Washington’s star WR is headed to the pros
Washington received expected news today when WR Denzel Boston announced that he is forgoing his final year of eligibility to declare for the NFL Draft. Boston was the Huskies’ #1 receiver this season finishing with 62 catches for 880 yards and 13 total TDs.
At 6’3 and 210 pounds, Boston has prototypical size that will allow him to play outside and the short-area quickness that could allow him to also play a jumbo slot role in the NFL. He is projected by many to be a 1st round NFL draft pick which makes his decision to leave now quite obvious.
Boston originally committed to the Huskies out of Emerald Ridge HS in Puyallup, WA as a mid three-star recruit over offers from Arizona and Arizona State in the class of 2022. He was only the 15th rated player in the state at the time and stuck with his commitment despite a coaching change from Jimmy Lake to Kalen DeBoer that also saw his projected position coach switch from Junior Adams to JaMarcus Shepherd.
Reports out of camp were instantly positive that Boston showed off potential. Husky fans just didn’t get much of a chance to see that potential early on since Boston was the backup for Rome Odunze and it was hard to justify Odunze ever leaving the field. Boston stuck with the Huskies despite nearly the entire UW offense leaving via the portal or the draft following Kalen DeBoer’s departure for Alabama.
Instead, Boston showed that he was the focal point of UW’s passing game from day one under Jedd Fisch. It looked Boston was destined for true superstardom early on as Boston was on pace for nearly 1,000 yards and 16 TDs halfway through the 2024 season. His stats tailed off though after that and Boston was held below 50 yards and with 1 total TD in 6 of UW’s final 7 games.
This past fall Boston came back and just about replicated his 2024 season but did so on 150 fewer snaps given a nagging ankle injury at the end of the season. Ultimately, Boston had one fewer catch but more yards and touchdowns with fewer drops. He also showed his versatility with a punt return touchdown against UC Davis and a passing touchdown against Illinois.
With Boston moving on as expected, it means the Huskies will be replacing a pair of starters after freshman Raiden Vines-Bright announced his intention to transfer. Opening day starter Rashid Williams will hopefully be healthy to help make up for the gap while star freshman Dezmen Roebuck is also projected to return. There are several talented true and redshirt freshmen on the roster also looking forward to a chance at more playing time.
Players like Denzel Boston are hard to find these days. He committed to the local school and kept up his commitment despite a pair of coaching changes. Boston easily could’ve opted to look around to see the field sooner once Rome Odunze surprisingly decided to return for the 2024 season and instead was okay continuing to learn and get better on a team that made the National Title game. He helped Washington reboot following the shocking Kalen DeBoer departure and kept the Husky WR room showing success despite losing a trio of NFL draft picks. His peak may never have been that of Rome Odunze but Boston will go down among the Husky greats at the position and be a tremendous spokesperson for the UW heading into his professional career.
Best of luck in the NFL, Denzel!
Category: General Sports
