Top 10 Huskies’ Freshmen Poised to Make Impact in 2026
The Washington Huskies’ football program has a long history of playing true freshmen who impact winning on the field. Bringing in coach Jedd Fisch’s best recruiting class - and the best in school history (No. 12) - the Huskies have quite a few freshmen who project to get significant playing time this year.
Fisch preaches that he wants players playing as soon as they are ready regardless of class, stating, “If we make a commitment to go get a great player in high school, why would we not expect to play that player?”
Developing young players is important, but Fisch believes the best path toward development is live-game reps.
“There is too much to learn. We are such a young team... we have to look at the tape and teach off of it... we have to keep learning,” Fisch said.
In 2024, Decker DeGraaf was thrust into a starting role after multiple injuries to the tight end room. His insertion into the starting lineup paid immediate dividends, as his play resulted in him being named a Freshman All-American.
The following year, Texas native John Mills won the starting left guard job over a sophomore blue-chip prospect in Paki Finau. Choosing the freshman again proved to be the right call, as Mills earned Freshman All-American honors as well.
Will the Huskies have a third straight Freshman All-American? Who else might start in their first year?
Huskies Ranked 17th in Preseason AP Top 25 Poll
The Washington Huskies football team, ranked for only one week during the 2025 season, opened at No. 17 in the Associated Press Preseason poll.
The ranking is consistent with where UW has been placed in other rankings, and two spots above its No. 17 ranking in the Coaches Poll. Phil Steele lists Washington 15th in his annual College Football Preview. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic placed Washington 15th, while On3’s Brett McMurphy tabbed UW 10th.
The Montlake Report: Huskies’ Defense Brings Back Big Weapon Thanks to ‘5-in-5’ Ruling
The Washington Huskies football team brought back Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei after he was granted an additional year under the recently passed ‘5-in-5’ rule, while safety Alex McLaughlin and Ramzak Fruean dominated at Day 4 of UW fall camp.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down everything he saw and heard at the second padded practice from Huskies' camp, including how Uiagalelei’s return will bolster Washington’s front line and further improve a group that is expected to take a big leap in 2026.
Huskies Camp Day 3: Putting on the Pads, Uiagalelei Returns
Study hall is over, and the real classes have begun.
The Huskies put on the pads for the first time on Sunday, and 2026 University of Washington football school is officially in session.
“Today just felt so good getting the pads on,” second-year offensive lineman John Mills said. “Last time was a spring game, and that was it was kind of a tempo-down practice. But now we're just getting fall camp, getting ready for the season — being able to hit people is always fun.”
The Montlake Report: Huskies Gear Up for Fall Camp as 2026 Season Approaches
Closing in on the start of the 2026 college football season, the Washington Huskies hope to take the next step forward as a College Football Playoff contender in year three under coach Jedd Fisch.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down what he heard from coaches and players at Media Day as the Huskies prepare for a new season with high expectations as Fisch returns with plenty of offensive firepower - including quarterback Demond Williams back under center - and intriguing defensive additions to the roster.
Huskies CB Dylan Robinson Ready to Build on Strong Freshman Season
There was no soft landing for Huskies cornerback Dylan Robinson during his first start last season.
He arrived on campus in June after graduating from Bonita H.S. (La Verne, Calif.), where he was mostly known as a wide receiver. By September, he was lining up as a defensive back against soon-to-be, two-time All-American Heisman candidate Jeremiah Smith. In a one-on-one interview with the Emerald City Spectrum at Washington’s media day on Tuesday, Robinson said he felt ready for the moment.
“It's everything that I wanted,” said Robinson, who played in 12 games, starting five in his first college season. “I'm not a person that shies away from competition, and [Smith] is some of the best of the best. So it was always a goal to come in freshman year and play the best comp that I could, and that was the opportunity.
Demond Williams Jr. Must Show Growth On and Off Field for Huskies to Reach Potential
Demond Williams Jr. turned 20 just a few months ago, but he’s no longer young by college football standards.
Entering his second full season as the unchallenged starting quarterback for a Washington Huskies football team with high expectations — for his play and the team’s — Williams must grow up quickly.
The “He’s young” days are over. He’s no longer the raw kid inserted into games as a true freshman before starting the final two games of the 2024 season. He’s not a first-time, full-time teenage starter behind center like he was in 2025.
Williams is a junior with 15 starts under his belt, earning $4-plus million — none of which can be used to buy excuses.
Jordan Washington Injury Situation Clarifies Huskies Running Back Room
The cloudy Washington Huskies running back situation received some clarity Thursday at the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago.
As long suspected, Jordan Washington will not be ready to join the team in August, and it will be “a reach” to play this season, head coach Jedd Fisch told On Montlake’s Christian Caple.
After leaving Husky Stadium in an ambulance on April 4 during the first week of spring football, the third-year running back remains in “major rehab-type, physical therapy,” Fisch told Caple while explaining that Washington remains hopeful to play football again.
Which Washington Huskies Could Hear Their Names Called in 2027 NFL Draft?
With less than six weeks until the college football season begins, NFL scouts and talent evaluators already have started to build their preliminary draft boards for 2027.
The Washington Huskies had a remarkable seven players drafted in 2026, despite only three (Jonah Coleman, Denzel Boston, Tacario Davis) showing up in mock drafts before the season began, a testament to the progress made in year No. 2 under coach Jedd Fisch and his staff.
Seven drafted Huskies was the most since 10 had their names called in 2024, which of course came after a birth in the College Football Playoff title game. Fisch’s ability to develop his players into NFL draftees is highlighted by his mantra “Be a Pro” that is plastered all over the team facilities on Montlake.
The players internalize and buy into this philosophy as noted by fourth-round draft pick Carver Willis, who said, “Playing for Washington was the best decision I ever made. I will forever love my time here. It absolutely helped. And my time here is something I hold in great regard... the people I’ve met here and the things I’ve learned here, we all preach ‘Be a Pro,’ how to be a pro.”
Big Game Hunting: Huskies Eye Four Five-Star Recruits in 2028 Class
Most recently adding a pair of offensive linemen to the collection, the Washington Huskies currently are putting the finishing touches on what should be a top 20 recruiting class in 2027. Building off that success, Jedd Fisch and company have already turned their sights to the 2028 class by delivering dozens of offers to high schoolers around the country.
The Huskies have offered about 15 five-star recruits the chance to don the purple and gold. Not all of these elite recruits will be winnable recruiting battles, but for the first time in program history, UW has a real chance to reel in multiple five-star prospects.
247Sports composite rankings shows that Washington has only received commitments from seven five-star players in the program’s history. Can UW add to these numbers?
Huskies Receive Commitments from Pair of Coveted Offensive Linemen
The scales are officially tipped.
Washington added the biggest missing pieces to its 2027 class on Wednesday with the commitments of offensive linemen Gecova Doyal and Tye Kennedy.
Jedd Fisch’s strong recruiting class had been light on offensive linemen prior to Wednesday, when Doyal, a four-star interior lineman out of Puyallup and Tye Kennedy, son of former UW All-American Lincoln Kennedy, became the second and third o-linemen to commit to Washington’s 2027 group.
Jedd Fisch Believes 2026 ‘Trenches-Based’ Huskies are Ready to Win in Big Ten
Jedd Fisch arrived at Washington in 2024 to take over a former Pac-12 football team with remnants of a 2023 College Football Playoff championship game participant.
Heading into Year 3 in a new conference and a rebuilt roster, Fisch believes he’s got a Big Ten team.
Huskies Secure Four-Star Safety Jaden Green-Walk to Bolster 2027 Class
Continuing to build one of the most impressive recruiting classes in college football for 2027, the Washington Huskies had plenty of reasons to woof after landing an elite playmaking safety to add to the mix.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down Washington's exciting commitment from Jaden Green-Walk, a multi-sport star from Centennial High School in California, and how the dynamic defender could be an early game changer for Jedd Fisch and company on Montlake.
Five O-Line Recruits, One Huge Weekend Upcoming for Huskies
Rolling out the red carpet as they continue to build an intriguing 2027 recruiting class, the Washington Huskies will try to reel in the foundation of their next great offensive line with coach Jedd Fisch hoping to end the official visit season with a clean sweep locking up top-tier prospects in the trenches.
Offensive line coach Michael Switzer has a chance to put his stamp on this latest recruiting class for the Huskies, with as many as four future Big Ten-caliber starters flying into town. After last year’s crop that brought in five-star left tackle Kodi Greene, UW hopes to be building the next front worthy of the Joe Moore Award, which they last won when they advanced to the National Championship Game in 2023.
Who will be on Montlake this upcoming weekend?
Huskies Land Blue-Chip Edge Recruit From Garden State
Dominant edge defenders don’t grow on the cherry trees in the University of Washington quad.
Jedd Fisch and the Huskies coaching staff reached far away from campus to find a potential pass rusher in Montvale, New Jersey, with the hopes that Chaz Gray, a Class of 2027 recruit out of St. Joseph Regional High School, will blossom when he arrives on Montlake next year. A three- or four-star recruit, depending upon which recruiting ratings one looks at, Gray chose Washington over Tennessee and Clemson on Tuesday.
Beating out Volunteers and Tigers for an East Coast prospect who also held offers from Ohio State and Penn State and at least 19 other programs shows that his 247Sports high three-star (0.89) rating may be one star lighter than the way Gray is regarded by college coaches.
Huskies Add Another Blue Chip Receiver Commit to Class of 2027
Washington Huskies receivers coach Kevin Cummings strikes again.
The UW caught its second blue chip receiver this week with the commitment of Dontay Tyson, a 6-3 four-star Class of 2027 recruit out Peoria (Ariz.) High School. Tyson is the second four-star receiver to commit to Cummings and head coach Jedd Fisch this week, joining Tre Moore, a 6-4 pass catcher out of Pluegerville, Texas, who made his choice on June 2.
It’s two additional big wins for Cummings, who already reeled in four-star Braylon Pope (Sumner, Wash.) and three-star Zerek Sidney (Desert Edge H.S., Goodyear, Ariz.) during the winter.
Huskies Reel in Four-Star WR Tre Moore to Add to 2027 Class
Landing their first prospect from the state of Texas for their Class of 2027, the Washington Huskies beat out Ohio State and Miami for the commitment from standout receiver Tre Moore, adding playmaking juice to an increasingly exciting crop of recruits.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down Moore's decision to pick the Huskies over two of college football's true blue blood programs and how his arrival can boost Jedd Fisch's offense in the near future.
The Washington Huskies Mid-Season Stretch Could Determine 2026 College Football Fate
It’s easy to look at the Washington Huskies 2026 football schedule and skip to the end.
While the last two games — home against defending national champion Indiana and on the road at nemesis Oregon — could determine UW’s College Football Playoff fate, the Huskies have to get there first.
Washington begins the football season with three non-conference snoozers, and ends with the types of games UW has been unable to compete in under Fisch through two seasons. The seven games in the middle are all winnable — Washington could well be favored in six of them — but Big Ten games are rarely easy.
The bottom line is Washington must go 6-1 during that stretch to have any hope at its first CFP berth of head coach Jedd Fisch’s tenure.
The Montlake Report: Big Weekend on Tap as Huskies Welcome 2027 Recruits for Visits
Washington Huskies football gears up for a pivotal recruiting stretch as elite recruits arrive for key campus visits. Can four-star quarterback Blake Roscopf and edge prospect Chaz Gray be the cornerstones of a top-15 class?
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe spotlights high-profile visitors, including wide receiver Dante Tyson and cornerback Jalen Hill, and breaks down which positions are still lacking—most notably on the offensive line. With the Big Ten season looming, the Huskies’ strategy to bulk up in the trenches comes to the forefront as linemen like Reis Russell and Jacoby Doyle headline upcoming visit weekends. The show details recent roster additions, such as Joseph Peco, and assesses how recruiting momentum under Coach Fisch could shape the program’s future. Will Washington maintain its stronghold on in-state talent and flip late commits as signing day approaches?
Sunblock Required: Huskies Non-conference September Slate Scheduled for Daytime
Get your sunblock ready.
There will be no Dawgs after dark for the Washington Huskies football team during the first three home games.
The Big Ten announced TV times for the first three weeks of the season, and it includes a few anomalies for UW. First, there are no true night games for the Huskies during the first three weeks, which are all home non-conference games. And with college football starting the regular season a week before the NFL, the season-opening Apple Cup will be played on a Sunday, making it three games in 14 days at Husky Stadium.
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