While most offseason conversations regarding the Washington Huskies' offense have revolved around position battles and freshman standouts, the tight ends room has quietly become one of the deeper position groups on the team. After losing renowned run blocker Quentin Moore, junior Decker DeGraaf is looking to step into a larger leadership role heading into his 2026 campaign. DeGraaf will be joined by sophomore Baron Naone, who saw increased playing time in the second half of the season and was named Washington's offensive scout team player of the year at the team's postseason banquet. Naone is joined by Sam Vyhlidal, Austin Simmons, and Charlie Crowell as current Husky tight ends who came from the Oregon high school ranks, giving position coach Jordan Paopao four players at the position from the state.
"It's pretty fun to see the guys that you grow up with, now you're on the same team as them in college," Naone told the media on Friday. Veterans Charlie Crowell and Kade Eldridge will also provide their services to a position where depth tends to be tested. Both Crowell and Eldridge battled the injury bug in 2025: Crowell has missed the entirety of his first two seasons, while Eldridge suffered a foot injury against Michigan that cut his season short. With a long lineage of strong tight end play, this year's unit showcases the capability to match the physicality and athleticism of some of the premier defenses in the Big Ten. This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Football's Tight Ends Room at Full Strength Entering 2026