Huard: Why UW Huskies had their best NFL combine showing ever

Mar 4, 2024, 12:34 PM | Updated: 12:34 pm

UW Huskies WR Rome Odunze prepares for the 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL combine. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

(Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

The 2024 NFL combine is in the books, and there’s really no arguing that the UW Huskies had an impressive week in Indianapolis.

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Impressive may be selling it short, though. In fact, former Husky quarterback and current FOX college football analyst Brock Huard takes it up another notch or two.

“I tweeted this after the combine and I will stand by this, and it’s not hyperbolic: This was the greatest UW combine in its history,” Huard said Monday morning on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

If you think Huard’s bias as a Washington alum is showing in that statement, well, he’s got the numbers to back it up.

Before we go through the rest of what Huard said, here is the list of 13 names UW had at the combine, most of which Huard mentioned:

• Quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
• Wide receiver Rome Odunze
• Wide receiver Jalen McMillan
• Wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk
• Tight end Devin Culp
• Tight end Jack Westover
• Running back Dillon Johnson
• Offensive tackle Troy Fautanu
• Offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten
• Edge rusher Bralen Trice
• Edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui
• Linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio
• Safety Dominique Hampton

So back to Huard’s praise for the Dawgs.

“There were 13 (Huskies) invited – ZTF and Westover didn’t do any of the drills, so 11 of them participated,” he said. “And as you go through it, Penix, to all of them, was the most overwhelming with his arm. Odunze, he jumped 39 inches, he ran a 4.45 (40-yard dash) and was just magnetic. As far as the drills go, this guy, he’s just different. Fautanu was amazing, Rosengarten ran the fastest 40 (among offensive linemen), Ulofoshio jumped better than any other linebacker – 39 1/2 inches, 10-foot-8 broad jump. Even Dom Hampton, who I thought would be maybe a 4.7 guy when I watched him on tape, he runs 4.5 (in the 40), he has the fifth-best vertical with 39 inches. … Jalen and Ja’Lynn, the two receivers, jumped 37 and 37 1/2, ran 4.47 and ran 4.51 for Polk.”

Who are the unsung heroes behind the big performance from the UW players?

“A big kudos goes to their strength and development department over at UW over the last couple years with (previous head coach Kalen DeBoer), because all of these guys performed incredible,” Huard said.

To see the 2024 NFL combine results for every UW Huskies player, click here.

Hear the full discussion from Monday’s Blue 88 in the player near the top of this post or the final segment of the Brock and Salk podcast at this link. Blue 88, where Huard answers three football questions, airs at 7:45 a.m. daily during Brock and Salk.