Local Talent on Montlake Could Fit Multiple Needs for Seahawks in 2026 NFL Draft
When it comes to finding young talent to help bolster his football team, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider will look just about anywhere and location and/or level of competition aren’t deal breakers in the least bit, evidenced most recently by investing a first round pick in North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Dating back to 2017, Schneider has drafted Zabel as well as three players from the Division II ranks, including receivers David Moore and Dareke Young and tackle Michael Jerrell. Though none of those players remain with the Seahawks after Young signed with the Raiders earlier this month in free agency, all three of them remain on rosters in the league and two of them contributed for playoff teams in Seattle, indicating that those selections panned out quite nicely for the organization.
With that said, Schneider has wisely always kept strong tabs on local standouts, attending pro days at Washington and Washington State annually along with not-so-distant road trips to Oregon and Oregon State. In 16 years at the helm, he has drafted two former Huskies (Will Dissly in 2018, Ben Burr-Kirven in 2020) and a former Cougar (current starting right tackle Abraham Lucas in 2022) while also bringing plenty of undrafted talent into the mix from both programs, including Super Bowl champion Jermaine Kearse.
Now less than a month away from the 2026 NFL Draft, even with Seattle only holding four picks at the moment, the stars look to be aligning for Schneider to potentially add to that Evergreen State pipeline, specifically in regard to the Huskies on Montlake.
Huskies Receive Commitment from 4-Star Defensive Tackle Jon Ioane
Washington Huskies coach Jedd Fisch speaks often about getting bigger to compete in the Big Ten, and the Huskies tipped the scales toward that end with a commitment from Class of 2027 defensive lineman Jon Ioane on Thursday.
Iona, listed at 6-3, 295 pounds, plays on both sides at the line at Tustin (Calif.) High School. He chose UW over Penn State, UCLA, Stanford and Cal. Rated a 4-star “Athlete” recruit in 247Sports composite rankings because of his two-way abilities, Ioane is the 267th-ranked overall national recruit and No. 24 in California.
The Montlake Report: Biggest Storylines for the Huskies Heading Into Spring Football
Looking to improve on last year's 9-4 season, the Washington Huskies will open spring football on Tuesday, March 31. What are some of the biggest storylines heading into spring ball?
We also wrap up the end of the UW women's and men's basketball seasons.
7 Questions Facing Huskies Heading into Spring Football
The Cherry blossoms emerging in the University of Washington quad are a sign of spring for most around campus. For UW football fans, however, spring will truly begin on March 31 when spring ball begins for the Huskies.
Practices for the 2026 season begin in just 10 days as Washington starts preparing for the season-opening Apple Cup on Sept. 5, still 168 days away. The Huskies will welcome 32 new players to practice, including 20 of the expected 25 Class of 2026 and 12 scholarship transfers.
What are some of the key storylines heading into spring ball?
Washington Lands Commitment From 2027 4-Star Running Back Jeremy Adeyanju
Jedd Fisch found his Class of 2027 running back.
Jeremy Adeyanju, a 6-0, 215-pounder out of Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Glendale, Arizona, confirmed his commitment to Washington on social media. The junior chose the Huskies over USC, Michigan and UCLA.
Adeyanju’s stock has been rising over the last few months. He’s shown good instincts and decisiveness running behind an offensive line with a pair of three-star recruits, and the long-strider can run away from defenders in the open field. Adeyanju will join a UW running back room that theoretically would include 2026 4-star recruit Brian Bonner, as well as Ansue Sanoe (2026) Quaid Carr (2025) and Julian McMahan (2025) and Jordan Washington (2024).
The Montlake Report: Huskies’ 2027 Recruiting Class Showing Promise
While it's early, Jedd Fisch and his Washington Huskies football staff are making strong connections with top 2027 recruits.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down why a promising class appears to be taking shape for Fisch and company, as well as UW's new deal with Alaska Airlines and weighing star basketball player Hannes Steinbach's future with a leap to the NBA potentially in sight.
Huskies Yield First Commit from Junior Day Event With Servite Linebacker Isaiah Leilua
A few days after holding a “Dawghouse Weekend” Junior Day event, the Washington Huskies have received their first known commitment from the 30-plus recruits who visited campus.
Three-star linebacker Isaiah Leilua, an inside linebacker from powerhouse Servite High School in Anaheim, California, chose Washington over reported offers from Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Arizona, Arizona State and Penn State.
Leilua is the fourth Class of 2027 Washington commit who plays inside linebacker in high school. That position makes up half of UW’s current eight-member class.
In the way-too-early 247Sports composite rankings, Leilua’s verbal commitment moved the Huskies up to fourth.
Huskies to Host Slew of Recruits at Weekend Junior Day Event
Signing day for the high school Class of 2027 remains nine months away, but “Dawghouse Weekend” at the University of Washington on March 7-8 will shape much of Jedd Fisch’s next set of Huskies.
The Junior Day event is expected to be attended by approximately 30 recruits, who will spend the weekend learning all they can about the university, the football program and its coaches. Fisch and his staff put together the highest-ranked class in modern UW football history (13th) for 2026, and several of the blue-chip athletes from that class attended the 2025 event.
The Montlake Report: Several Washington Huskies Impress at NFL Scouting Combine
Taking their next steps towards being NFL players, Denzel Boston and several Washington Huskies teammates put their best foot forward auditioning at the annual combine in Indianapolis.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe dives into the performances from Boston, Ephesians Prysock, and other ex-Huskies who looked to bolster their draft stock this past week, discusses Detlef Schrempf's jersey retirement ceremony, and analyzes the continued struggles for the Huskies' men's basketball team heading towards the Big Ten tournament.
Jedd Fisch Will Replace Departed Offensive Coordinator Jimmie Dougherty with… Jedd Fisch
During an appearance on the On3 Andy & Ari podcast on Wednesday, Washington Huskies head football coach Jedd Fisch offered some clarity about the offensive coordinator position.
The new OC will essentially be Jedd Fisch.
The Montlake Report: Could Huskies’ Road Win at Rutgers Start Late Season Run in Big Ten?
While the NCAA tournament remains unlikely, if near impossible at this point, the Huskies did themselves a major favor by winning at Rutgers on Tuesday, jumping into a bye slot for the Big Ten tournament.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down how Washington held off a late Rutgers rally to pick up a much-needed road win, why building positive momentum for next season should be the top priority for Danny Sprinkle given all the injuries that have derailed the team in 2025-26, and takes a look at Jedd Fisch's 2027 recruiting class on the gridiron, examining which incoming prospects have a chance to be game changers for UW in the future.
The Montlake Report: Why Did Huskies Part Ways With Jimmie Dougherty So Late in Offseason?
In a rare mid-February coaching change, the Washington Huskies announced they had reached a mutual split with offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe discusses the surprising move, examining why Washington may have made such an abrupt decision this late in the offseason and where Jedd Fisch may turn to now fill a big hole on his coaching staff.
Washington Huskies to Make Abrupt Change at Offensive Coordinator
The Washington Huskies will have a new offensive coordinator for the 2026 season.
The UW football team and Jimmie Dougherty have parted ways, according to reports early on Tuesday, while NFL veteran offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh emerged as a potential replacement. Dougherty confirmed his departure from the Washington football program with a social media post later on Tuesday.
The Montlake Report: Breaking Down Huskies' 2026 Combine Invites, NFL Potential
Coming off a solid second season under coach Jedd Fisch, the Washington Huskies will be well-represented at the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe dives into Washington's latest crop of invites who will participate in the combine, which ones have the best chance for success at the next level, and which non-combine invites could surprise and get a shot in the NFL.
The Montlake Report: Did Huskies Do Enough Adding Talent in Transfer Portal?
Drawing closer to spring ball, the Washington Huskies have made most of their moves supplementing the roster with transfer portal additions.
On a new episode of “The Montlake Report,” Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe analyzes all of the newcomers brought in by Jedd Fisch and UW's coaching staff, including former Ball State standout defensive tackle Darin Conley, discusses where the Huskies did well acquiring talent, and examines where they may have fallen short since the end of the 2025 season.
The Montlake Report: Did Demond Williams Win Back Huskies’ Supporters After Transfer Attempt?
For the first time since his attempted transfer and ultimate change of heart, Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. met with the media, looking to put the story behind him.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe shares his thoughts on Williams' remarks and whether or not he did enough for everyone to move forward along with examining an increasingly dire situation for the Huskies' men's basketball team after a loss at Iowa.
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