Huskies Coaches Optimistic Heading Into Tuesday’s Spring Football Start

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Washington Huskies head football coach Jedd Fisch addresses the media ahead of spring football at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington on Monday, March 30, 2026. Credit: Aaron Coe/Emerald City Spectrum [/caption]

SEATTLE, Wash. — Looking to take another step forward, Jedd Fisch and his Washington Huskies football team begin spring football on Tuesday full of optimism.

It may seem like an eternity until the season kicks off with the Apple Cup on Sept. 5, but the hopes are high on Montlake after a 9-4 season in 2025. Spring ball will once again be spread out over five weeks, with Spring Game scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 1. During the first four weeks, Washington will hold practices open to fans and media 3:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as Saturdays 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. through April 25.

While some components of the team are settled, spring will serve as an opportunity for coaches to begin determining how positions such as running back and offensive line will shake out this season. Here are some of the things we learned while meeting with all the coaches on Monday.

9 Players Out, 4 Others Limited for Spring

As of Monday, Fisch expects all players on the roster to be ready for fall camp and participate in workouts, but nine will be held out of all drills this spring. Many suffered season-ending injuries in 2025, so the team will work them in slowly as they continue to rehab. Among the nine out for spring:

• Taariq “Buddah” Al-Uqdah, LB: the Game 1 starter last year at the “Mike” linebacker suffered a season-ending injury during the 2025 Apple Cup. He’ll return in the fall to vie for playing time with Jacob Manu, Xe’Ree Alexander, Zadrius Rainey-Sale, and others.
• Rahshawn Clark, CB: The redshirt sophomore took over the nickel spot last season, but missed the LA Bowl after shoulder surgery.
• Jayden Limar, RB: The senior transfer from Oregon recently had ankle surgery. He’s a potential starter for the Huskies this fall.
• Kai McClendon, DL: The sophomore defensive lineman transfer missed the 2025 season at Mississippi State after tearing an ACL in spring ball.
• Russell Davis II, Edge: “Duece” Davis, a 6-3, 235-pound edge, played well in three games during the 2024 season, including a Big Ten Player of the Week Award after three sacks in a game against UCLA. He missed the entire 2025 season.
• Kade Eldridge, TE: The versatile junior tight end played in the first seven 2025 games before a season-ending injury at Michigan. He’s still recovering from foot surgery.
• Trey Cooley, RB: The senior will play for his fourth college team this season after stops at Louisville (2021-22), Georgia Tech (2023-24) and Troy (2025). Cooley, expected to compete for time in an inexperienced running back room, missed his entire Troy season with a knee injury.
• Blaise LaVista, WR: The true freshman might be a candidate to redshirt this season.

Four others are expected to be cleared at some point after spring ball starts:

• CJ Christian, S: The senior entered last spring as a potential starter, but was eventually beaten out by Alex McLaughlin. Christian missed most of the 2025 season with turf toe.
• Landon Hatchett, C: The starting center last season missed the final four games of the season with a hand injury, which required offseason surgery.
• Kolt Dieterich, OL: The junior transfer from Sam Houston State is expected to return during spring, when he’ll compete with true freshman Kodi Green for the starting left tackle position.
• Justice Williams, WR: The big-bodied sophomore got buried behind a talented group last year, and will try to fight his way up the depth chart when cleared to play during spring.

Five true freshmen scheduled for summer arrival:

While most of UW’s freshman class arrived in January and will participate in spring ball, five will enroll for summer.

• Rahsjon Duncan, CB
• JD Hill, DL
• Ta’a Malu, DL
• David Schwerzel, DL
• Ah Deong Yang, OL

Duncan and Hill, in particular, seem like candidates to play this season and perhaps burn redshirts. Late arrivals don’t necessarily mean that’s off the table. Wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck arrived for summer last year and ended up starting 10 games.

Running Backs Short on Experience, Long on Speed

Washington brought in Limar and Cooley to mix in some experience to a running back position light on college carries after the departures of Jonah Coleman to the NFL and Adam Mohammed to Cal via the transfer portal. That experience will be sidelined this spring, allowing a young group of runners to vie for 2026 roles.

True freshman Brian Bonner Jr., still 17, joins fellow speedsters Jordan Washington and Quaid Carr.

“They’re extremely fast,” said Scottie Graham, who added the title of assistant head coach to his running backs coaching duties. “We could probably win a [4-by-100 meter relay] at the NCAAs with our running back room. Jordan runs a 10.2 [100-meter dash]. Brian runs a 10.4, and Quaid runs a 10.5. So they’re moving. They’re different, but one of them will step up the way Jonah stepped up in the past.”

The three speedsters will be among those given a chance to shine in spring with Limar and Cooley sidelined. Cooley was a late pull from the portal by Washington, which reportedly signed the senior on March 17. Fisch said coaches felt like some more experience was needed at the position.

“When you look at the [running back] room, there was Jayden [Limar], who was a veteran, but wasn’t in our system,” Fisch said. “And then a lot of young ones that were all kind of relying on Jayden for, let’s call it, veteran leadership.

Fisch used a similar philosophy at Arizona in 2022, bringing in transfer DJ Williams after he’d missed most of the 2021 season at Florida State.

“We brought in DJ… to be our extra set of eyes, ears and legs, and DJ ended up in the NFL after having 80 carries with us for the season.”

Top Defensive Recruit Derek Colman-Brusa Moves Inside

Derek Colman-Brusa, signed as a 265-pound edge, is now a 6-5, 295-pound defensive lineman who offers the Huskies some versatility along the defensive front. Colman-Brusa, a four-star recruit out of Kennedy Catholic, is expected to contribute right away this season.

“I wouldn't be surprised if he’s a Day 1 type starter,” defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said. “I mean, he’s 6-5, almost 300 pounds, and can run. In the upper echelon of the strength numbers. Definitely does not look like an 18-year-old kid that should still be in high school. So really excited about him and what he’s already brought to the table.”

True Freshman Kodi Greene Could Start at Left Tackle

Fisch said on Class of 2026 signing day in December that five-star recruit Kodi Greene would be given a chance to win the starting left tackle position as a true freshman, and that seemingly has not changed. With Dieterich not ready to practice and star sophomore John Mills apparently staying at left guard, it’ll be heavy doses of Greene and junior Soane Faasolo at left tackle during spring. Fisch said that Mills has the capability to play any position on the line, but it’s likely to be Green who will get first crack at protecting quarterback Demond William Jr.’s blind side.

“I’d like to see, ‘What does Kodi look like out there?‘” Fisch said. “The same way we wanted to see what John looked like at guard last year.”

With Landen Hatchett out, his brother — seventh-year senior Geirean Hatchett — will receive first-team reps at center. That would seemingly put redshirt freshman Champ Taulealeau at pole position for right guard while senior Drew Azzopardi returns for a third year to start at right tackle. Taulealea and the elder Hatchett brother will compete for the right guard spot once Landen Hatchett returns to practice.