SEATTLE — While discussing his quarterback situation in Seattle last month, Kalen DeBoer emphasized that “Austin Mack has been amazing this year. He’s been everything and then some, of what we hoped for and expected. The guy is going to play some big-time ball for us in this program.
“He had just a great fall, got a lot of reps even in team sessions, wasn’t just hanging out on the scout team. He was with us, and you can just see what he’s capable of. So we’re super excited about him.”
That’s increasingly clear.
On Thursday, Mack — a redshirt freshman quarterback from Loomis, Calif. — announced a commitment to Alabama, following DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. He has four years of remaining eligibility.
A 6-foot-6, 226-pound passer, Mack graduated from Folsom High School a year early to spend a season learning under Grubb and UW quarterback Michael Penix Jr. He operated as the Huskies’ No. 3 quarterback this fall, behind Penix (who is off to the NFL) and senior Dylan Morris (who previously transferred to James Madison).
“Over this year, I’ve grown immensely — especially with coach Grubb, especially having Mike and D-Mo,” Mack said before the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. “It’s been something I’m very grateful for.”
Before signing with Washington, Mack was ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 8 quarterback in the country and the No. 73 overall player in the 2023 class by 247Sports. He completed 70.4% of his passes, throwing for 3,498 yards with 40 touchdowns and five interceptions in his final season at Folsom in 2022.
UW could lose five scholarship quarterbacks this offseason, with Penix entering the NFL draft and Mack, Morris, senior Will Rogers and junior William Haskell all entering the transfer portal. (Rogers — UW’s expected starter next season, who transferred to Washington for the winter quarter — and Haskell have yet to commit elsewhere and could technically return.)
For now, the Huskies have a single scholarship quarterback, in early enrollee four-star freshman Dermaricus Davis.
But help may be on the way.
Four-star Arizona signee and early enrollee Demond Williams has been released from his national letter of intent and will take an official visit to Washington this weekend, according to 247Sports. The 5-9, 174-pound freshman (and former Ole Miss commit) signed to play for new UW coach Jedd Fisch and quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty in Tucson, Ariz., and could quickly relocate to Seattle.
For UW, the transfer portal giveth and taketh away.
But it better start giving soon.
