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.
Coming off an NCAA tournament berth this past March, the Washington Huskies women’s basketball team has a chance to be the best in program history this upcoming season with most of last year’s squad returning and more than enough talent to earn the right to host an NCAA tournament game for the first time since 2017.
While the season doesn’t start until November, the Huskies’ roster has begun to take shape. Tina Langley and her staff currently have 12 players committed to playing next year, leaving three spots available. They might choose to not fill every spot, given Washington only carried 14 players on its roster last year.
Here’s a look at the depth chart as it currently stands, some questions that need answering, and how high expectations should be for the program in 2026-27.
Washington appears to have added the final piece to its transfer portal class for the upcoming 2026-27 season. Set to join the Huskies, sophomore guard Harun Zrno committed to the program on Wednesday, filling the 15th and final roster spot.
The Bosnian product transferred in from Rutgers, where he spent his first season in the NCAA. He averaged 6.5 points on 34% from three on good volume at 4.5 attempts a game. Zrno suited up in all 34 games for the Scarlet Knights, averaging 19 minutes a contest.
Outside of his three-point shooting, Zrno didn’t really fill up the box score much, showing below average rebounding, passing, and defensive marks. Standing 6-7 and weighing 220 pounds, it remains to be seen if he can use his large frame to pull down more rebounds (1.6 per game) or protect the rim after recording just one block all season.
At 22 years old, the former Scarlet Knight projects as a low-usage shooting guard who will move around on offense to get open from three. He will likely be matchup dependent considering his defensive limitations and limited production outside of his perimeter shooting.
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.”
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?
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.