Washington Huskies lineman Paki Finau to enter transfer portal

Less than 24 hours before the transfer portal officially opens, another UW player declared his intentions to enter the transfer portal. 

Paki Finau — a 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive lineman — will depart Washington, he announced Thursday afternoon in a post on his social media accounts. The Hesperia, Calif., native played in 16 games during two seasons at UW and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. Finau is the 13th Husky to enter the transfer portal this season. 

“I’ll always be grateful for my time here,” he wrote, “and it was an honor to have worn purple and gold.”

Finau arrived at Washington before the 2024 season, considered a four-star prospect by the 247Sports composite rankings after committing to former UW coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive line coach Scott Huff. 

But Finau never played a game for either coach. DeBoer departed for Alabama less than a month after Finau signed with UW. Huff eventually ended up with the Seahawks. Finau, however, kept his commitment to Washington. 

On Feb. 5, 2024, Finau announced he was “loyal to the pack” in a post on his social media accounts. He was one of a handful of DeBoer recruits who stayed to play for the incoming coaching staff led by Jedd Fisch and offensive line coach Brennan Carroll. 

Finau appeared in four games while maintaining his redshirt in 2024. He saw his most extensive action as a true freshman during UW’s 35-34 defeat against Louisville in the Sun Bowl, playing 42 snaps and allowing three pressures and a sack. 

He competed for a starting spot at left guard throughout spring practices and fall camp under new offensive line coach Michael Switzer entering 2025, but lost the position battle to true freshman John Mills. 

Yet Finau played substantial snaps despite Mills’ emergence. The pair rotated throughout UW’s early games, and Finau stepped up when Mills suffered a high ankle sprain against Maryland on Oct. 4. 

Finau started UW’s next two games at left guard, against Rutgers and No. 18 Michigan, and allowed just one hurry across 115 offensive snaps. He started two more times, playing predominantly at left guard again, during UW blowout victories against Purdue and UCLA while Mills filled in for junior Drew Azzopardi at right tackle. 

Finau also made brief appearances at left and right tackle in 2025. He played 426 offensive snaps and allowed just 10 pressures — nine hurries, one quarterback hit and no sacks. Finau did not commit any penalties in 2025. 

But Finau’s path to a starting spot in 2026 was complicated shortly before the LA Bowl. Sixth-year right guard Geirean Hatchett was granted a seventh season of eligibility after receiving a medical redshirt for his injury-shortened 2024 season at Oklahoma. Fisch announced Hatchett was going to return to Washington for his final season after UW’s 38-10 victory against Boise State at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Dec. 13. 

Hatchett’s medical redshirt means UW will return four of its five starters for 2026: Azzopardi, Hatchett, Mills and starting center Landen Hatchett, Geirean Hatchett’s brother. The Huskies will also welcome composite five-star offensive lineman Kodi Greene, whom Fisch said he expects to start as a true freshman. 

Along with the returning starters and Greene, the Huskies also have rising redshirt freshman Champ Taulealea, another composite four-star prospect, who will be pushing for playing time in 2026. Taulealea played five games while maintaining his redshirt in 2025 as a true freshman. 

Finau is the fourth UW offensive lineman to announce intentions to enter the transfer portal. Redshirt freshman Davit Boyajyan, sophomore Zachary Henning, UW’s second-choice center, and fifth-year tackle Maximus McCree all said they were entering the transfer portal in December. Boyajyan, Henning and Finau were all DeBoer recruits who stayed to play for Fisch.