> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Depth Chart: Projecting Who Will Play Key Roles For Huskies’ Defense in 2025 - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/projecting-washington-huskies-defensive-depth-chart-2025/ - Published: 2025-08-21T23:51:54.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:58:37.000Z - Author: Aaron Coe - Tags: Analysis, Washington Football, Huskies, Huskies Depth Chart, Jedd Fisch, Tacario Davis, Ephesians Prysock, Buddah Al-Uqdah, Anterio Thompson, Rylon Dillard-Allen, Zach Durfee [Embed from Getty Images](http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/2213604583?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com) Defense may not always win championships in modern football, but it’ll sure keep you in some games. If the Washington Huskies football team is able to jump back into relevancy this season, the defense will outdoubtedly be a large part of the reason. As I discussed in [Monday’s video, I believe the Huskies will finish the regular season 9-3](https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/home/following-fall-camp-washington-huskies-exceed-expectations-2025). To get there, UW will need to hold its own against Big Ten offensive lines. That was not the case last season. While 23.8 points per game (53rd out of 134 teams) was respectable considering all the departures to the NFL draft and the transfer portal following the loss of Kalen DeBoer to Alabama, Washington struggled against the best in their new conference. I still don’t see UW as a conference title contender quite yet, but the defense under Ryan Walters in his first year at Washington looks different. The Huskies are bigger up front, more athletic in the middle, and the cornerbacks will be very tough to beat this season. As I mentioned in [Tuesday’s offensive depth chart piece](https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/home/projecting-washington-huskies-offensive-depth-chart-2025), I’m going to somewhat stay away from heights and weights, as the UW has not released updates on the measurables since early spring. Coaches have hinted at weights when players have added “good” weight or dropped “bad” pounds, but we’ll get to all that when the official roster is updated. Here’s the defensive depth chart based on what I saw during three weeks of fall camp. ### Defensive line **Starters:** Anterio Thompson, Ta’ita’i Uigalelei, Simote Pepa **Rotation:** Ellineus Davis, Logan Sagapolu, Armon Parker, Bryce Butler, Jayvon Parker (if/when healthy) **Next men up:** Omar Khan, Dominic Mason, Annas Davis This position group will look noticeably different from last year. The Huskies allowed 4.6 yards per rush in 2024, which ranked 91st in FBS. Even more troublesome were the back-breaking first downs teams earned via the run against UW. Washington ranked 103rd, allowing 9.5 first-down runs per game. Fisch said repeatedly during and after the 2024 season that the team needed more size, and he found some during the winter. Ryan Walters employs a 5-man front in his base defense, and he’ll have some options to utilize based on opponents and down and distance. Thompson, a transfer from Western Michigan who also got some Big Ten experience during a season at Iowa, gives the Huskies’ front an athletic option over 300 pounds who can play the run or rush the passer. Uigalelei lined up mostly inside during team sessions at fall camp, but also gives the defense a stout option at edge in short-yardage situations. Pepa, a transfer from Utah who’s up near 350 pounds, also appeared to run with the first team a lot in camp. He sometimes pairs with fellow big man Sagapolu to give Washington about 700 pounds in the middle. Davis and Butler both can make plays in the backfield and will play a lot this season. Twins Armon and Jayvon Parker are both looking to get healthy. Armon Parker looked good in Saturday’s mock game. He’s missed three seasons with a variety of injuries, but has a chance to add some power to the defensive front. Jayvon Parker, who is returning from last year’s Achilles tendon tear, may miss the first few games as he continues to mend. ### Edge **Starters:** Zach Durfee, Jacob Lane **Rotation:** Isaiah Ward, Deshawn Lynch (if healthy), Hayden Moore, Xe’ree Alexander, Devin Hyde “Free Durf” was all the rage on social media in 2023 when the Huskies rolled through a 12-0 regular season with the Sioux Falls transfer bound to the sideline as the NCAA ruled the now senior edge rusher ineligible because of two transfers. While transfer rules may sound laughable in 2025, Durfee was in pain with turf toe and other injuries after at times looking like UW’s best defensive player early in the 2024 season. Now fully healthy, Durfee may be the one player on the team capable of approaching double-digit sacks. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg mentioned Durfee on a list of “sleepers” who would break through this season after speaking with Fisch. “I'm really hopeful that Zach plays all 12 games, and if he does, I think he'll be one of the best defensive linemen in the Big Ten," Fisch told ESPN. “He's one of the best players that I've seen. But, you know, he looks the part, he is the part, but he has to stay healthy. He can stop the run and rush the passer. He can line up against a tight end, he can line up against an open-side tackle, he has real amazing flexibility to do all the things that you could ever ask for a defensive end.” On the other side, it looks like Lane is holding off Ward, a 2024 part-time starter, after a strong push in spring. I would expect to see both players a lot this season. Lynch missed most team drills during the fall, but appeared healthy working off to the side. He and Uigalelei are each in the neighborhood of 300 pounds, and could rotate into an edge spot for more bulk. Alexander, who coaches said is up to about 245 pounds from the 223 listed on the roster, is an intriguing prospect because of his ability to play on the edge or as an inside linebacker. Moore moved to edge from inside linebacker after initially enrolling at Michigan before spending his true freshman fall at UW in 2024\. He showed flashes during fall camp. Hyde, a true freshman, looks the part at 6-5 and around 260 pounds. He may find a way on the field this season. ### Inside Linebacker **Starters:** Taariq “Buddah” Al-Uqdah, Deven Bryant **Rotation:** Xe’ree Alexander, Anthony Ward **Coming soon?:** Jacob Manu, Zaydrius Rainey-Sale **Next men up:** Jonathan Epperson, Dovan Robinson Jr., Griffin Miller Walter’s base defense is a 5-1-5 alignment, and the “1” is a single inside linebacker. That one linebacker will most often be Al-Uqdah, a transfer from Washington State who has taken virtually every first-team rep. Though undersized at 5-11, he’s got the range and smarts the coaches like. Bryant has really come on in the spring and fall, and will get plenty of snaps when Walter goes to a two-linebacker look. The wildcards are Manu, a former All-Pac-12 linebacker who tore his ACL at Arizona last season, and Rainey-Sale, who suffered a similar injury last year as a senior at Bethel High School. Both appeared to move well during individual drills, but neither had been cleared for contact by the end of fall camp. The question becomes, how much do they play this year? Manu, a senior, could play the final four regular-season games, redshirt, and come back next year. Rainey-Sale, the state’s top Class of 2025 recruit, could preserve his redshirt by playing in four or fewer regular-season games. Wild guess here, but I think Manu redshirts and Rainey-Sale doesn’t. We’ll see, though. ### Safeties **Post:** Makell Esteen **Box:** Alex McLaughlin **Next men up:** CJ Christian, Rylon Dillard-Allen, Vincent Holmes, Paul Mencke Jr. Esteen has seen a lot of changes to the safety room since he was recruited by Chris Petersen before getting into a game as a true freshman under Jimmy Lake in 2020\. The sixth-year senior started five games in 2024 and looks to be the full-time starter this year. McLaughlin, a junior transfer from Northern Arizona, gives Washington an aggressive hitter in the box. Speaking of heavy-hitters, Dillard-Allen, a true freshman, was scolded by coaches and offensive players a few times during fall camp for some big contact against UW receivers. He’s going to play a lot this season. CJ Christian, a senior transfer from Florida International, seemed destined to start during spring ball. He spent most of fall with the second team, but will likely rotate in and play during some three-safety looks. ### Cornerbacks **Outside:** Tacario Davis, Ephesians Prysock **Nickel:** Leroy Bryant **Outside backups:** Dylan Robinson, Leroy Bryant, Elias Johnson **Nickel backups:** Rahshawn Clark, Dyson McCutcheon Davis and Prysock, a pair of 6-4 senior corners, have been first-team on the depth chart in Sharpie since the first day of spring ball. The “twins” allow Walters to use more single coverage and rush the passer more aggressively. Though Prysock had an uneven season at UW last year after transferring from Arizona, he should benefit from an improved pass rush that will lead to less time in coverage. I initially thought it was a break-even deal when Davis transferred from Arizona and Thaddeus Dixon left for North Carolina, but I believe Davis has star potential after watching him during spring and fall practices. If he can bring in a couple of interceptions, he has a chance to be in the All-America discussion. Robinson, who at 6-3 almost gives UW “triplets,” had a strong camp as a true freshman. He’ll play a lot this season. Bryant surpassed Clark for the nickel spot about halfway through fall camp after it looked like the job was Clark’s in the spring. I thought Bryant had a strong spring as well. He’ll be one of the backups on the outside and could see time there as well. McCutcheon gives UW some veteran experience at the position.