Quarterback: A-
The shoes of Michael Penix Jr. are so impossibly large to fill that even the addition of Will Rogers – a career 12,315 yard passer – feels like a minor letdown at the quarterback position.
Still, Rogers is as qualified to carry the torch as they come. In four seasons at Mississippi State, the gunslinger became the second-leading passer in SEC history, and led the Bulldogs to a 9-4 season in 2022.
Rogers will still have to earn the starting role, though; four-star true freshman Demond Williams transferred to Washington in January, and impressed throughout spring ball. Rogers has the edge in the quarterback battle, and if Washington’s offense clicks in 2024, he can stuff the stat sheet once again on Montlake.
Running back: B
Cam Davis is a rare beacon of stability for a program that has otherwise been flipped on its head. The sixth-year senior returns after suffering a season-ending injury in last season’s fall camp, and brings with him 15 career rushing touchdowns for the Huskies. Also returning is Daniyel Ngata, who was mainly a kick return specialist in 2023 but could see an enhanced role.
They’re joined by Arizona transfer Jonah Coleman, who rushed for 871 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, and Adam Mohammed, a three-star true freshman who followed Jedd Fisch from Arizona.
Washington likely won’t have a winner of the Doak Walker Award in 2024, but there’s enough depth and experience at the running back position for the Huskies to feel confident about their backfield.
Wide receiver: B-
Virtually the only way Washington could have improved at this position would be if Justin Jefferson and Tyreek Hill were granted another year of college eligibility, and they decided to spend it on Montlake.
Following the departure of the greatest wide receiver trio in school history to the NFL, a dropoff is inevitable. However, the Huskies patched up the holes as best as they possibly could, given the circumstances.
The headliner is the addition of Cal transfer Jeremiah Hunter, who amassed 2,084 yards and 13 touchdowns in three seasons with the Golden Bears. Returning is speedy Giles Jackson, who’s poised for a bigger role in his sixth collegiate season, and Denzel Boston, who has received lofty praise from teammates and coaches, but was lost in the crowded depth chart last season. A trio of redshirt freshmen – Rashid Williams, Keith Reynolds, and Vincent Holmes – are primed to see meaningful game action.
The Huskies have some talent set to emerge from the receiver ranks in 2024, but there’s a lack of proven starpower – and Rome Odunze isn’t walking through that tunnel anytime soon.
Offensive Line: C
The Huskies’ great wall was dismantled in the aftermath of DeBoer’s departure, and all five starters from 2023’s Joe Moore award winning group exited, either to the NFL Draft or to seek greener pastures via transfer portal.
Upon his arrival in Seattle, the offensive line was always bound to be the biggest challenge in Jedd Fisch’s roster-building journey. Sophomore Landen Hatchett has nine games of experience under his belt, and junior Gaard Memmelaar returns after missing the entire 2023 season with an injury.
Aside from those returners, the picture gets a bit murkier for UW. Redshirt freshman Zachary Henning will likely step into a starting role with two games of experience under his belt. Sophomore San Diego State transfer Drew Azzopardi was a desperately needed reinforcement, and redshirt freshmen Soane Faasolo, Elishah Jackett, and Kahlee Tafai, could all jockey for a top spot on the depth chart.
That Joe Moore unit has vanished, but the Huskies will count on an inexperienced offensive line group to show up in order for the offense to succeed.
Tight end: B-
Tight ends coach Jordan Paopao is back as tight ends coach after leading Washington tight ends to tremendous success during the Sarkisian and Petersen administrations, and he’ll be greeted with the opportunity to mold the next standouts at the position.
Senior Quentin Moore is ready for the limelight after he played in all 15 games in 2023, but was overshadowed by Devin Culp and Jack Westover. He’ll be the presumed starter, but sophomore Ryan Otton has climbed up the ranks after seeing sparse playing time in his first two seasons. The Huskies also bring on freshman Decker DeGraaf – a three-star recruit who could see playing time in 2024.
Defensive line: B-
If you had a dollar for every time you heard that the Big Ten played “big boy football,” you’d be able to cover the UW athletic department’s entire cash flow deficit. But the cliché about the Big Ten – games won in the trenches with tough, physical football — certainly rang true when Michigan exposed Washington with its ground game in the national championship.
Simply put, the Huskies have to be solid up front. This year, it’s largely a clean slate for UW at the defensive line position. Sophomore Isaiah Ward and junior Russell Davis II (Arizona) and senior Sebastian Valdez (Montana State) are impact transfers who will likely start on the front lines for the Huskies.
Senior Jacob Bandes returns to UW after playing in each of UW’s games over the past two seasons, as does senior Voi Tunuufi, who likewise has played in every game since 2022, and tied for the team lead with three sacks in 2021.
The Big Ten is the big leagues for physical football, and the Huskies’ unit will have to rise to the challenge.
Linebacker: B+
Carson Bruener – a UW legacy who avoided the transfer portal exodus and chose to play his fifth season on Montlake – may well have purple coursing through his veins. Bruener played in all 15 games in 2023, and earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors.
Fellow in-state native, Alphonzo Tuputala, is back as well for his sixth season as he plays through his fourth different coaching regime at UW. So is sixth-year Drew Fowler, who played all 15 games in 2023. The trio of veterans means that the linebacker group is in good hands, although it’s hard to replace NFL Draft pick Eddie Ulofoshio.
Secondary: B
Perhaps the biggest splash from Jedd Fisch’s transfer portal haul was the commitment of junior cornerback Ephesians Prysock, who was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention at Arizona in 2023. The Huskies also received the transfer commitment of redshirt freshman Jordan Shaw, who played in four games at Indiana in 2023.
You won’t see Jabbar Muhammad this season (until Washington travels to Eugene to face Oregon, that is), but the Huskies did retain a veteran cornerback in Sugar Bowl hero Elijah Jackson. Redshirt junior Makell Esteen, redshirt senior Kam Fabiculanan, and redshirt sophomore Tristan Dunn all bring forth experience to the safety position. Senior cornerback Thaddeus Dixon – who had a pivotal interception in the Apple Cup – will likely take on an expanded role.
This Husky secondary isn’t exactly the Legion of Boom, but it’s nothing to scoff at, either, and pass defense could become the strength of the defense.
