Analysis: Breaking Down Huskies’ Running Back Room After Spring Ball
SEATTLE, Wash. — If a running back can win the offseason, Washington Huskies star Jonah Coleman accomplished that feat.
First, Coleman chose to return for his senior season. While improving his draft stock provided a strong reason, he also said he wants to become the first person in his family to receive a college degree.
Next, Coleman posted before and after photos of the body of work of his offseason work on his body. He appears slimmer and more muscular, and nothing during spring practices contradicted that.
236lb 16.8 % body fat ➡️222 14.2% body fat
8weeks later pic.twitter.com/puI4r1NZhv— Jonah Coleman (@jonahcoleman8) March 18, 2025
Both Coleman and head coach Jedd Fisch have indicated that Coleman will keep working toward building his physique for a strong senior season before he takes a run at the NFL. The Huskies, though, possess talented depth behind the senior.
As always, it’s not easy to gauge how a running game is going to look in spring ball. Scrimmage carries are limited for starting running backs, and contact is minimal. The offensive and defensive lines aren’t playing at game levels. So, I’ve learned not to put a lot of stock in spring runs, especially for power runners.
Somehow, though, Coleman found a way to dazzle fans at the spring game. First, he showed off what appeared to be a little extra speed and quickness while rushing for 56 yards on just five carries. His best work, however, came in the kicking game when he booted an extra point and celebrated with a backflip.
New kicker 🙌 @jonahcoleman8 @UW_Football pic.twitter.com/K8ac6FX0AU— Keegan Hall (@KeeganHall) May 3, 2025
After the gymnastics, the waiting to see Coleman in the August 30 opener against Colorado State began. Here’s what to expect from the running game this fall:
Jonah Coleman
As a junior last season, Coleman rushed for career highs of 193 carries, 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns. Assuming good health, it will be interesting to see how many touches he gets in 2025. It’s easy to assume that Coleman is poised for a massive season. The question is, how many carries?
Removing sacks — which for some reason still count as rushing attempts in college football stats — quarterback Demond WIlliams Jr. carried the ball 27 times in two starts last season. While he may not maintain that pace, that works out to 176 carries over 13 games.
As Fisch continues to build the program, managing running back carries will be a challenge, as he has to think not just about 2025 but the next couple of years. How does he keep everyone happy and out of the transfer portal?
Fisch could decide to ride Coleman all year and give him 300 carries. Listed at 5-9, 228 pounds, Coleman looks like a load who can handle that load. With an offensive line that should be better at run blocking — not fantastic, but better — Coleman may have a little more space. Per Pro Football Focus, Coleman’s 4.34 yards after contact per carry was seventh in FBS last season among running backs with at least 150 rushing attempts. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty led the nation at 5.25.
"We like big dudes. We're in the Big Ten, they call it 'Big' for a reason," running backs coach Scottie Graham said on April 26. "We can't get arm tackled, and I think big guys are important because a two-yard run becomes a four-yard run. Big guys make a big difference, and Jonah's short, but he's still big."
Though there were no extra points and backflips in 2024, Coleman was fun to watch. He’s a tough runner who displays good instincts to go along with a nice jump-cut. He’s not necessarily a home-run hitter, but expect a few more long runs this season with a little extra burst to go along with yards after contact. Teams will also have to respect the quarterback run and the deep ball more this season with Williams behind center full-time.
"There's a lot of ice cream on that cone," Graham said.
I would expect Coleman to end up with about 230 carries this season, which would have ranked 18th in FBS in 2024. That should put him at around 1,300 yards. That and a decent 40 time could make him a Day 2 NFL draft pick. In Jedd Fisch’s four seasons as a head coach, running backs averaged 288.5 carries as a group per season. With Williams perhaps sniping a few, it’s hard to imagine more than 300 for the backs. That won’t leave a lot for the backups.
Adam Mohammed
Listed at 6-0, 215 pounds, Mohammed took over the primary backup role last season, finishing with 42 carries for 193 yards. He’s likely to get a few more this season after Cam Davis transferred to Minnesota. As mentioned, though, how many will be left over after Williams and Coleman eat?
Like Coleman, Mohammed is a powerful runner who does not waste many steps. He’s willing to run at defenders and doesn’t typically move side-to-side much. As a high-end, three-star recruit out of Apollo High School in Glendale, Ariz., Mohammed also showed good hands in prep ball, though he caught just six balls for UW in 2024.
Mohammed is an excellent backup who could start for many Power 4 programs. If Coleman has to miss any time, the drop off should be relatively small. It’s hard to imagine more than about 5-6 touches per game, though, before a potential breakout season in 2026.
"He's developing," Graham said. "He's stronger — he's about five or six pounds heavier. He's smarter, he knows the offense like the back of his hand now, and our offense is difficult. So, to be a running back, it's hard, you have to do a lot, and Adam understands the offense. You don't mind looking over your shoulder when you put him in the game, just like Jonah [Coleman], so he's progressing at a similar pace and doing really well there."
Jordan Washington
If Coleman and Mohammed are the thunder, Washington flashes the lightning. Washington got into two games as a true freshman last season and will be a redshirt freshman this season. The speedster ran a 10.31-second 100 meters in high school and will likely serve as a kickoff returner this season. Listed at 5-11, 185 pounds, Washington showed off his wheels a couple of times in the spring and may get a couple of carries and some gadget plays in addition to special teams contributions. He’s not going to break a lot of tackles, but he may not need to with his speed.
Julian McMahan
At 6-2, 230 pounds, the true freshman is a load. While the three-star recruit is a power runner, he showed good open-field speed at Monte Vista High School in California. He would seem in line for a redshirt season, but he appears physically ready to contribute if needed in 2025. McMahan rushed for 245 times for 1,436 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior and looked the part during Huskies spring ball.
Quaid Carr
Carr is also a true freshman, and at 5-11, 185 pounds, is a changeup to McMahan’s power. A three-star recruit out of powerhouse Servite in Anaheim, California, the speedy Carr will join the Huskies for fall camp.
Beck Walker
A walk-on transfer from Golden West Junior College in Huntington Beach, California, the 6-1, 220-pound junior hails from Sammamish, where he played at Skyline.
