Lions draft pick Blake Miller explains 'happenstance' path to becoming a right tackle
Blake Miller, Lions draft pick, shares unique path to right tackle
Zach Durfee, a former Washington Huskies edge rusher, is gaining attention ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft with multiple pre-draft visits, including teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders. His impressive journey from a basketball standout to a football prospect includes a recent visit to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Mentioned in this story
With the 2026 NFL draft underway, former Washington Huskies edge Zach Durfee has made several pre-draft visits, including to the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, adding a pair of organizations to the growing number of interested potential future employers for the Huskies' draft prospect.
Durfee, a 6-foot-5, 258-pound edge rusher, has been traveling the country to visit with several teams over the past two months, most recently embarking on visits to the Cincinnati Bengals, marking the fourth confirmed trip he has taken leading into the annual three-day draft.
The Dawson, Minnesota native made the same cross-country trek from Nevada to Ohio during the same span that fellow 2026 draft hopeful Kaelon Blackâa former James Madison and Indiana running back who had a whirlwind of a 24-hour trip, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelisseroâthat Durfee also made, a symbolic path to a future career in the league that echoes his path to Seattle.
A former standout basketball player at Dawson-Boyd High School who averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds as a senior, Durfee began his college career as just an average student at North Dakota State in the fall of 2020 before relocating to Sioux Falls, a small NCAA Division II college in South Dakota, and walking on the Cougars' football team in 2021 as a redshirt before he broke out with 11.5 sacks the following year.
On the board with an NSIC South Division all-conference first team selection in 2022, the Minnesota native put his name in the transfer portal and came out at UW, reuniting two former Sioux Falls legendsâthen-UW coach Kalen DeBoer and Durfeeâand eventually providing current Huskies coach Jedd Fisch with one of his two starting edge rushers for the 2024 season.
Zach Durfee has visited the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, and Cincinnati Bengals ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Zach Durfee stands 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 258 pounds.
Zach Durfee was a standout basketball player before walking on to the football team at Sioux Falls, where he broke out with 11.5 sacks in his second year.
Zach Durfee is originally from Dawson, Minnesota.
Blake Miller, Lions draft pick, shares unique path to right tackle
Brayden Burries officially declares for the 2026 NBA Draft, joining Koa Peat as Arizona's one-and-done players.
Minor League roundup: Cam Maldonado stays hot while Parks Harber prepares for his return.
Exploring the Arizona Diamondbacks' pitching prospects and honorable mentions.
Kylian Mbappé reaches 100 games for Real Madrid with impressive stats!
Nebraska Softball Secures a 9-1 Victory Over Iowa in Six Innings
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
In between the DeBoer and Fisch era was more waiting for Durfee, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA as a two-time transfer in the fall of 2023. Due to his initial college stint at NDSU as a general student, the governing body of college athletics denied an initial waiver and subsequent appeal in 2023 for the edge rusher to be able to suit up for the Huskies while the team made a push towards a national championship appearance vs. Michigan, a 34-13 defeat for UW.
After a judge's early December 2023 ruling, Durfee was able to make his first appearance for the Huskies against the Texas Longhorns in the Sugar BowlâUW won 37-31 in New Orleansâwhich paved the way for Durfee's first of three seasons in purple and gold.
His first season under Fisch in '24 saw the former Division-II walk-on make three starts and play in just six games for UW while battling through turf toe in both feet, another potential chance for his NFL dream to derail before it could ever start.
Durfee didn't let that happen.
He came back in 2025 as a senior and started 10 of 12 games for the Huskies. Durfee finished tied with junior edge Jacob Lane to lead the team with four sacks while also being one of four UW defenders to record a forced fumble. As detailed in ESPN's annual profile of an unnamed draft prospect, which is widely presumed to be Durfee, when healthyâeither at Sioux Falls or UWâhe's been able to produce, and in the lead up to the draft, the Minnesota native has caught the eye of numbers teams in the league.
Whether Durfee ends up hearing his name called over the next three days remains to be seen. He should, but if he does or doesn't, his play will earn him a roster spot as a rookieâprovided he can shed the injury bug that plagued the early part of his UW career.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies pass rusher's stock rising heading into NFL Draft