Washington Huskies Football

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is currently without a job after mutually parting ways with the team, but his son has reportedly found his next landing spot.

According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, former Patriots defensive play-caller Steven Belichick has been hired as the next defensive coordinator of the Washington Huskies.

The 36-year-old son of arguably the greatest coach of all time has called the Patriots defense for the last four years. Feldman added that Belichick worked with newly hired Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch when he was quarterbacks coach on the New England staff in 2020.

Feldman also pointed out that the recent success of former NFL assistants as college defensive coordinators bodes well for Washington's hire of Belichick. During the 2023 season, three of the top eight defenses in FBS were led by defensive coordinators who had NFL experience.

Michigan finished as the No. 4 defense in the nation under former Baltimore Ravens assistant Jesse Minter. Notre Dame ranked No. 5 under former Cincinnati Bengals assistant Al Golden, and UCLA was No. 8 under former Ravens assistant D'Anton Lynn.

The hiring of Belichick rounds out the new Washington staff under Fisch, who was hired after coaching at Arizona for the last three seasons to replace Kalen DeBoer following his departure to take over at Alabama following Nick Saban's retirement.

The entire offensive staff followed Fisch from the Wildcats to the Huskies, including offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Brennan Carroll, who is the son of former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. A pair of defensive assistants also joined Fisch from Tuscon to Seattle.

The Huskies are coming off a run to the national championship game this past season, so they will be seeking similar success under Fisch and company in 2024.

After participating in all three days of practice at the Senior Bowl, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is reportedly bowing out of playing in the actual game.

Per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Penix has decided not to play in the Senior Bowl after being slated to start for the National team.

https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNFL/status/1753849342157279738

Florio noted one reason for Penix's decision might stem from the National team being "gutted" by players opting out, with the possibility they might only have two or three wide receivers.

Players expected not to take the field for the National team in the Senior Bowl, per on-site source:

- QB Michael Penix Jr.
- WR Roman Wilson
- WR Jacob Cowing
- DB Quinton Mitchell
- DB Khyree Jackson
- WR Ricky Pearsall
- LB Payton Wilson
- WR Brenden Rice
- DL Laiatu Latu
-…

— Crissy Froyd (@crissy_froyd) February 3, 2024

Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy announced earlier in the day that Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske is switching from the American team to the National side due to roster attrition.

BREAKING: For first time in 75-year history of @seniorbowl, a player is switching teams on game day.

Due to roster attrition on National team DT group, Florida State's Braden Fiske will move from American to National squad for today's game.

Fiske, who will wear #94 today,… https://t.co/XaniiBP0Kg

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_Sooners) February 3, 2024

Penix and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix are the highest-profile players on the Senior Bowl team. It wasn't even clear if Penix would participate in the event in any capacity after injuring his ankle in the College Football Playoff Championship Game against Michigan.

Despite the hype around Penix participating in practices at the Senior Bowl, his actual performance was a mixed bag. The Ringer's Danny Heifetz described him as "underwhelming."

On the positive side, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus called Penix the "most impressive quarterback" this week.

"His arm talent was evident from the jump due to the NFL-caliber velocity on his throws," Sikkema wrote, "and though his wasn't always accurate, most of his throws were well-placed, and some, like the one above, were absolute beauties."

As long as Penix was able to workout in front of NFL scouts and executives during the week of practices, he doesn't really need to participate in the game. The 2023 Heisman runner-up has 49 games of college tape that can be evaluated. He will almost certainly take part in the NFL scouting combine and Washington's pro day in the lead up to the draft.

If the National team roster isn't going to look like the group Penix was playing with during practice, there's almost nothing for him to gain by participating in the game.

New England Patriots outside linebackers coach Steve Belichick is reportedly scheduled to interview for a job on new head coach Jedd Fisch's staff at the University of Washington.

According to ESPN's Field Yates, both Belichick and Patriots running backs coach Vinnie Sunseri will interview for defensive positions on Fisch's staff Friday.

Belichick, who is the son of legendary former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, called the Pats' defensive plays for the past four seasons, and he was on the same staff as Fisch in 2020 when Fisch was New England's quarterbacks coach.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways last month after 24 seasons together, and former Patriots linebacker and inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo was promoted to head coach.

It was expected that Bill Belichick would bring Steve and his other son, Patriots safeties coach Brian Belichick, along with him upon landing another job, but the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach was surprisingly passed over during this offseason's hiring cycle.

Last month, ESPN's Mike Reiss reported that Steve and Brian Belichick would have an opportunity to stay with the Patriots if they wanted to even after Bill's departure.

Instead, it looks as though Steve is considering a collegiate opportunity, which would mark the first time he has coached outside the NFL.

Steve joined the Patriots as a defensive assistant in 2012 and worked his way up the ladder, coaching safeties, the secondary and outside linebackers.

Washington does not currently have a defensive coordinator listed on its staff directory, and given Belichick's experience as a defensive play-caller, it stands to reason that he could potentially land that job.

The Huskies won the Pac-12 and reached the College Football Playoff National Championship Game last season where they fell to Michigan, but they have undergone a great deal of upheaval since then.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer left Washington to become the new head coach at Alabama following Nick Saban's retirement, which paved the way for Fisch to step in.

Fisch had been the head coach at the University of Arizona from 2021 to 2023, going from 1-11 in 2021 to 10-3 last season.

Although Washington is losing several key players to the NFL draft, including quarterback Michael Penix Jr., wide receiver Rome Odunze and pass-rusher Bralen Trice, it is still set to enter 2024 with a talented roster capable of competing for a CFP spot.

Michael Penix Jr. might not be projected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but the former Washington quarterback is ready to do whatever it takes to succeed at the next level.

"I can't control other people's perspectives or how they view me as a quarterback," Penix said when asked if he's frustrated about still having to prove himself to evaluators, per ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Legwold. "For me, I just got to continue to be myself and continue to work hard each and every day to show them that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be great, and I belong anywhere that I end up."

Penix began his college career at Indiana before transferring to Washington ahead of the 2022 campaign. He never completed a full season with the Hoosiers as he tore his ACL twice and suffered two shoulder injuries.

While evaluators have valid injury concerns regarding the Washington standout, Penix has been healthy in each of the last two seasons and has lit up the stat sheet as a result.

During the 2022 campaign, Penix completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns against eight interceptions in 13 games.

He followed that up in 2023 having completed 65.4 percent of his passes for 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 15 games. The Huskies finished the year 14-1, with their lone loss coming in the College Football Playoff national championship game to Michigan.

Penix told ESPN that Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache would be available throughout the draft process to talk with teams about his injury history and any concerns they might have. He added that ElAttrache gave him a "thumbs up," adding "there's nothing to hold me back."

Former USC quarterback Caleb Williams is widely considered the No. 1 quarterback available in the 2024 draft class, followed by former UNC signal-caller Drake Maye and former LSU standout Jayden Daniels.

The Bleacher Report NFL Scouting Department lists Penix as the fifth-best quarterback available this spring with Williams, Maye, Daniels and former Oregon signal-caller Bo Nix ranked ahead of him.

B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen wrote that Penix "isn't afraid to use his arm" and "also flashes the ability to handle pro concepts." However, he added that the quarterback "is largely unproven versus pressure" and "also has issues with accuracy, specifically adding touch to throws."

"For teams that want to chuck it down the field with a heavy dose of play action, Penix is an interesting dice roll. His live arm, aggressiveness and moments of progression passing give him a shot to stick in the NFL," Klassen wrote. "With that said, Penix's lack of touch, shaky pocket management and minimal ability to create plays will limit his ceiling in the pros."

Klassen has Penix being selected in the third round and graded him as a high-level backup/potential starter.

Will Rogers is reportedly staying at Washington after all.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, the former Mississippi State signal-caller—who initially transferred to Washington and then re-entered the portal after former Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama to replace the retired Nick Saban—withdrew from the portal.

That means he will stay with Washington and new head coach Jedd Fisch.

"I have a lot of faith in Coach Fisch and feel like he'll be ready to have us compete at a high level," he said while also saying players on the Washington roster contributed to his decision, per Thamel.

This is surely a welcome development for the Huskies, who will have the difficult task of joining the Big Ten with a new head coach and following the departure of Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback.

Washington faces Michigan, Iowa, USC, Penn State, UCLA and Oregon as part of a daunting schedule and will need a veteran quarterback to lead the way.

Rogers fits the bill.

He is accustomed to playing against a high-level of competition from his time in the SEC and has two seasons with more than 3,900 passing yards on his resume. He was at his best in 2021 when he completed 73.9 percent of his passes for 4,739 yards, 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions, but he also threw for 3,974 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2022.

Rogers missed some time with injury in 2023 but will now have the opportunity to end his collegiate career while leading a potential College Football Playoff contender.

HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 308

HAND: 9⅝"

ARM: 33½"

WINGSPAN: 80⅜"

---

40-YARD DASH: 4.92

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE: 4.6

VERTICAL: 30"

BROAD: 9'5"

---

POSITIVES

— Snaps out of his stance with the timing and foot quickness to beat the defender to the spot.

— Fluid, rangy pass-protector who mixes up his sets and hands to keep rushers guessing.

— Shows the recovery skills and balance to stay attached with his head out of the block at the top of the QB's drop to solidify the pocket against high-side rushes.

— Ricochets and closes space in a hurry on second-level climbs to intersect smaller targets.

— Sorts and handles basic line games and stunts with precision.

---

NEGATIVES

— Lacks the sand and lower-body strength to consistently hold the point of attack and anchor against power.

— Needs to learn to reel in his aggressive, risk-taking approach in pass protection to prevent oversetting and quick, clean losses across his face.

---

2023 STATISTICS

— 15 starts at right tackle

---

NOTES

— 4-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— Also played on the defensive line and played basketball and baseball at Valor Christian High School in Colorado; averaged 15.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a junior in basketball

— 28 career starts at right tackle

— Part of the 2023 Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line unit

— Accepted his invite to the Senior Bowl

---

OVERALL

Roger Rosengarten is a two-year starter at right tackle inside Washington's pass-heavy, multiple run scheme featuring zone concepts, pin-pull, counters and extensive empty formations that leave him on an island. Rosengarten has a narrow, lean and long-limbed build without much sand and very good athletic ability.

Rosengarten is a springy, quick-zone run-blocker who gets to his landmarks on time with some initial pop before straining hard to sustain blocks. He excels most working in unison on combo blocks and on climbs and pulls tracking and lining up smaller targets. His mediocre sand and lower-body strength limit his ability to root his feet and hold ground on angle-drive blocks, causing him to get stoned and pried open.

In pass protection, Rosengarten combines loose, twitchy movement skills with a daring, aggressive approach to close space quickly on rushers with a variety of sets and quick, active hands to disrupt their timing. He has the range to expand his set points and mirror rushers up the arc on high-side rushes with the balance to secure late inside counters at the top of the pocket. Rosengarten struggles to consistently anchor due to well-below-average play strength and is easily manipulated into drifting and oversetting on an island, leading to clean losses across his face.

Overall, Rosengarten is a twitchy, aggressive and crafty player who needs to improve his functional strength before getting on an NFL field. But he has enough tools to work his way into a swing tackle role with starting potential down the road.

---

GRADE: 7.0 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round))

OVERALL RANK: 81

POSITION RANK: OT8

PRO COMPARISON: Spencer Brown

---

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

After head coach Kalen DeBoer departed to replace Nick Saban at Alabama, Washington has found his successor.

Arizona's Jedd Fisch agreed to become the next head coach of the Huskies on Sunday. The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported Fisch agreed to a seven-year deal worth an average of $7.75 million per season.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported details about Fisch's buyout from his contract with Arizona:

The buyout for Washington to get Fisch from Arizona is $5.5 million. That number is absorbed by the $12 million that Washington is due to receive from the departure of Kalen DeBoer to Alabama. https://t.co/u4X0vRWofs

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 14, 2024

Thamel previously reported that Fisch "emerged as Washington's top target" in their head coaching search. 247Sports' Jason Scheer followed up by reporting that Fisch is "likely headed to Washington."

Thamel added that Washington put all of its focus on Fisch, as he was "the only candidate Washington officials have engaged with after their initial phone calls."

Fisch has spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Wildcats. He took over a team that went 0-5 under Kevin Sumlin during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and he spearheaded an impressive rebuild.

After going 1-11 in their first season under Fisch, the Wildcats went 5-7 in 2022 and improved to 10-3 this past season for a third-place finish in the Pac-12. The team ended a five-year bowl-game drought and defeated Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl 38-24.

Prior to taking over at Arizona, Fisch had an extensive coaching career with experience at the college and professional levels. He served as offensive coordinator and interim head coach at UCLA in 2017. He also spent time on coaching staffs with the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.

Fisch will have big shoes to fill as the replacement for DeBoer at Washington. DeBoer coached the Huskies to a 25-3 record during his tenure and was named AP Coach of the Year this past season after leading the team to a berth in the College Football Playoff national title game.

Lance Leipold has withdrawn from the Washington coaching search and is expected to stay with Kansas, per The Athletic's Chris Vannini.

The Jayhawks' head coach, who led Kansas to a 9-4 record last season, posted his excitement to be with his team again on social media Sunday, shutting down any rumors that he's taking the job at Washington.

"The guys come back to campus tomorrow," Leipold wrote. "Can't wait to get back to work with them in '24!! Rock Chalk!!"

The guys come back to campus tomorrow. Can’t wait to get back to work with them in ‘24!!

Rock Chalk!!

— Lance Leipold (@CoachLeipold) January 14, 2024

According to Vannini, Leipold is also expected to receive a contract extension at Kansas after earning $5.75 million in 2023.

Leipold has had a successful tenure as Kansas' head coach, and it has led to interest from several other schools, including Washington. Leipold took over as the Jayhawks' head coach in 2021 after the team went 0-9 under Les Miles in 2020. Kansas went 2-10 in his first season, but showed growth in 2022, going 6-7.

This year, Kansas saw its best season since 2007, finishing 9-4 with a win over Oklahoma and a second-straight bowl appearance. Before the 2023 season, the Jayhawks had 14-consecutive losing seasons.

Now, Washington will continue its search to replace Kalen Deboer, who left to take over as Alabama's head coach following Nick Saban's retirement. Whoever ends up as the Huskies' head coach will have big shoes to fill, as Deboer went 25-3 in his two seasons, reaching the national championship game this year.

Washington Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb announced that he won't be taking over as the team's head coach in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/oFjaDsqRPw

— Ryan Grubb (@GrubbRyan) January 14, 2024

"Though I wanted to be I will not be the next head coach at the University of Washington," Grubb wrote. "It would have been a dream to stay here and fight to maintain the standard that had been re-established."

Washington's previous coach, Kalen DeBoer, took over Alabama's vacant head coaching position following Nick Saban's retirement.

Grubb and DeBoer helped cultivate one of the nation's top offenses as Washington ranked No. 12 and No. 13 in the country in both yards and points per game, respectively. The offensive coordinator discussed the similar coaching mindset that the two share prior to the Huskies' matchup with Michigan in the national championship.

"I can't really speak for Kalen, but I would say that for me I've always coached our guys, and I think Kalen would align with this somewhat, that I just don't think you should coach guys to not lose," Grubb said, per Dan Morrison of On3.com. "To me being offensive is just that. We should be the ones on the attack."

However, it doesn't appear that Washington athletic director Troy Dannen is interested in a head coach that shares a similar approach as DeBoer. A decision could still be made soon though, as the Seattle Times reported that the Huskies are expected to name a new coach "within the next 48 hours."

"UW's decision was down to three finalists with a final interview being held on Saturday night. A news conference introducing the hire will likely be held on Tuesday, the source said."

As for Grubb, he'll likely have several job opportunities to choose from. After turning down an offer to join the Crimson Tide at the end of the Huskies' 2022 season, he could potentially make the move a year later and team up with DeBoer in Tuscaloosa.

Washington quarterback Will Rogers is re-entering the transfer portal following head coach Kalen DeBoer's departure for Alabama, per The Athletic's Max Olson.

Rogers transferred to Washington in December after spending four season at Mississippi State. Now, with DeBoer heading to Alabama, Rogers will take his talents elsewhere.

Last season for Mississippi State, Rogers recorded 1,626 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions, though he missed four games with an injury. His transfer came following Mississippi State's firing of Zach Arnett, who took over as head coach after Mike Leach's sudden passing in 2022.

Rogers has had a successful collegiate career so far. He is the SEC's all-time leader in pass attempts and completions as well as Mississippi State's all-time leader in touchdowns and passing yards. Wherever he lands, he'll bring plenty of talent and experience.

As a transfer prospect, Rogers is considered to be a 4-star prospect and the No. 11 quarterback in the portal by 247Sports composite.

The likelihood of Rogers transferring to Alabama might not be high, as the Crimson Tide will return starting quarterback Jalen Milroe and they have a handful of other talented quarterbacks behind him, including the No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports composite, Julian Sayin.

For Washington, it will continue looking for the successor to Heisman runner up Michael Penix Jr., as well as find its next head coach.