Fourth-year lineman Landen Hatchett will be looking to make his return in time for Big Ten play.
For the first two weeks of the regular season, the Washington Huskies football team has been without one of its seven captains and one of the best offensive players.
Center Landen Hatchett has been out of action for the entire offseason and the the team's first pair of games due to an a broken wrist he suffered last season.
According to statements made by Jedd Fisch in a weekly news conference Monday, the target date for Hatchett's return is the Huskies Big Ten opener against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 8 p.m. PT on Sept. 26 at Husky Stadium in Seattle.
In Hatchett's stead, fourth-year offensive lineman and Sam Houston State Kolt Dieterich has started the last two games at center. These first two games of the season for Washington are the first Dieterich has ever played at the position.
Through the first two games of the season, against Group of Six competitors the Washington State Cougars and Utah State Aggies (both in the Pac-12), the offensive line has been one of the biggest weaknesses of the team so far, which was acknowledged by offensive line coach Michael Switzer after UW's 24-10 win against WSU in Week 1.
The offensive line, in addition to its attempt to manage without the veteran center, has had multiple moving pieces. Five-star Class of 2026 recruit Kodi Greene has started both games at left tackle as a true freshmen and second-year Champ Taulealea and seventh-year Geirean Hatchett have split time at right guard.
Washington Huskies offensive guard Geirean Hatchett celebrates a touchdown during a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Oct. 10, 2025, at Husky Stadium in Seattle. | Kevin Ng/Imagn ImagesHuskies head coach Jedd Fisch said in his Monday news conference that he believes the issues on the offensive line can and will be resolved, and Landen Hatchett's return will play a big role in that coming to fruiting.
The fourth-year offensive lineman was named to the preseason watchlist for the Rimington Trophy, which is awarded to the best center in the country.
If Hatchett is able to return healthy by the time Big Ten play begins, it could help Washington even the playing field against two of the tougher opponents on its schedule. After the Huskies' opener against the Golden Gophers, they'll head on the road to play the No. 12 Southern California Trojans at a to-be-determined time Oct. 3 in Los Angeles. UW will return home to play the No. 18 Iowa Hawkeyes at 6 p.m. PT on Oct. 9 at Husky Stadium.
When Hatchett returns with the starters, the Washington offensive line will consist of Greene at left tackle, John Mills at left guard, him at center, Taulealea/Geirean Hatchett at right guard and Drew Azzopardi in right tackle.
