How Thaddeus Dixon made the big leap to becoming a Husky starter

It was no small feat that Dixon replaced the 6-foot-1, 193-pound Jackson, who was one of just two returning starters from a 14-1 2023 team and a very capable player in his own right. Dixon was simply better.

“I feel like we pushed each other a lot,” the likeable Dixon said Tuesday. “The competitor in me, you always want to start.”

Jackson didn’t lose any skills. He wasn’t injured. He finished second to a player who talked and shot the ball and who made a big move in the offseason.

Last year, Dixon came out of Long Beach Community College to play in 14 games and start one of them, which was against USC in his hometown. He usually played behind Jackson, but against the Trojans, he was next to him because the Huskies opened with an extra defensive back.

The coaching change from Kalen DeBoer to Fisch actually helped more than it hurt him in his quest to become a full-time starter. Fisch’s staff had previously tried to recruit Dixon and knew him better than they knew Jackson. Regardless, Dixon never once considered entering the transfer portal and trying something different, as many of his teammates did.

“I didn’t come here for the coaches; I came here for the culture,” Dixon said. “I felt like so many DBs came out of Washington. I really wanted to be a part of the great DBs that came out of here and went to play in the NFL.”

On Saturday, Dixon’s game-day routine for Weber State was the antithesis of his training regimen — it began in silence. The cornerback put on white headphones and lost himself in what he was listening to as he sat in the end zone. It was a deep meditation.

Once the game got underway, Dixon helped force the Big Sky visitors to give the ball away on the first offensive drive of the game, decisively breaking up a pass on third-and-10 from the Husky 30 that resulted in a failed field goal. Although he was quiet before the start, Dixon came alive, celebrating his first PBU of the season.

Midway through the second quarter, Dixon did it again, catching a Weber State pass on first down from the opposing 30-line, ultimately forcing another punt and once again letting everyone in the stadium know what he had done as he strutted along.

He was so focused that he failed to notice former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Richard Sherman, tailback Cam Chancellor and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (the latter was the uncle of UW defensive quarterback Isaiah Ward and middle linebacker Anthony Ward) milling around on the sideline during the game.

On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Steve Belichick was asked about Dixon’s play, and the coach turned to offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll, and the two joked about Dixon’s ability to hurl insults at Montlake.

“Thad is a good kid,” Belichick said. “He brings some good energy to the team. Talking offense is good energy for the team, good camaraderie and he loves his teammates. It’s always fun when they’re in practice and I appreciate that.”

The defender himself smiles when asked about his conversational skills, but admits he tries to draw the line at when and where he lets words flow freely.

“I try to avoid talking in the game,” Dixon said unconvincingly. “I don’t want to get any penalties. But if I play well, I’ll definitely let them hear it.”

By now, everyone has heard about Dixon’s arrival this season — the UW football coaches, his teammate Elijah Jackson, his first opponent Weber State and maybe even NFL scouts looking for a confident, loud and rapidly developing player.

In the opening episode, Dixon took off like one of those jets that used to fly overhead and immediately make you look up into the sky. Now all he needs is a cool nickname like “Maverick” or “Iceman” slapped on his helmet.

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