Kalen DeBoer believes Jalen McMillan is 'really close' to returning for Washington
Jalen McMillan’s return is just over the horizon. After Washington’s 15-7 win over Arizona State on Saturday, head coach Kalen DeBoer provided an update on his standout wide receiver. He also gave a recovery timeline on wide receiver Germie Bernard, who suffered an injury against Oregon.
“I would say both of them have a chance next week. I would like to think that,” DeBoer said. “I’ll probably have a better idea for sure by Monday. I would think that Jalen is really close, but the way Germie is coming along the last couple of days, I’d like to think he has a chance too.”
DeBoer’s words are music to Washington fans’ ears. McMillan was unavailable in Washington’s wins over California and Arizona. He attempted to return in the Huskies’ 36-33 victory over Oregon. However, after one series, McMillan did not return to the game.
While Washington was still able to grind out a grueling victory, the team certainly missed McMillan. In just three appearances this season, McMillan has amassed 20 receptions, 311 receiving yards and hauled in a touchdown. The California native also boasts a rushing score.
Washington misses Jalen McMillan
McMillan’s early success was no surprise. The junior wideout finished last season with 1,098 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, the most of any Huskies receiver. After UW’s win on Saturday, DeBoer revealed how McMillan’s absence affects the Huskies.
“There’s some things one-on-one that just really tough matchups for people,” DeBoer said. “There’s a lot more reps now that certain guys are having to take. It’s great when you can roll guys in and the rhythm is just continual. You can’t help but believe that taking some of those great players off the football field doesn’t impact you in some form or fashion.”
McMillan’s absence was evident in Washington’s sluggish win over the Sun Devils. In the outing, the Huskies tallied just 288 total yards while committing an abysmal four turnovers. Despite the team’s shortcomings, DeBoer was happy to walk away with a win.
“Tip of the hat to ASU, they pushed us to the very end. But a win is a win, and a lot of teams don’t find a way to get the win there,” DeBoer said. “Now we can learn from it and be better because of it. Done this a lot of years and have seen dominant teams get pushed around. But the defense doing what they did only gives them more belief and the team more belief in them.”
McMillan will have a chance to return this weekend. On Saturday, Washington will take on Stanford at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on FS1.