Better Worse Or Neutral: Tight Ends

Returning Players: Michael Hartvigson (Jr), Joshua Perkins(Jr), Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Jr)

Losses: None

Additions: David Ajamu

The Huskies have the best tight end in the country. It's been a long time since Husky football fans have been able to claim the best ______ in the anything, but Austin Seferian-Jenkins has been so sublime in his first two seasons on the field that he's left no doubt in the minds of anyone who follows the sport of college football. He's put up 110 catches, 1390 yards, and 13 touchdowns thus far, shattering the record book. He should have won the Mackey Award after his sophomore year, but was edged out because of UW's lack of overall success and some voter ignorance/bias.

Support will be provided to Austin primarily by Mike Hartvigson. We've been waiting for Hartvigson to take a big step for a couple of years now. The coaches seem to constantly rave about how hard he works in the offseason and how he's got a ton of potential but, whether it's lack of opportunity or that he's a workout wonder, he has yet to show that he's even definitively the number 2 tight end on the roster, sharing that duty with Evan Hudson the past couple of years.

And speaking of Hudson, he's now with the defensive line. So the depth of the position took a bit of a hit there, though Steve Sarkisian has said that Hudson will possibly get on the field at TE still in multiple tight end formations. Maybe that move means the staff likes what they've seen from Joshua Perkins or Hartvigson - but again , we've heard that before.

The Verdict: Neutral. If ASJ stays healthy and doesn't miss time, the position should be better, but with Hudson moving to the defense and the off-field stuff still swirling, cautious optimism is the best route. If ASJ misses a even just half of a game, that's a huge hit to production and could have a big impact on the season.