Senior running back Myles Gaskin (shoulder) also went through early warmups Saturday afternoon.
BERKELEY, Calif. — Hunter Bryant is back.
Back in uniform, anyway.
Washington’s sophomore tight end went through early warmups before the No. 15 Huskies’ game at California on Saturday afternoon. Wearing gray headphones with an iPhone tucked in the right hip of his white game pants, Bryant played catch with teammates near the UW sideline at Cal’s Memorial Stadium.
Bryant did not play in the first half, but the fact he made the trip to Berkeley is a strong indication he is close to returning to action.
A 2017 ESPN Freshman All-American, Bryant has yet to play this season after undergoing knee surgery this summer.
UW senior running back Myles Gaskin (shoulder) also went through early warmups Saturday afternoon. He did not play in the first half against Cal.
Gaskin did the same thing last week before the Huskies’ home game against Colorado — participating in full team warmups before the game — but did not play in that game. It was the first game he missed in his UW career.
Senior left tackle Trey Adams (back) did not make the trip with the Huskies. Adams has been practicing with the team and there is growing optimism around the program that he will be able to return to game action in November.
The Huskies are hopeful of still preserving a redshirt season for both Bryant and Adams, meaning they would only play in four games the rest of the season.
Roberts starts at LT
Junior offensive lineman Henry Roberts, a Bellevue High product, made the first start of his career for the Huskies on Saturday.
Roberts started at left tackle, and rotated with redshirt freshman Henry Bainivalu.
With Adams out, junior Jared Hilbers had started the first eight games of the season at left tackle. Hilbers was in uniform on Saturday.
Miller out
Senior cornerback Jordan Miller, out with an undisclosed injury, did not make the trip with the team to Berkeley.
Miller appeared to injury his leg two weeks ago at Oregon. He started against Colorado, but came out after allowing a first-quarter touchdown. Sophomore Keith Taylor played the rest of the game at right corner against Colorado and made his first start there against Cal.
“I think Jordan’s being a tough guy … but it’s late in the season and he’s taken some pounding,” UW coach Chris Petersen said Monday.
NOTE:
— It was a family reunion for the Sirmons. UW freshman linebacker Jackson Sirmon made the trip to Berkeley, and he just jogged to midfield during pregame warmups to hug his dad, Peter, Cal’s linebackers coach (and a former UW assistant). UW freshman QB Jacob Sirmon, Jackson’s cousin, joined them at midfield.
— LT Jared Hilbers was injured and unavailable against Cal.
— Freshman defensive back Julius Irvin made his debut for the Huskies on special teams, the sixth true freshman to play this season.