Not long after committing to Washington in 2025, former five-star offensive tackle Kodi Greene established himself as a starter along the Huskies' offensive line. Originally committed to Oregon before flipping to his hometown team, the true freshman has been thrown right into the fire, starting at left tackle for UW's first five games.
According to 247Sports, the Mater Dei High School product ranks second in the nation in playing time out of all five-star freshmen. With 230 snaps before last week against USC, Greene trailed only Tennessee starting quarterback Faizon Brandon, who led the country with 261 snaps entering Week Five. After being the lone protector of Demond Williams Jr.'s blindside through the first few weeks, the 18-year-old was
replaced by left guard John Mills during the Huskies' 25-21 loss.
While expectations remain sky-high for the 18-year-old starter, growing pains have been noticeable, and rightfully so for a player of his age. After some early struggles against a talented Trojans' defensive front, Greene was replaced by the former Freshman All-American Mills on the outside, as veteran Geirean Hatchett took over at left guard.
According to Pro Football Focus, the freshman posted an overall grade of just 30.4 in the Coliseum this past Saturday.
With fourth-year Landen Hatchett returning from injury and expected to start at center for the first time this season, Jedd Fisch announced on Monday that his staff is exploring a variety of rotations up front, including the possibility of moving Greene to the inside. With the younger Hatchett back in the mix, transfer Kolt Dietrich can become another reliable body that could play in numerous spots along the line.
As changes start to occur in the trenches, offensive line coach Michael Switzer backed Greene during Tuesday's presser.
"We've had multiple conversations since the game," Switzer said when asked about the confidence of his freshman tackle. "Understanding that in his young career, there are some things that you're gonna go through, in terms of playing as an 18-year-old true freshman as a starting tackle in the Big Ten. I don't think there's many of those out there. He put himself in a position to compete at a high level, start games, and he'll continue to play in that capacity, but he should have all the confidence in the world in his ability of what he's been able to do."
As the Huskies prepare to take on another formidable front seven in Iowa, Fisch and Switzer may experiment with several different combinations along the offensive line. Regardless of whether Greene gets the nod to make his sixth start or not, there is no diminishing the importance of getting experience at such an early stage in his career, regardless of the position.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Kodi Greene Continues to Gain Key Experience Amidst Growing Pains
