The Washington Huskies held their local media day on Tuesday ahead of the start of fall camp on August 6th. Head coach Jedd Fisch, as well as several Huskies assistant coaches and players, met with the press to discuss what to expect for this upcoming season.

Based on early impressions from what was said at Tuesday’s press briefing, success for Washington in 2026 will probably depend on three factors. How fast the offense comes together, whether the defense can build on a strong 2025 campaign, and if this team can replace key contributors on offense that departed in the off-season.

The Huskies will be attempting to retool and rebuild on offense

Washington lost three important pieces of its offense following the 2025 season. Lead rusher Jonah Coleman graduated and second-leading rusher Adam Mohammad exited via the transfer portal. The Huskies will also be without top wide receiver Denzel Boston, who decided to go pro instead of returning for his senior year.

The Huskies are hoping to replace the productivity of former star receiver with existing and new talent

Boston caught 11 of the Huskies’ 26 touchdown receptions last season and accounted for 27.7% of Washington’s receiving yards. Fortunately for the Huskies, they have plenty of depth at wide receiver to fill the void he left at the position.

Washington signed three four-star receivers in the 2026 recruiting class in Mason James, Jordan Clay, and Trez Davis. In addition to these three freshmen, the Huskies acquired Bodpegn Miller and Christian Moss to compete at the position. They join three notable returning receivers in Dezmen Roebuck, Rashid Williams, and Chris Lawson at the spot.

At Tuesday’s press briefing, Huskies’ wide receiver coach Kevin Cummings spoke about his unit and the current battle for starting positions, particularly at the third wide receiver spot:

“Yeah, I think they all understood the opportunity they had. You know, I think the room is, one which right now where, you know, whoever wants it more is going to get it. You know what I mean? I think, you know, the only guy we have returning, um, well, that’s for us, you know, is Dezmen, and he is still young as well. So, I think the guys understand there is a lot of opportunity in this room…They know it’s going to be a very competitive fall camp and I think they have prepared well for it. Rashid has really cemented himself in a pretty good spot right now. Dezmen you know, is the same thing. But I think, you know, those guys at (wide receiver three) are Christian Moss, Jordan Clay, Chris Lawson, Trez Davis, you know, and I think those four, as well as Mason James are our guys there that will battle it out. You know, and will see who can, either take, you know, the starting spot or if it is going to be by committee to figure that out, said Cummings.”

Roebuck and R. Williams were Demond Williams’ primary targets besides Boston in 2025, which is why they are expected to be wide receivers one and two. According to what Cummings said at the press conference, there appears to be significant competition for the final starting receiver spot. That battle includes Moss, Lawson, Clay, Davis, and James.

Washington faces bigger questions when it comes to who will supplant Coleman and Mohammad at running back

While the Huskies appear to be fine moving on from Boston at receiver, finding new running backs at the spots vacated by Coleman and Mohammad is less certain. Not only did Washington lose its top two tailbacks from 2025, but running back Jordan Washington is out indefinitely for 2026 due to a neck injury sustained in the spring.

J. Washington was anticipated to be the Huskies’ top back this season before he went down. He had Washington’s third-most rushing yards in 2025 among tailbacks, with 233 yards rushing on 27 attempts. Huskies’ running backs coach Scottie Graham talked Tuesday about what J. Washington is doing while rehabbing from a significant injury:

Just rehabbing, trying to get healthy. You know, health is wealth. And you know, J-W just to see him smile is outstanding”, said Graham.

Losing J. Washington is tough, but it is good to know he is rehabbing and still doing what he can to support his fellow running backs while he recovers.

With J. Washington out, the Huskies must rely on returning running backs, transfers, and freshmen to replenish significant losses at the position. Graham spoke about what he has liked out of his running backs heading into fall camp:

I think overall the room is faster. Quaid Carr is special. He played at Servite (high school), you know some of the best football players in the country play in their league. Jayden Limar, big time back, he’s strong, he’s smart, he’s physical, he’s a veteran. Trey Cooley is really explosive. Brian Bonner can take it over the top and Ansu Sanoe is as physical as anybody in the Big Ten.

Quaid Carr is expected to be the front-runner to earn the starting running back position heading into the fall. He has the most experience in Fisch’s offensive system of the other backs, and is playing in his second year at Washington.

In addition to Carr, Jayden Limar and Trey Cooley each bring veteran experience. Limar has played three seasons with Oregon, and Cooley has had four years of college ball at Louisville and Georgia Tech. Both of these running backs also expect to be in strong contention for starting reps along with Carr.

Then there are freshmen running backs Brian Bonner and Ansu Sanoe in the mix. Bonner is a speedster with explosive speed and is a home run threat when he runs the ball. Sanoe is a punishing runner who uses his physicality to run over tacklers. The question for both of these running backs is whether their talent can make up for their lack of experience.

The Huskies have time to sort out the offense thanks to their defense

Washington has to figure out who its next starting running back will be as well as who its third receiver will be. The good news is the Huskies’ defense may help give the offense time to sort out their roster and identity.

The Huskies return several key players on defense and reload with more talent in 2026

Washington brings back leading tacklers safety Alex McGlaughlin and middle linebacker Xe’ree Alexander, who combined for 163 tackles last year. Also returning is edge rusher Jacob Lane, who finished tied for the most sacks of any Husky in 2025 with four.

In addition to these returning players, the Huskies added corner Emmanuel Karnley in the portal and defensive linemen Kai McClendon, DeSean Watts, and Darin Conley. Plus, they signed three talented four-star freshmen: defensive lineman Derek Colman-Brusa, corner Jeron Jones, and safety Gavin Day.

Washington’s defensive coordinator, Ryan Walters, wants his defense to build on last season’s success

The Huskies held opponents to 18.7 points per game in 2025, which was 15th-best in the country. With the talent Washington has going into 2026, coach Walters hopes to take his unit to the next level. He discussed the goals for his defense at Tuesday’s press conference:

“I think where we are going to take the biggest jump is, you know, creating negative plays, turnovers, you know, getting off the field early in series. Those are all areas that I think we can improve on,” said Walters.

Washington’s defensive coordinator also plans to be more aggressive with his playcalling. His desire is for the defense to set the tone and impose its will on opposing offenses.

What’s next for the Huskies

Washington begins its season on Thursday with its first fall practice. There is plenty of work for the offense and defense to do to build a successful 2026 campaign. The Huskies’ first game is September 6th against the Washington State Cougars in the 118th edition of the Apple Cup.