Parkers Could Be Ready to Play Side by Side as Huskies DLs

Jayvon and Armon Parker were on the same path as football players until the latter suffered a torn knee ligament, while playing pick-up basketball no less at home in Detroit, before ever pulling on a University of Washington uniform.

That left Jayvon to fend for himself as a Husky freshman defensive tackle -- and he did well, playing immediately -- while his sibling sat out the 2022 season and got healthy again.

The following year, Jayvon continued to pull regular game-day rotations whereas Armon, practiced but didn't play on Saturdays because he had to go through an introductory regimen to college football and had to wait for three veterans to move on before he could move up.

With a month of UW spring football practices set to begin on Wednesday, these Parker brothers just might be ready to shadow each other again, play side by side and give the Huskies the twin tandem they've been waiting on.

The 6-foot-3, 297-pound Jayvon has 21 UW appearances so far, picking up 9 tackles, including a sack. Armon, 10 pounds heavier and supposedly a step quicker than his brother, has to be feeling a tad impatient after going two seasons without game time.

Former Husky quarterback Michael Penix Jr., for one, has great expectations for the Parkers finally working in concert together at the college level.

"You've got the twins. Armon and Jayvon," Penix said at UW Pro Day. "I feel like they're going to be really good."

For them to make that happen, the twins will have to beat out a veteran with a lot of time logged at Husky defensive tackle in sixth-year senior Jacob Bandes, a pair of newcomers in Montana State transfer Sebastian Valdez and Kansas junior-college transfer Bryce Butler and a host of others.

The following is a breakdown of the eight job candidates available for spring ball, with the possibility of Jedd Fisch's coaching staff adding another DL or two from the next transfer portal period that opens later this month:

Jacob Bandes -- The 6-foot-3, 302-pounder has played in more Husky games (46) than anyone else on the roster, starting three times. He has 47 tackles, including a sack. It's his last chance to own a position some thought he would comandeer much earlier in his career.

Jayvon Parker -- It took this Parker just six games as a freshman to become a contributor with a game on the line, drawing first-half snaps at Arizona State. This past season, he appeared in 13 of 15 outings. He should be ready for a more prominent role.

Armon Parker -- Playing for Fordson High School in in Michigan in 2021, Armon was the better of the two Parkers, picking up 63 tackles, including 10 sacks, and he was named the Kensington Lakes East League Defensive Lineman of the Year.

Sebastian Valdez -- Based on college football production, if there's a leader in the clubhouse to land a DL starting job, it's this All-Big Sky player. The 6-foot-4, 291-pound Valdez started 34 times for Montana State, including in eight FCS playoff games, and piled up 16 career sacks.

Bryce Butler -- This Canadian native and Garden City CC product originally was headed to Arizona until Fisch relocated to the UW and he followed him. He would appear to be a strong starting candidate, too. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound Butler had two-year JC stats of 59 tackles, including 25.5 tackles for loss and 8 sacks,.

Elinneus Davis -- He redshirted as a freshman a year ago, spending the season dealing with nagging injuries and learning the ropes at the college level. The 6-foot-2, 322-pound Minnesota native still might be a ways off.

Bradley McGannon -- The 6-foot-4, 283-pound junior is a walk-on who's made the most of his time in Montlake, playing in seven games for the departed DeBoer coaching staff and coming up with a pair of tackles.

Habib Bello -- As a 6-foot-2, 310-pound walk-on, Bello was injured for most of his freshman season with the Huskies. His goal should be to get healthy and see where that takes him.