Barring any setbacks, a source said it is possible Adams, Bryant and Gaskin could all be back in uniform when the Huskies host No. 24 Stanford at Husky Stadium next week.
The picture Trey Adams posted on social media Thursday was more than just a tease: The senior left tackle is back practicing with the No. 15 Huskies and is expected to return to game action for Washington’s November push toward a Pac-12 title, two team sources told The Seattle Times.
Adams, a preseason all-American, injured his back four days before the Huskies’ season opener against Auburn and has yet to play this season. Once considered a potential early first-round NFL draft choice, the 6-foot-8, 320-pound Adams hasn’t played for the Huskies since he suffered a torn ACL during a game in mid-October 2017.
Thursday, Adams posted a picture on Instagram of his No. 72 practice jersey and a pair of cleats, leading to speculation he had been cleared for practice. Sources said that is indeed the case.
Better yet for the Huskies: Sophomore tight end Hunter Bryant, a 2017 ESPN Freshman All-American who has been out since summer knee surgery, also has been practicing with the team and is nearing a return. UW coach Chris Petersen acknowledged as much earlier this week, saying Bryant is “getting close” to coming back.
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Better still for UW: Senior running back Myles Gaskin (shoulder), who missed the first game of his career last week, is not expected to be out much longer.
Indeed, barring any setbacks, a source said it is possible Adams, Bryant and Gaskin could all be back in uniform when the Huskies play host to No. 24 Stanford at Husky Stadium next week.
Even when Adams and Bryant return, a redshirt season could still be an option for both, given the new NCAA rule that allows a players to appear in four games and still redshirt.
This summer, when Petersen first discussed Bryant’s knee surgery, he mentioned the possibility of Bryant’s return at some point late in the season while also hoping to preserve the second-year sophomore’s redshirt.
Adams would have the option of coming back for a fifth season in 2019 if he plays in only four games, too.
This past offseason, as he rehabbed from knee surgery, Adams said he gained a new outlook on his time at UW.
“I’m just really fortunate and happy to be here,” he said in August. “The reason I came back is to have one more year with Coach Pete, one more year with Jake (Browning) and Myles (Gaskin). So I’m not really worrying about the NFL or anything like that. I’m really excited to practice every day in fall camp and kind of establish the O-line, because we do have a really good room this year.
“I kind of kept a level head all the way through and made it the best situation possible and had a lot of fun,” he added. “(Injuries are) part of football. If I’m down in the dumps while I’m getting surgery, it’s going to suck. So I had a lot of fun and tried to stay positive, and I think I did. I’m standing now.”