Washington Huskies right tackle Drew Azzopardi speaks to the media following the team's scrimmage Saturday at Husky Stadium in Seattle. | Teren Kowatsch/Roundtable Sports SEATTLE — Since Jedd Fisch took over as the head coach of the Washington Huskies football team ahead of the 2024 season, the team has lived by the mantra that "the best players will play." This program-wide mindset has led to several true freshmen and other underclassmen to get significant playing time under Fisch. One of the players set for a major role on the team this upcoming season is Kodi Greene, who has been the team's de facto starting left tackle the entire offseason. Greene was the highest-rated recruit for the Huskies in the Class of 2026, which ranked 12th in the country per 247Sports. Greene ranked as the 26th-best player in the country, third-best offensive tackle and third-best player in California according to the 247Sports composite. The 18-year-old already stood out playing in third-year quarterback Demond Williams Jr.'s blindside in the spring, in large part due to how comparable in size he is compared to his more experienced teammates on the line.
True freshman/1st year Washington offensive lineman and projected starting left tackle Kodi Greene (76) running drills at practice.#Huskies#PurpleReignpic.twitter.com/6RG89QNDb1 — Teren Kowatsch (@Teren_Kowatsch) August 7, 2026 Beyond just his physical ability, Greene also has the benefit of learning from the more experienced players next to him on the line, including second-year guard John Mills, who had a similar path to Greene as being a true freshman starter on the line last season. Mills earned Freshman All-American honors by several publications. Greene has also been continuously tested by UW's stellar defensive line in practice. He's gone against several of the better edge rushers in camp, such as fourth-year Jacob Lane and fifth-year Isaiah Ward. He's also gone against the fastest defensive lineman on the team, edge rusher and fellow first-year Ramzak Fruean. "The biggest thing with (Greene) as an 18-year-old is just confidence," Fifth-year offensive lineman and right tackle Drew Azzopardi said after practice Saturday. "That's something I lacked when I was a freshman. I was once 18 also coming in. But I wasn't coming in at a Power Four program. He already had a lot of confidence but I just wanted to keep instilling that into him and keep giving him little tips like strike-timing, knowing his arm length, little things on plays that he maybe didn't run in high school or have experience with. But he's come along great so far." "Confidence" has been the biggest word mentioned this training camp when it comes to Greene's development. As a true freshman, the coaching staff is aware that he'll make mistakes as the season goes on. But, the ability that he has is something that the 18-year-old has grown to accept as the offseason goes on. By the time the season begins against the Washington State Cougars on Sept. 6, "confidence" could be what helps the 18-year-old get through the gauntlet that is the Big Ten. "The biggest area of improvement is my mental ability," Greene said Saturday. "I feel like in spring I wasn't as confident. But now I got some college experience under my belt, I would say. I feel like I'm more prepared and more ready to do what I need to do."