Washington Huskies 2026 Season Preview

Everything Fisch wants to do runs through the multipurpose Williams, a junior who accounted for 3,676 total yards and 31 touchdowns in 2025. He completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 3,065 yards with 25 touchdowns against eight interceptions, and added 611 yards and six scores on the ground. At his best he is one of the nation's most electric players, a status he underlined with a 402-yard passing and 136-yard rushing performance against Rutgers. The caveat is his footing in the biggest moments: across the team's four losses he managed just 645 passing yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions, and the entire ceiling of this season hinges on closing that gap. Behind him, Stanford transfer Elijah Brown offers experience after throwing for 829 yards elsewhere last fall, with freshman Treston McMillan in the developmental pipeline.

The Huskies must replace their top target after Denzel Boston (881 yards, 11 touchdowns) left for the NFL and Raiden Vines-Bright departed via the portal. The headliner is sophomore Dezmen Roebuck, a Freshman All-American who caught 42 passes for 560 yards and seven scores as a true freshman. Junior Rashid Williams looks to bounce back from an injury-wrecked 2025, and Kennesaw State transfer Christian Moss arrives as a proven senior producer. The staff is projecting real snaps for a highly touted freshman trio in Jordan Clay, Mason James and Trez Davis. At tight end, junior Decker DeGraaf returns as a steady security blanket after a 32-catch, 360-yard season.

This is the offense's biggest question. Workhorse Jonah Coleman (758 yards, 15 touchdowns) is off to the NFL and Adam Mohammed transferred out, stripping the room of its two leading rushers. The Huskies reloaded through the portal with senior Oregon transfer Jayden Limar and another veteran addition, though injuries slowed the newcomers through spring. Arizona transfer Jordan Washington flashed with a 108-yard outing against Purdue, redshirt freshman Quaid Carr emerged as the top option out of spring, and prized freshman Brian Bonner Jr. is expected to carve out a role right away at an inexperienced position.

Four starters return up front, and the group has a chance to rank among the best in the Big Ten. Senior center Landen Hatchett anchors the interior, a veteran with 15 starts across the last two seasons who sets the tone for the protection scheme. Senior Drew Azzopardi is entrenched at right tackle after 24 starts over the past two years, giving Williams a reliable edge blocker. The interior is rounded out by 2025 Freshman All-American John Mills, a Honorable Mention All-Big Ten pick, and Oklahoma transfer Geirean Hatchett at right guard. The one leap of faith is on the blind side, where five-star true freshman Kodi Greene, a Mater Dei product who flipped his commitment from Oregon, is ticketed to start at left tackle after replacing the departed Carver Willis.

Coordinator Ryan Walters oversaw a unit that ranked among the nation's top 15 in scoring defense, and now he has to rebuild the front. The Huskies lose a large chunk of their line but return junior Elinneus Davis, who started 10 games and posted 29 tackles as a foundational tackle who should anchor the interior against the run. Around him the room feels upgraded through the portal, with Sacramento State transfer DeSean Watts (11 starts, 36 tackles, two sacks) and Ball State transfer Darin Conley (28 tackles) added inside alongside Mississippi State transfer Kai McClendon. Highly rated freshman Derek Colman-Brusa is projected into an immediate role. On the edge, senior Jacob Lane led the line with 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, and veteran senior Isaiah Ward brings 43 tackles and five sacks over the past two seasons as a proven pass-rush presence.

The linebacking corps is the strength of the roster. Senior Jacob Manu, an Arizona transfer with 217 tackles and 16.5 tackles for loss over three seasons there, is poised for a healthy bounce-back after injuries limited him in 2025. Senior Xe'ree Alexander, a former first-team All-Pac-12 honoree, is a versatile chess piece who compiled 46 of his 70 tackles over the final six games. Sophomore Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, a former top in-state recruit, adds another ascending piece after returning from an ACL injury, and Washington State transfer Taariq Al-Uqdah brings 76 tackles of prior production. Together the group headlines a defense with far more experience than its returning-starter count suggests.

The secondary lost cornerbacks Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock to the NFL but reloaded around familiar faces. Virginia transfer Emmanuel Karnley reunites with Fisch, for whom he first played at Arizona in 2023, arriving off a season with 10 starts, 26 tackles and eight pass breakups. Sophomore Dylan Robinson started five games as a freshman and, per the staff, carries first-round traits. At safety, senior Alex McLaughlin was the team's leading tackler with 94 stops and earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors, while sophomore Rylon Dillard-Allen backed up his Freshman All-American billing with 40 tackles. It is a deep, experienced back end.

Both specialist spots were upgraded through the portal. Junior kicker Tyler Robles connected on 21 of 23 field goals, a 91.3 percent clip, at his previous stop, giving the offense a dependable finisher. Senior punter Hunter Green averaged 47.0 yards per punt, sixth in the nation, and posted a 42.4 net, a clear boost to the field-position game under coordinator Chris Petrilli.