Stability rankings: Which of Washington's positions are strongest ahead of spring 2025?

Running back is still high. Linebacker dropped a bit.

Photo courtesy of UW Football.

Last year at this time, the Washington Huskies were months away from completing their 2024 roster. New coach Jedd Fisch had just arrived from Arizona, too late for the winter portal window, and needed the spring and summer to procure enough transfers to fill 85 scholarships (or close to it).

This year, the Huskies are in the more ideal position of having too many scholarships committed for the upcoming season. Not every player on the spring roster will still be with the program this fall, but it’s possible the players who will comprise UW’s two-deeps are already all on board.

So as I did a year ago, let’s rank each of the Huskies’ position groups by stability, factoring in talent, experience, depth and health.

As something of a starting point, here’s how I would have ranked each position, looking back, based solely on 2024 season results. My pre-spring — this exact time last year, in fact — ranking for each group is in parentheses.

1. Linebacker (2): Two veteran starters and an emerging freshman made this UW’s most stable position group, even if Carson Bruener — the only NFL Combine invitee on the team, and UW’s only defensive selection to any of the Big Ten’s three all-conference teams — was playing hurt.

2. Running back (1): The Huskies didn’t get all that much out of tailbacks not named Jonah Coleman, but Adam Mohammed showed enough to get folks excited about 2025. And Coleman was pretty good.

3. Safety (7): Kam Fabiculanan, Cameron Broussard and Makell Esteen formed a veteran trio atop the depth chart. Each had some bumps and bruises, but the Huskies rarely had to rely on anyone other than the three vets.

4. Cornerback (3): Thaddeus Dixon was solid all year. Ephesians Prysock didn’t have the kind of season many envisioned but still finished second on the team in defensive snaps. Elijah Jackson was the odd man out. Jordan Shaw and Dyson McCutcheon shared time at nickel.

5. Receiver (5): Giles Jackson had a career year, and Denzel Boston had a nice season as a first-time starter. But Jeremiah Hunter’s production dipped considerably from his Cal days, and the Huskies didn’t ask much of anyone else.

6. Quarterback (4): Will Rogers stayed healthy and mostly did what was asked of him, until interceptions became a problem later in the season. Demond Williams Jr. provided a weekly glimpse of his own abilities and later sparked the team to its sixth victory before becoming the starter. Not a difference-maker position for UW in 2024, but not bad, either.

7. Tight end (9): Considering they basically only played two guys after Quentin Moore got hurt — and both played well — the Huskies actually did OK here. Based solely on how Keleki Latu and Decker DeGraaf performed, this group should be a spot or two higher. But the depth was periliously thin, and the Huskies no doubt would like to avoid a similar personnel situation in the future.

8. Edge rusher (6): Lots of bodies — even after injuries to Zach Durfee and Russell Davis II — but no real difference-maker.

9. Defensive line (8): Two seniors made it through the whole season and played the bulk of the snaps, but the group lacked depth and playmaking ability.

10. Offensive line (10): Not much explanation needed at this point. It was what it was.

And here’s how I’d rank the positions here on Feb. 20, 2025, some 39 days before the start of spring practices.

1. Running back

Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammed are a strong 1-2 atop the depth chart, and this spring will provide our best look yet at speedy redshirt freshman Jordan Washington. “He’s going to help us out a lot,” running backs coach Scottie Graham said. Mohammed finished last season with 193 yards on 42 carries. Coaches have been excited about him for a while. You should want Coleman to touch the ball as often as is feasible, but a breakout by Mohammed could make this a really productive duo.

2. Quarterback

Too high? I thought so, too, at first, considering that UW’s four scholarship quarterbacks have six FBS starts among them. But if we’re truly assessing stability, it helps that UW spent the better part of the last year knowing that Demond Williams Jr. would be its 2025 starter — and that Williams, now a sophomore, got two starts and 297 snaps under his belt last season (OK, maybe Fisch was wise to sub him into those early-season games). That’s not a lot of experience, but it’s something — and Williams showed enough against UCLA, Oregon and Louisville to make you believe he can be special. Tulane transfer Kai Horton is likely the backup — he’s played in 13 games with four career starts — and true freshmen Dash Beierly and Treston Kini McMillan will presumably redshirt. Former Northern Colorado transfer Shea Kuykendall is still on the roster, too. If something happens to Williams, things get dicey in a hurry. But Williams’ potential is enough to make quarterback a bright spot, regardless.

3. Cornerback

This is a mixed bag. The Huskies should have two senior starters — Prysock and Tacario Davis — who each have played a ton of college football, even if they aren’t coming off their best seasons. Still, you have to feel OK about a pair of 6-foot-4 senior corners both playing for the position coach who recruited them. There just isn’t much experience behind those guys. Leroy Bryant looks like CB3 right now, but keep an eye on talented freshman Dylan Robinson. The Huskies need to use the spring, summer and training camp to build some depth. Maybe someone like Caleb Presley can make a move.

4. Safety

Esteen returns as a sixth-year senior, the Huskies added a pair of transfers (Alex McLaughlin and CJ Christian) who should play a bunch, and a younger player like Vincent Holmes could always get involved, too. Will McLaughlin and Christian be an upgrade from Fabiculanan and Broussard? Hard to say, considering neither has played at the Power 4 level. McLaughlin put up impressive numbers in the Big Sky, at Northern Arizona. Regardless, you can do worse than adding two guys who have played a bunch. And we’ll have to see how someone like McCutcheon fits into the plans of new defensive coordinator Ryan Walters — nickel? Corner? Safety?

5. Tight end

The Huskies were short on bodies here last season, but shouldn’t be in 2025, with Quentin Moore returning from injury, Decker DeGraaf coming off a promising freshman year and USC transfer Kade Eldridge bringing at least a little Big Ten experience. There are still questions around whether Ryan Otton can get healthy enough to contribute, or whether incoming freshmen Austin Simmons or Baron Naone might be able to help right away. Charlie Crowell, a redshirt freshman, is coming off an ACL tear. All things considered, the Huskies are in OK shape here.

6. Receiver

Denzel Boston’s return gives the Huskies an obvious No. 1, but their other starting receivers at present are likely Kevin Green Jr., who missed last season due to injury and played sparingly in 2023 at Arizona, and Omari Evans, a transfer from Penn State with 30 career receptions. Someone like Rashid Williams or Audric Harris could make a move this spring. Three true freshmen are already on campus, too. Right now, Boston’s 2024 production carries the group.

7. Linebacker

Does losing your top five players and your position coach preclude stability? Well, yes. The Huskies added three linebackers via the transfer portal, two of whom — Taariq Al-Uqdah and Xe’ree Alexander — you’ll see this spring. And they reportedly hired Brian Odom to replace Robert Bala, who left for a co-DC position at Florida. It’s a different room.

8. Edge rusher

A lack of stability at edge rusher results from the fact that two of the group’s most promising players, Durfee and Russell Davis II, have played very little at UW due to injury. Voi Tunuufi is gone, too. Arizona transfer Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei gives the staff a familiar face to work with, and returners Isaiah Ward, Jacob Lane and Deshawn Lynch will be trying to move up, too. Get Durfee and Davis healthy and contributing, and the group looks a little different. Right now, it feels unsettled. (To my knowledge, true freshmen Devin Hyde and Victor Sanchez Hernandez are expected to arrive this summer.)

9. Defensive line

Out are Jacob Bandes and Sebastian Valdez, and in are Simote Pepa and Anterio Thompson. Omar Khan is a year older. So is Elinneus Davis, and Bryce Butler. Logan Sagapolu should get some time at nose tackle. Jayvon Parker won’t be ready to practice until at least Aug. 1. I haven’t heard any updates on Armon Parker’s availability. Uiagalelei is big enough to play inside if needed. It’s fair to assume the Huskies will lean heavily on their transfers, assuming good health, but we won’t have a good sense of the rotation here until after spring practices. Both true freshmen, Caleb Smith and Dominic Macon, should be available this spring, too. Lots of questions.

10. Offensive line

No doubt, the Huskies are in better shape today than a year ago, when — stop me if you’ve heard this before — they had only seven healthy offensive linemen available for spring practices. Carver Willis is an upgrade at tackle. Assuming good health, Geirean Hatchett should be an upgrade at guard. Landen Hatchett is penciled in at center. There will be competition among players like Drew Azzopardi, Maximus McCree and Soane Faasolo for the other tackle spot, and guys like Paki Finau and Zach Henning will be vying to start at guard. Until we see a solid starting five, though, and until that lineup proves it can protect Williams and more effectively open running lanes — especially in the red zone — o-line stability will be the program’s biggest on-field concern.

— Christian Caple, On Montlake