Washington Huskies edge rusher Zach Durfee is a Minnesotan to watch this season

“I’m super excited,” he said about Washington’s Saturday opener against Weber State. “I’m ready to take it to the next level. I just can’t wait to play again with my teammates.”

In a town of about 1,500 in southwest Minnesota, Durfee seemed destined for a future on the hardcourt even after his senior year at Dawson-Boyd started with an injury in a different sport.

A fibula fracture sidelined him for most of the football season. Still, Durfee got his explosiveness back and used a near-40-inch vertical to average 21 points and nine rebounds.

“Basketball was always my main focus in high school,” Durfee said. “That’s what I gravitated towards.”

Durfee committed to play college hoops at Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter, but uncertainty early in the COVID-19 pandemic ended that dream.

During the lockdown, Durfee took classes at North Dakota State, but that only lasted the fall semester. Returning home, he got into weightlifting and thought about playing football again. The problem was, there were mostly only basketball clips to send. He emailed several programs anyway about playing tight end or receiver.