Huskies Talented, Inexperienced Receivers Battle for Roles During Spring Ball
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Washington Huskies wide receiver Rashid Williams catches a pass during a drill on the east practice field at the University of Washington in Seattle on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Credit: Aaron Coe/Emerald City Spectrum [/caption]
SEATTLE, Wash. — The Washington Huskies football game at Wisconsin last season served as the low point for many.
For receiver Rashid Williams, the days leading up to it served as the lowest of the low.
After setting himself apart during 2025 spring and fall camps, Williams earned the starting “Z” receiver position and opened the season with four catches in a 38-21 win over Colorado State. A week later, he caught a 27-yard pass on the offense’s first play against UC Davis that ultimately served as the beginning of the end when he broke his collarbone while being tackled.
That was a low, but things would get lower. After two months of healing and rehab, Williams came back, ready to regain his place in the Huskies offense as the 6-2 team tried to get back into the College Football Playoff conversation. Williams never made it onto the field at Camp Randall, though. He suffered a second injury during practice when his hand got caught in a teammate’s facemask.
Season over.
A few days later, so were UW’s chances of a big season after a 13-10 loss to the Badgers.
“I would say the lowest point was getting injured again after my collarbone,” Williams said. “It was pretty hard for me just trying to work back and get my collarbone strong and stuff. And then at practice, something bad happened. So I would say that's the lowest point, and when I saw it starting to change a little bit was toward the end of the season, I was getting out of my cast and stuff, and I was able to lift weights and do everything a little bit normal with my left hand.”
Williams is back once again, still working at holding off a talented group of pass catchers. With last year’s star, Denzel Boston, headed to the NFL, he’s suddenly the veteran in the group as a fourth-year player at Washington, even if it seems he’s just gotten started.
“I think it's been great,” said receiver coach Kevin Cummings, who also holds a new title of passing game coordinator. “And you know, when you have a new room, right, you’ve got to kind of figure out who those guys are going to be. And so early on, I talked to Rasheed, I talked to Chris Lawson, and I talked to Dez Roebuck. I was like, You guys have to be the guys for me that are giving these guys the pointers on the side. … Rashid is doing that is great.”
While Cummings’ more experienced UW receivers attempt to build up the young corps, they also look to stay above them on a crowded depth chart. Four-star true freshman Jordan Clay, Trez Davis and Mason James have all shown flashes during the first four days of spring ball. Clay looks the part of a downfield threat that could be next in line for a Rome Odunze or Denzel Boston type of impact. Mason James has displayed a different level of quickness, though he’s dropped a few balls so far.
“If you watch what’s gone on so far, Trez Davis has been amazing,” Cummings said. “Trez has been awesome. Trez has done a heck of a job of learning the plays and applying them on the field, and so he's the one that's been, I would say, the furthest along so far. But I'm very excited about Jordan and Mason as well.”
Christian Moss, a senior transfer from Kennesaw State who caught 45 passes for 689 yards last season, will likely factor in when he returns from a minor leg injury suffered during the second spring practice. Big-bodied receivers Justice Williams, Deji Ajose and Bodpegn Miller have also had moments this spring.
Moss, Lawson and Miller did not fully participate in Tuesday’s practice, but none of the issues are serious.
“They’re all good,” Cummings said. “We’re in spring ball right now, so we’re going to take care of our guys as best we can. But it’s an awesome opportunity for the other guys to get reps.”
Roebuck Ready to Roll
While many receivers came to Washington as high-profile prospects, it was a lightly-recruited slot receiver from a small high school in Arizona who proved it on the field last season. Roebuck took the starting “Z” spot vacated by Williams last season, and ran with it as a true freshman, finishing second on the team with 42 catches, 560 yards and seven touchdowns. Listed at 5-11, 184 pounds, Roebuck moves to his natural slot position this season.
“Dez is so smart,” Cumming said. “Dez has no fear going across the middle of the field. I think that's huge when you're looking at your slot. … He's got a lot of confidence going across the middle. But I would say the biggest thing is his football intelligence.”
Roebuck also seems to catch everything thrown his way.
“My main focus — catching the rock,” Roebuck said. “When I see the ball, I really don't care who it is. Could be Ray Lewis. It could be anybody over there. As long as I see the ball in my area, I'm gonna go and catch it.”
Roebuck joined the UW football program last summer with a chip on his shoulder. Despite being named Arizona’s Gatorade Player of the Year after finishing his prep career with a state record 352 career receptions, Roebuck was not offered a scholarship by the new staff at Arizona when head coach Jedd Fisch and Cummings left for Washington. Arizona State tried to get involved late as Roebuck’s second Power 4 conference offer, but he followed Fisch north to UW.
“I went to a small high school, so a lot of people didn't think I was going to be able to play in the Big Ten, or play in the Big 12, or whatever,” Roebuck said. “But just coming here, believing that God has a plan for me, and just putting my head down and working.”
Jordan Washington Update
Running back Jordan Washington, who was taken off the field by ambulance on Saturday, has since posted twice on social media indicating that he’s doing well. The redshirt sophomore suffered a neck injury while the defense was returning an interception on Saturday. He was immediately able to move his extremities and watched Tuesday’s practice from the sideline, wearing a neck brace. The media did not speak with Fisch on Tuesday, so no official update was given.
Though senior transfers Jayden Limar and Trey Cooley are out this spring while recovering from offseason surgeries, Washington had been the first back to run with the first team. Quaid Carr, who was also receiving first-team reps, got most of the work on Tuesday.
Thank you God and the UW community. So grateful to be a dawg! Best family to be apart of ! 💜Thankful for my coaches and staff in walking this journey with me, most loving staff to be apart of! #godawgs pic.twitter.com/SirFfKepvw— Jordan Washington (@thatoneboy24) April 7, 2026
Huskies Land 2027 QB Commit
Washington received a commitment from 4-star Class of 2027 quarterback Blake Roskopf out of Desert Edge High School in Arizona on Tuesday, he confirmed on social media. Roskopf, listed at 6-5, 235 pounds, is ranked in the Top 150 overall 2027 prospects according to the 247Sports composite rankings, and is the No. 12 quarterback in the class overall.
Roskopf is a different build than any quarterback Fisch has featured during his time as a head coach. He’s six inches taller than Demond Williams Jr.’s listed height of 5-11, and three inches taller than any quarterback currently on Washington’s roster. He passed for 2,815 yards, 37 TD’s and eight interceptions during his junior season. Roskopf joins his Desert Edge teammate, three-star receiver Zerek Sidney, as a UW commit.
Washington’s class is currently ranked No. 5 in the nation per 247Sports, with 11 of an expected 20-25 commits, most of whom will likely sign in December.
