Williams on a go route down the left sideline for more than 40 yards and beating true freshman cornerback Elijah Durr in coverage.
• The entire offense was sent to run around the field after fumbling on consecutive plays near the end of practice. Roebuck was stripped by senior safety Alex McLaughlin after a long run after catch. True freshman running back Ansu Sanoe lost the ball a play later after it appeared to be punched out by true freshman defensive tackle Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais. Senior linebacker Xe’ree Alexander recovered.
Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes.com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.