Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images As the names for Washington’s undrafted free agent signings rolled in during the days after the draft, I was a little surprised when one of the last players named was someone I had heard of before. “Colson Yankoff” was not a name that I had heard of before April, but it was a name I came across as we moved into the “deep cuts” phase of the SBNation mock draft this year. pic.twitter.com/ZhmI2X58Jp— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) April 12, 2024 So who is Colson Yankoff? As I’ve dug into it, Yankoff’s story is actually one of the more interesting of the offseason. Coming out of high school, he was considered to be, perhaps, the best quarterback prospect ever developed in the state of Idaho. He was originally recruited by the University of Oregon, but decommitted once the head coach who had tried to bring him there was fired. Choosing to stay in the Pac 12, Yankoff then committed to the University of Washington, where he would enter a QB room with six other prospects. He redshirted his freshman year with the Huskies and eventually decided it wasn’t a good match, again seeking another Pac 12 destination. Former #Washington QB Colson Yankoff, who was the nation's No. 6 ranked dual-threat QB recruit last year, is transferring to #UCLA.— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) June 4, 2019 This time though, Washington would force Yankoff to sit out a year, invoking the conference’s transfer rules. In 2020, Yankoff would give it a brief shot attempting to be the Bruins’ QB, but would eventually move to wide receiver, and then, again, to running back. Throughout his first three years at UCLA, he played sparsely, and then, last season, head coach Chip Kelly decided to lean on Yankoff on special teams, where he played well enough to garner national attention: “I think Colson’s done a really good job,” Kelly said at a news conference earlier this season. “We have to do a better job blocking for him. It hasn’t been blocked up the way it’s supposed to be blocked up. … He’s big, he’s fast, he’s got great vision, one of our fastest kids on our team. He’s a pretty good player.” #UCLA head coach Chip Kelly on choosing RB Colson Yankoff to return kickoffs: pic.twitter.com/HiJuhIfA1N— Tracy McDannald (@Tracy_McDannald) August 30, 2023 ICYMI, UCLA running back Colson Yankoff talked about playing multiple positions on this team and how it's been on special teams: https://t.co/NSyS0COGTB— Bruin Report Online (@BruinReport) October 21, 2023 Congratulations to 2023 Special Teams Player of the Year Award Finalist: Colson Yankoff of UCLA Football!|@colsonyankoff|
|@UCLAFootball|#23SPTPOTY pic.twitter.com/7i2jnmcpF3— National Special Teams Player of the Year Award (@SpecialTeamsPOY) December 31, 2023 In the pros, it appears that Yankoff is going to be deployed as a tight end with fullback characteristics. He may need to put on a bit of weight (he’s played up to 230 lbs in the past), but he’s quite athletic, as one might surmise from his ability to play a variety of different positions. Colson Yankoff is a FB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 9.56 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 24 out of 523 FB from 1987 to 2024. https://t.co/Sxsdd2IdkL pic.twitter.com/Po74qTcqiR— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 15, 2024 Is Yankoff going to amount to anything in the NFL? It’s very difficult to say, and the odds are certainly stacked against it, but plus special teams ability is probably the quickest ticket to the back of an NFL roster, or at least an NFL practice squad. Washington’s tight end unit, while shored up for 2024, will also likely have some opportunities in 2025. So, if Yankoff can make himself relevant on special teams this season, he may keep the door open for an expanded role in the future. Good luck to him, and to all of the young men trying to make this team.
Colson Yankoff cuts outside for six!
UCLA 52, NCCU 0
8:44 – 3rd quarter
: P12LA
: https://t.co/v42BPkDwhA#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/tNagOiA2Tz— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) September 16, 2023 Part of our chat with #UCLA running back and special teams ace Colson Yankoff on the Bruin Insider Show.
In this clip, his gratitude, humility, genuineness come shining out as does his uplifting outlook on life. pic.twitter.com/b2313pAlFJ— Bryan Fenley (@BryanFenley) October 18, 2023
https://www.hogshaven.com/2024/5/13/241 ... on-yankoff
