The 6-foot-2, 245-pound tight end — who signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent this spring — has summited similar mountains. After breaking his collarbone two games into his senior season at Mount Si High School in 2017, Westover walked on at Washington — where Drew Sample, Hunter Bryant and Cade Otton already roamed the roster.
In fact, when Westover corralled his first college touchdown — a 3-yard grab in Washington’s 51-27 win over Arizona on Oct. 12, 2019 — the credit went elsewhere.
“That’s a touchdown — Otton, the tight end!” play-by-play announcer Tim Brando bellowed on the FS1 broadcast, before backpedaling. “Check that, 37 [was] the receiver on the … receiving end. Tim … Jack Westover, the other tight end. That’s the third tight end that they could go to.”
In the next four-plus seasons in Seattle, Cade — no, Tim — no, Jack — made sure we knew his name. The Bellevue product earned a scholarship in 2020, then developed into one of prolific quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s most reliable receivers. Under the tutelage of head coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, Westover combined for 77 catches, 831 receiving yards and seven touchdowns (while sharing an offense with NFL wideouts Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan) in 2022 and 2023.
“Jack’s been showing us the breadth of his playing style,” Grubb said late last season. “He just is so versatile. And that was one of the things that stood out right away with Jack, his athleticism and all the different things that he could do in our offense.
“We always feel guys like that can have a role and find ways to be productive within our system. To his credit, because of how bright he is and just a really astute football player, he’s been able to maximize that role, and just show his ability to continue to find different ways to [be utilized]. I think that says a lot to both his intelligence and just his savvy as a football player.”
So it figures that after Grubb took the same system a few miles south, Westover stayed in Seattle. When asked prior to Thursday’s practice why he chose to sign with the Seahawks, Westover said: “To begin with, I had a really open mind. I wanted to see what was possible, what was out there. Grubb just talking to me throughout the process and continuing communication gave me confidence in what he still thought of me. It just gave me some more belief in him.”
Now, it’s Westover’s job to make Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald believe. He enters a tight ends room already featuring veterans Noah Fant (6-4, 249) and Pharaoh Brown (6-5, 246), as well as rookie fourth-round pick AJ Barner (6-6, 251). Staples Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson exited in the offseason, after Seahawks tight ends managed just three total touchdowns in 2023.
Westover is obviously undersized, same as at Washington.
But he brings proven hands, plus athleticism and a familiarity with Grubb’s system — two seasons of seasoning.
“I would say it’s very similar,” Westover said of the system they’re installing with the Seahawks. “There’s definitely a lot of things you have to adjust to the NFL game. The offense is still progressing as camp goes along. NFL defenses play a completely different way than college — different bodies, and different things you can get away with in college. It’s cool to learn all the changes and all that.”
Even so, the 25-year-old tight end added that the Seahawks are also using much of the same verbiage — which “has been very helpful for me, just coming in from day one and being able to hit the ground running. I’m able to go to bed at night pretty smooth [without having to stay up studying], so that’s nice.”
Still, it’ll be another uphill climb to make the roster — to chisel a role in a room filled with bigger bodies and more robust resumes.
But Husky fans know better than to count out Jack — not Cade, not Tim.
On Montlake, Westover made a name and climbed a mountain.
Who says — steeper climb be damned — he can’t do it again?
“At this point, you’re playing with house money,” Westover said with a smile, of the opportunity. “It’s definitely something I’m built for, and I’m definitely excited for it.”
