Huskies Receiver Christian Moss’ Long Road Leads to Starting Job at Washington
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Washington Huskies wide receiver Christian Moss has impressed since transferring from Kennesaw State. Credit: Mason Coe [/caption]
SEATTLE, Wash. — Christian Moss’ trip to the University of Washington began with the hiring of an attorney.
A common part of one’s journey in modern college football, Moss and his lawyer, Darren Heitner, appealed a decision by the NCAA that denied Moss an extra season of eligibility after he missed all of 2023 with a hand injury. He won, and Huskies receivers coach Kevin Cummings wasted no time convincing the 6-3, 205-pound X receiver to take a trip from Kennesaw State in Georgia to Washington after the injury waiver was granted.
“Literally an hour into me getting it, I got the call from KC and set up a visit, and everything just worked out,” Moss said. “… Coach Fisch has a lot of good people in the building and the vision. They have a really good quarterback coming back, so it just felt like home as soon as I got on campus.”
Moss began his career at Virginia Tech in 2021 as a three-star recruit. His head coach, Justin Fuente, didn’t make it through the full season after the Hokies suffered five losses over a span of seven games. Moss played sparingly in 2022, then missed the entire 2023 season with the hand injury suffered during spring ball.
Looking for a fresh start, he transferred to his hometown college, Kennesaw State for the 2024 season. After starting four games that season, he blossomed in 2025, catching 45 passes for 689 yards as the Owls won the Conference USA title. The success led to opportunities for several players on Kennesaw State’s roster to play at a higher level.
“We win the championship, and everyone kind of just transferred,” Moss said.
After being granted another season, Moss decided to take a trip with his family to the Pacific Northwest. He liked the cooler temperatures, as well as his potential fit in a Jedd Fisch offense that often creates one-on-one opportunities for X receivers.
“They also fell in love with it,” Moss said. “Very beautiful city. This was actually my first time ever, even on the West Coast in general, so it was new.
“I'm from the South, so it's a lot different here. It's more city living, something I've never really had before, but I like it. The weather's nice. In Atlanta, around this time, it's like 90, 100 degrees, so the weather's nice, and the people. The people are really, really friendly here, and Seattle's been great.”
There was more to talk about than the weather when Moss visited in January, however. Fisch’s last two X receivers became coveted NFL targets. Cleveland selected Washington’s Denzel Boston in the second round of this year’s draft, while Arizona’s Tetairo McMillan was chosen eighth overall by Carolina in the 2025 draft after spending 2022 and 2023 in Fisch’s offense.
Shortly after the UW visit, Moss committed to make the move of nearly 2,700 miles from where he starred at North Cobb High School in Kennesaw.
Moss missed most of UW spring ball with a soft tissue injury, but entered fall camp as the clear No. 1 at the X spot, holding off promising freshman Jorday Clay, second-year Chris Lawson and others. He had perhaps his best day as a Husky so far on Wednesday, beating tight coverage from starting corner Emmanuel Karnley for a gain of 35 yards on a pass from Demond Williams Jr. He later fended off strong coverage from freshman corner Elijah Durr for a touchdown of about 25 yards.
Though the path to the Big Ten had some twists, turns, and the aforementioned legal action, Moss has shown the size and athletic ability to compete in the conference.
“Obviously, he’s big, so you expect the physicality, but we’ve all seen a lot of big receivers that aren’t that,” Cummings said. “For him to be able to play with that has been really good for our offense, and I think it really makes Demond comfortable to know he has that big body that he can find that one-on-one matchup with, and he’s going to take care of it.”
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Huskies wide receivers Rashid Williams (3) and Christian Moss (5) participate in a drill on a University of Washington practice field on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Credit: Mason Coe [/caption]
Passing Game Strides Continue
Though starting slot receiver Dezmen Roebuck missed Wednesday’s practice for what a UW spokesperson deemed “personal reasons,” the passing offense continued to pick up chunk yards. Cumming said it’s “all good” with Roebuck and confirmed he would be back soon.
Rashid Williams, who missed most of last season with a pair of injuries, caught two TD passes from Demond Williams Jr. in team sessions, and added another during a 7-on-7 session.
Lawson, who has pushed both Moss on one side and Rashid Williams on the other, filled in at Roebuck’s slot position Wednesday and made several catches. He appears to be in line for a significant role behind the three starters.
“I think Chris has really accepted the challenge of knowing what to do, where to line up, how plays adjust on the fly, whereas last year, I think that’s where he was lacking a little bit,” Cummings said. “He’s invested a lot into this, and now you just see him being the athlete we all know.”
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Grady Gross, starting kicker for the Washington Huskies, returned to UW for practice on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. Credit: Mason Coe [/caption]
Huskies Add a Familiar Face
Grady Gross, Washington’s starting kicker from 2023-25, practiced on Wednesday, wearing a No. 20 jersey. Like defensive lineman Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, Gross’ eligibility expired after the 2025 season. But the new 5-in-5 rule — and ensuing court decisions that allowed high school Class of 2022 graduates back in — opened the door for a return.
Washington signed former Texas State kicker Tyler Robles from the portal to fill Gross’ spot, and Robles has been named to the Lou Groza Award preseason watch list. So, it’s unclear what role Gross might play with the team. Fisch and special teams coach Chris Petrilli were not available for comment Wednesday.
Hatchett Job
Geirean Hatchett played some left guard with the No. 2 offensive line for his first 11-on-11 work this fall. His brother, presumed starting center Landen Hatchett, is still being held out of team sessions. Clay also got more action on Wednesday, running with the No. 2 offense at X receiver.
Starting right guard Champ Taulealea, injured during Saturday’s scrimmage, remained out on Wednesday, along with cornerback Dylan Robinson, defensive lineman Elinneus Davis and linebackers Jacob Manu and Zaydrius-Rainey Sale.
