SEATTLE — The best position group on Washington’s 2026 roster includes a former first-team All-Pac-12 selection, the Huskies’ top-ranked 2025 signee and the defensive MVP of last year’s (Bucked Up) LA Bowl (hosted by Gronk).
It can be easy to forget, then, that UW’s spring linebacker rotation does not include either of the two players who began last season in the starting lineup.
One of them — former 2023 signee Deven Bryant — transferred to USC.
The other — former Washington State transfer Buddah Al-Uqdah — is recovering from a torn ACL, sustained during the Huskies’ Week 3 victory over his former team last season.
The injury calculus, though, is still in Washington’s favor, with both Jacob Manu and Zaydrius Rainey-Sale returning from knee injuries that delayed their 2025 impact. They join former UCF transfer Xe’ree Alexander to form an experienced trio that looks impressive enough on paper, but perhaps even better on the practice field, at times dominating spring workouts, however defensive coordinator Ryan Walters might line them up.