Washington camp, Day 1: What I saw, heard, thought of Huskies' practice opener

Ja'Lynn Polk looks fast.

Rome Odunze was excited for the start of preseason camp. (Photo courtesy of UW Football)

SEATTLE — It is a testament to the times in which we live that the Washington Huskies could not get through a single preseason camp practice without some manner of realignment news demanding our attention.

Wednesday morning, it was Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel breaking news of the Big Ten’s exploratory consideration of adding UW, Oregon, California and Stanford should the Pac-12 deteriorate any further. Wetzel (and other reporters who soon confirmed the news) took pains to note these are merely preliminary discussions, with no decisions imminent. But it was a reminder of the shadow looming over all Pac-12 proceedings at this point, even on a sunny August morning with football players conducting football drills at Husky Stadium.

Soon enough, though, Michael Penix Jr. flicked his left wrist for an easy, 41-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Germie Bernard, and coach Kalen DeBoer spoke excitedly afterward about the start of preseason practices.

Media-rights drama persists, but football — or, at least, football practice — is back.

Here’s what I saw, heard and thought during the Huskies’ first camp practice.