How have Washington's outgoing transfers fared at their new schools?
It's a long list.
Such is the nature of college football that each season, multiple former Washington Huskies will be making plays for other programs.
There might never be another exodus quite like last offseason, though, in the wake of the transition from Kalen DeBoer to Jedd Fisch. Not only did the Huskies lose several seniors and early NFL Draft entrants from their 2023 roster, but they also lost potential starters — on both sides of the ball — to Power 4 foes.
Some have started every game at their new school. A couple are playing for undefeated teams. A few have been injured. Some do not appear to have resurfaced anywhere else, and others have yet to play a down for their new program.
Some wouldn’t have played on this UW team; others could have starred.
All told, I count 4,181 offensive and defensive snaps played so far in 2024 by recent, scholarship UW transfers — players either on UW’s roster last season, or who joined the program in January before jumping back in the portal — at FBS or FCS schools.
This accounting includes only scholarship transfers who played college football in 2023, and not any 2024 high-school signees. Players are listed in order of snaps played, per Pro Football Focus. Snap counts refer only to offense and defense.
OL Nate Kalepo
Transferred to: Mississippi
2024 snaps: 533
How it’s going: He’s started every game and played more offensive snaps than every offensive player except starting center Reece McIntyre and quarterback Jaxson Dart. PFF gives Kalepo an offensive grade of 58.9, a pass-blocking grade of 69.2 and a run-blocking grade of 55.8. Losses to Kentucky and LSU have jeopardized the Rebels’ CFP chances, with a Nov. 9 game against Georgia still looming.
OL Parker Brailsford
Transferred to: Alabama
2024 snaps: 474
How it’s going: A preseason first-team All-America selection by the AP, Brailsford has played the third-most snaps of any Alabama offensive player this season, and second-most on the offensive line. PFF thinks far more highly of his pass blocking (82.9) than his run blocking (56.5). Like Mississippi, Alabama’s margin for error has been zapped by two early losses, to Vanderbilt and Tennessee.
DB Mishael Powell
Transferred to: Miami
2024 snaps: 465
How it’s going: Powell leads Miami’s defense in snaps played. His three interceptions are most on the team, too. He’s a candidate for best performer among UW’s post-2023 transfers, and his team is undefeated.
WR Germie Bernard
Transferred to: Alabama
2024 snaps: 448
How it’s going: After spending last season as UW’s No. 4 receiver, Bernard has become one of Alabama’s most important offensive players in DeBoer’s first year. He’s second on the team with 30 catches for 463 yards and two touchdowns, and also has four rushes for 37 yards and a score. There likely was no world in which Bernard stuck around to play for the new staff, but it would have been fun to see him form a 1-2 duo with Denzel Boston, as was the plan.
OL Julius Buelow
Transferred to: Mississippi
2024 snaps: 428
How it’s going: After coming off the bench in the Rebels’ opener, Buelow has started every game since, with an offensive grade of 56.9 from PFF and a slightly better pass-blocking grade (60.5) than run blocking (56.1).
CB Jabbar Muhammad
Transferred to: Oregon
2024 snaps: 403
How it’s going: He’s started every game and played the third-most defensive snaps on the team. Muhammad hasn’t snagged an interception yet, but does lead the team with seven pass breakups and owns a solid 75.6 coverage grade from PFF.
LB Ethan Barr
Transferred to: UCF
2024 snaps: 384
How it’s going: Barr was one of two transfers who enrolled at UW in January, attended the national championship game, then re-entered the portal and went elsewhere following the coaching change. Originally a Vanderbilt transfer, Barr is third on UCF’s defense with 37 tackles, plus 1.5 tackles for loss.
TE Tre Watson
Transferred to: Texas A&M
2024 snaps: 337
How it’s going: Like Barr, Watson committed to transfer to UW when DeBoer was still coach — he played for him at Fresno State — and enrolled in January before he re-entered the portal after the coach’s departure. Watson has started all eight games for the Aggies this season with seven catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. At present, Texas A&M is the only team unbeaten in SEC play.
CB Davon Banks
Transferred to: Boise State
2024 snaps: 202
How it’s going: Banks has yet to start a game for the Broncos but has still been a regular contributor. He has two pass breakups and 15 tackles. Coincidentally enough, Banks played the best game of his career against Boise State last season, tallying four pass breakups in UW’s season opener before sustaining a season-ending injury against Tulsa the following week. He stuck around for a few spring practices, but a crowded cornerback room ultimately led him into the portal.
DB Jay (Jaivion) Green
Transferred to: Stanford
2024 snaps: 156
How it’s going: Green started Stanford’s first four games at nickel before sustaining an injury that has kept him out since. A 2022 signee at UW, he had an interception and a forced fumble before the injury.
TE Josh Cuevas
Transferred to: Alabama
2024 snaps: 128
How it’s going: Another tight end the Huskies could have really used, Cuevas has appeared in every game for the Tide this season and has caught eight passes for 96 yards — good for fifth on the team, at present — and a touchdown. Cuevas, who came to UW as a transfer from Cal Poly, played a season-high 24 snaps in Alabama’s win over Georgia.
QB William Haskell
Transferred to: Portland State
2024 snaps: 56
How it’s going: A late addition to UW’s 2023 roster, Haskell, who transferred to UW from San Diego State, never appeared in a game and entered the portal shortly after the season ended. He’s appeared in five games at quarterback for the Vikings, and has completed 12 of 19 passes for 80 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
RB Will Nixon
Transferred to: Syracuse
2024 snaps: 54
How it’s going: Nixon transferred to play for his father, Jeff, Syracuse’s offensive coordinator, but he sustained a Lisfranc injury in the Orange’s fourth game and is out for the season. Nixon carried 19 times for 75 yards before he got hurt.
OL Geirean Hatchett
Transferred to: Oklahoma
2024 snaps: 51
How it’s going: Hatchett started at left guard in the Sooners’ opener against Temple, moved to center after an injury to starter Branson Hickman, but was subsequently lost for the season to a biceps injury. Hatchett has one year of eligibility remaining, but presumably could get this year back in 2026, if he were of a mind to. Oklahoma’s offensive line has struggled with injuries this year, and the Sooners are 4-4 and 1-4 in SEC play.
S Asa Turner
Transferred to: Florida
2024 snaps: 35
How it’s going: He started the Gators’ season-opening loss to Miami, but sustained a non-contact leg injury in that game and hasn’t played since. Turner wound up utilizing his redshirt last season because injuries limited him to four regular-season games. If he misses the rest of the season and wants to play another year of college football, I’d imagine he’ll have the opportunity.
QB Dylan Morris
Transferred to: James Madison
2024 snaps: 19
How it’s going: After backing up Michael Penix Jr. for two seasons, Morris left UW in search of a starting job in his final year of eligibility. He wound up the backup, though, to Alonza Barnett III, who has helped lead the Dukes to a 6-2 record (and has thrown 18 touchdown passes with two interceptions). Morris has attempted, and completed, a single pass for six yards.
WR Taeshaun Lyons
Transferred to: Utah
2024 snaps: 8
How it’s going: A four-star receiver signee in the 2023 class, Lyons entered the portal in December. He’s caught one pass for four yards in one game this season on offense, and has appeared in three other games for the Utes on special teams.
S Diesel Gordon
Transferred to: Butler Community College (El Dorado, Kan.)
2024 snaps: Not available
How it’s going: Gordon entered the transfer portal this spring following a suspension stemming from an arrest on an assault charge, and is attempting to take the JUCO route back to major college football. He’s appeared in all seven games for Butler (5-2) this season and has 23 tackles and two pass breakups.
OL Jalen Klemm
Transferred to: Arizona State
2024 snaps: 0
How it’s going: Klemm was thought to be in line for potential starting duty for the Sun Devils this season, but was ruled out indefinitely in August due to a “health-related issue.” The son of longtime o-line coach Adrian Klemm, Jalen came to UW as a transfer from Kansas State.
QB Austin Mack
Transferred to: Alabama
2024 snaps: 0
How it’s going: There is an alternate timeline in which Mack, a four-star signee in the 2023 class, would be the backup quarterback to Will Rogers this season at Washington, preparing to become the undisputed starter as a third-year sophomore in 2025. Instead, he’s sitting behind Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson this season, and should compete with Simpson and five-star 2025 commitment Keelon Russell for the starting job next year.
DL Anthony James
Transferred to: Eastern Washington
2024 snaps: 0
How it’s going: A redshirt freshman, James appears on EWU’s roster but has not appeared in a game.
DB Vincent Nunley
Transferred to: N/A
2024 snaps: N/A
How it’s going: Like Lyons, Nunley left the program before the 2023 season was over. I haven’t seen him land anywhere else. He was a three-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class.
LB Jordan Whitney
Transferred to: N/A
2024 snaps: N/A
How it’s going: I haven’t seen Whitney connected with a new landing spot. A 2023 signee, he entered the portal after spring practices.
— Christian Caple, On Montlake
Nice research, Christian.
Dylan Morris took a long journey to wind up QB2. I wish him the best…
He might be a good interview post-season on his life in college football and if he still plans to pursue a coaching career.
Man Christian, thanks for doing all this leg work - whew! Seems like it would be a lot of research. IDK about others but stories like this are really fascinating - a very particular version of "Where are they now?" It's disorienting to see these names that are so fresh in my memory, and to see how quickly some who recently seemed to hold such promise are just falling off the map. V. Nunley, A. James, J. Klemm, D. Gordon... I really thought I'd see you guys under the bright lights.
I'm not surprised at all by the way that the OL guys that left have performed. Brailsford is really really good, but doesn't have the beef to move people in the rushing attack and it's hard to see how he ever will - others see a pro center but I do not. Kalepo & Buelow would have been nice to keep because of their experience and the fact that they're both big men, but neither is an outstanding lineman. Really hated to lose G. Hatchett, but even with him it felt like the next injury was just waiting to happen.
I hope Austin Mack lands on his feet somewhere, with someone who knows what to do with his talents; I suspect he will. In any case, I'm pretty sure it won't be at Alabama and I hope he doesn't let Kalen DeBoer convince him to stick around because Mack is going to get buried in that depth chart the way Ryan Day is successfully wasting Lincoln Kienholz's college career. Not that I think either Mack or Kienholz has a place back at Montlake, I just hate to see young talent falling prey to the charisma of hungry coaches and to their own ambitions of glory.