UW Has Loose Ends at Tight End with Moore the Only Seasoned Vet

The University of Washington football program always produces great tight ends. It's position tradition. Dating back decades.

Former Huskies Cade Otton, Drew Sample and Will Dissly currently have NFL jobs. Jack Westover and Devin Culp soon will join them in the pros. Mark Redman now plays for Louisville, Josh Cuevas for Alabama and Griffin Waiss at Stanford.

However, as the UW enters its first spring football practice under Jedd Fisch on Wednesday, the Huskies have a few loose ends at tight end.

Quentin Moore is the only veteran with significant playing time, who has started games, who has been out there with everything on the line, among the five candidates available for the coming month of football. Creating tight-end depth will be essential.

Last season, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Moore was either the third or fourth tight end in terms of depth-chart standing, though he appeared in all 15 games for the Huskies' national runner-up team. He caught just 2 passes all season, yet one was a 2-yard touchdown catch that decided the UW's 34-31 victory over Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game.

Entering spring ball, we take a look at the candidates now lining up to maintain UW excellence at a position that's rarely been neglected in Montlake. Fisch recently flipped an Arizona commitment from 6-foot-5, 240-pound freshman Charlie Crowell from Bend, Oregon, who hasn't been added to the roster yet likely for transfer portal deadline reasons. Here's who available:

Quentin Moore -- He is one of three UW players who are the sons of former Seattle Seahawks players, joined by running back Sam Adams II and edge rusher Russell Davis II, each namesakes of their defensive-tackle fathers. Quentin's dad, Mark, was a Seahawks cornerback. Originally a Kansas JC player, this Moore enters the latest competition with 28 Husky games played, including four starts, and he has 7 career catches for 71 yards and that Pac-12 title game score. He's considered an excellent blocker.

Ryan Otton -- While Moore is the son of a one-time NFL player, Otton is the brother of one currently employed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Cade now two seasons in his pro career. Often injured in his two UW seasons, this 6-foot-6, 243-pound younger Otton has appeared in just two games and hasn't really got started yet with his college career. Opportunity abounds for him.

Decker DeGraaf -- The 6-foot-3, 220-pound freshman from San Dimas, California, enrolled early and will be in the mix. He brings 94 career catches for 1,620 yards and 19 touchdowns from his Glendora High School days, and was the Citrus League Offensive MVP. ESPN ranked him as the 14th best tight end for the 2024 recruiting class.

Wilson Schwartz -- The son of a UCLA opthhamology professor, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Schwartz spent the 2021 season with the Huskies as a walk-on, left the program for two seasons and is back. In high school, he turned out for football but was injured much of his junior season and COVID wiped out his senior year, so there's possibly a lot of untapped potential.

John Frazier -- A walk-on sophomore, the 6-foot-6, 244-pound from the Bay Area has attractive size, but hasn't appeared in a game yet through two seasons in Montlake. He'll have his best chance to play in the coming season.