When Kolt Dieterich arrived with the Washington Huskies through the transfer portal, the former standout tackle at Sam Houston State wasn't thinking about playing center.
However, as he watched from the sidelines for the entirety of spring practice while recovering from shoulder surgery he underwent following the 2025 season, Jedd Fisch had the idea to teach Dieterich how to snap as his depth at center dwindled in April.
As Landen Hatchett continued to recover from a broken wrist he suffered in late October, and his older brother Geirean suffered an arm injury early in spring ball, Dieterich began to learn the position while working off to the side.
Now, after a strong fall camp, he's set to start at center in Week One for the Apple Cup. But after taking
the majority of first-team reps during fall camp, Dieterich feels a lot more comfortable in his new role.
"I would just say the mental stuff," Dieterich said of his biggest adjustment to playing the position. "At tackle, I'm going up there and listening to the center, and then I'm just running the play now. I have to make the calls and be on time with the cadence, so I would just say the mental side of it for sure...Inside, you're in a smaller box, compared to the outside being on the island, and you've got your guards' help quite a bit more."
Luckily for the 6-foot-6, 305-pound fourth-year, he's been living with the Hatchett brothers, who have both helped him learn Fisch's offense and get acclimated to life in the middle.
"It's been awesome," Dieterich said of his mentors. "Anytime I have a question, then, playing beside John (Mills), Champ (Taulealea) has been great, too, and having Drew (Azzopardi) and Kodi (Greene) on the outside makes you feel confident with those guys beside you knowing that they're gonna do their job."
During his Monday press conference, Fisch also had high praise for the versatile offensive lineman.
“He’s very bright,” Fisch said. “So right off the bat, his ability to pick up whatever position we’re putting him at, he’s able to communicate it. Secondly, he’s strong. He’s got great size, he’s got great length, so he’s not a guy that is kind of pigeonholed into one position...I looked at it in a way that he was the right guy at the right time to play center while Landen is recovering and then when Landen returns, he’ll be the right guy at the right time to be able to play at any position that we might need him at at any time in the season.”
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Kolt Dieterich getting comfortable at center for Washington football
