Freshman Edge Ramzak Fruean Makes More Impressions at Huskies Mock Game
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True freshman edge Ramzak Fruean was named a starter by Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch after Saturday’s mock game. Credit: Mason Coe [/caption]
SEATTLE, Wash. — While it’s important to avoid reading too much into the Washington Huskies’ “mock game” on Saturday, true freshman edge Ramzak Fruean once again looked like a future star.
By future, we mean when UW kicks off the season Sept. 6 against Washington State in the Apple Cup. As has been the case for much of fall camp, Fruean once again proved difficult to contain on Saturday. He broke through for, unofficially, 2½ touch sacks against UW’s offense in a scrimmage that served as a dress rehearsal for the season.
After the mock game, head coach Jedd Fisch confirmed Fruean will become Washington’s third true freshman starter, joining defensive lineman Derek Colman-Brusa and left tackle Kodi Greene.
“Ramzak’s going to start for us,” Fisch said. “There’s no question about that.”
Fruean, an early enrollee in January, has spent the past eight months learning the edge position after playing the off-ball linebacker position at Bethel High School. A four-star recruit who was the 10th-rated player in Washington’s 13th-rated 2026 class according to the 247Sports composite rankings, Fruean was one of the first players Fisch talked about in December during his signing day press conference.
“Getting Ramzak Fruean was a huge get for our program,” Fisch said that day. “I think he is going to be a special linebacker. … We beat out some really good teams here at the end for him, and I think that there's a lot of guys in this class that is really going to help us get to where we want to go.”
Fruean, at 6-5, and approximately 240 pounds, is likely to pair with four-year Jacob Lane as a starting edge, with Russell Davis, Isaiah Ward and others adding to the rotation.
Team Ends Fall Camp Relatively Healthy
Though two weeks of practice remain before the Apple Cup, Fisch expects to have most players who entered camp healthy ready to practice on during the next week. That excludes running back Jordan Washington and safety CJ Christian, who suffered apparent season-ending injuries during spring football.
Among players expected back as soon as today who did not participate in the mock game are: center Landen Hatchett, guard Champ Taulealea, receiver Dezmen Roebuck, receiver Jordan Clay, running back Jayden Limar, cornerback Dylan Robinson, defensive lineman Kai McCLendon and Ward, along with linebackers Jacbo Manu, Zaydrius Rainey-Sale and Xe’ree Alexander.
“Should have everyone back, or close to it, starting practice [today],” Fisch said. “Then we’ve got to get going, and we’ve got to figure out a way to see how good we can get.”
Fisch did not have updates on two players who left the field with apparent injuries during the mock game. Freshman receiver Mason James took a massive hit from starting cornerback Emmanuel Karnley. He was examined on the sideline after being down for a couple of minutes and did not return to the field. Second-year offensive lineman Lowen Colman-Brusa suffered an apparent lower-leg injury and was eventually transported to the locker room on a cart.
Demond Williams Jr. Looks Sharp
Stats are a bit skewed for the mock game, because there was significant focus on situations rather than normal game flow. Williams threw an 18-yard touchdown to tight end Barone Naone, who continues to emerge as at least a part-time starter along with Decker DeGraaf. Williams also found starting X receiver Christian Moss for a 6-yard TD on a 15-for-18, 200-plus-yard evening.
5-in-5 Update
In yesterday’s episode of How the NCAA Turns, defensive lineman Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei and kicker Grady Gross both suited up but did not participate on Saturday. Neither attended Friday’s practice after the 5-in-5 eligibility rule changed yet again to make them ineligible, though both appeared in the team photo.
Uiagalelei and Gross each returned to practice in recent weeks after a court ruling allowed Class of 2022 high school players who exhausted four seasons of college eligibility to return for a fifth season. That was overturned on a nationwide basis, meaning they will likely need an injunction from a court in Washington to become eligible.
“We will have both of those guys practicing with us, if that’s what they choose to do,” Fisch said. “And then we’ll go from there.”
