UW Football Fall Camp Notebook: August 14th, 2026
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - With their first scrimmage of the fall looming tomorrow afternoon, the Washington Husky football team held a lighter practice day on Friday, August 14th, 2026. In a de-escalation from yesterday, which saw the Huskies hold the first fully-padded practice session of their fall camp, things were more “lowkey” for Washington’s seventh session before the 2026 campaign.
On the turf of Husky Stadium this time, rather than their practice field, the Huskies went from full pads on Thursday to shirts and shorts, then added pads and helmets afterward. It looked more like a walk-through day, as players ran at about a quarter speed and didn’t truly tackle, but Washington was still finding ways to improve, as head coach Jedd Fisch has harped on throughout the late summer.
There’s been plenty of competition on display for the Huskies ahead of tomorrow afternoon’s scrimmage, including a few instances where drills had to be stopped so that players could cool off. While the Huskies will show plenty of athleticism and physicality when they begin their 2026 season, this practice focused more on fundamentals. It’s good to refine the fundamentals, which can be the difference between winning and losing against the nation’s best, but it’s also a nice step back for a Washington team that will want to remain healthy after battling injuries at this time last year.
After the practice session ended, tight ends coach Jordan Paopao and offensive line coach Michael Switzer were the two from Fisch’s coaching staff who spoke with the media in attendance.
Switzer’s availability largely focused on transfer lineman Kolt Dieterich from Sam Houston State, who will be taking the first-team reps at the center position until typical starter Landen Hatchett is ready to go. Hatchett suffered a hand injury last season and is hoping to be ready to go for week one.
Dieterich is a fourth-year player who missed time during Washington’s spring practices due to an injury, but was able to start snapping later in the spring and has improved at the position since. According to Fisch, Dieterich suffered a labrum tear that kept him in a sling for most of the month of April, hindering his ability to run around and get in the weight room. That didn’t stop Dieterich from finding a way to get better, as that’s when he started to learn how to snap and better understand the center position.
“He had never played center... So we taught him, and he did a great job in terms of attacking that... He’s done some really nice things for a guy that’s never played the position. The expectation is the position. So we’re not using that as an excuse to say ‘Oh you’re not performing well, but you’re doing great.’ He’s doing some good things. Are there things we need to work on? Absolutely.”
Traditionally, Dieterich plays tackle, but the Huskies have both sides of the line filled in that regard with top recruit Kodi Greene on the left side and veteran returner Drew Azzopardi on the right side. After that, Dieterich’s versatility continues as he’s spent time at both guard spots, but the center position is a new opportunity for him. Having a sort of “utility” lineman available to Washington is important, considering the injuries they dealt with along the line last year and with some youth along the line.
“It’s a lot of flexibility in terms of if anybody goes down, which happened last year, which a lot of guys did. And that’s throughout the season. That’s kind of the norm. You hope it doesn’t happen but you got to be ready for it. Credit to Kolt in terms of how he’s come in and prepared and put himself in a position to do that. Pleased with what he’s been able to do but always room to improve.”
Dieterich brings plenty of size to the Washington line, standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 305 pounds, filling the void left by Carver Willis (NFL) and Maximus McCree (Transfer) this past offseason while giving the Huskies insurance if anything happens throughout the year.
Getting back to Hatchett, he’s been dressed for every practice that Washington has held while featuring heavy tape on his right wrist, working on flexibility and dynamic warm-ups while starting to get into individual drills and obviously participating in walkthroughs. He aims to be fully cleared when the Huskies host Washington State on September 6th, helping Dieterich learn the position in the meantime.
Other notes from the practice include that sophomore wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck was back at practice after missing Thursday’s session due to personal reasons. Additionally, NFL scouts from the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, and Houston Texans could be seen taking in the practice session on Friday.
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