8 UW Players Ruled Out of Opener on Big Ten Availability List

The University of Washington football team was missing eight players, with two others questionable, for its Saturday night opener against Colorado State, according to the Big Ten availability report released before klckoff.

Yet there were even more than that who were out of uniform when the Huskies came out for warm-ups.

Only reserve defensive tackle Logan Sagapolu, a 6-foot-2, 348-pound senior, was a mild surprise among those missing in action. He played in all13 Husky games in 2024, starting once.

Others ruled out were junior defensive tackle Jayvon Parker, senior edge rusher Deshawn Lynch, senior linebacker Jacob Manu, freshman linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, redshirt freshman tight end Charlie Crowell, redshirt freshman safety Rahim Wright Jr. and junior edge rusher Russell Davis II.

Listed as questionable were senior wide receiver Omari Evans, the Penn State transfer, and junior edge rusher Isaiah Ward, who started the 2024 opener against Weber State.

Over and above the Big Ten list, the UW's senior nickelback Dyson McCutcheon, freshman wide receiver Marcus Harris, redshirt freshman safety Paul Mencke Jr., redshirt freshman cornerback Elias Johnson and senior walk-on edge rusher Milton Hopkins Jr. were not in uniform. None were starters

Sagapolu was held out of the UW mock game on August 16, but coach Jedd Fisch had said he hoped to have him back soon.

Parker, one of the Huskies' set of twins, is trying to get medically cleared after tearing an Achilles tendon 11 months ago in a game at Rutgers.

Jayvon Parker is still in recovery from an Achilles tendon tear. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Manu, an Arizona transfer, is trying to return after sufffering a knee injury with his former team 10 months ago against Colorado.

Rainey-Sale is working his way back from a knee injury and subsequent surgery stemming from a high school mishap.

Lynch, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound senior, played in the UW spring game but missed most if not all of fall camp, though he was always in uniform. His injury has not been spelled out.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Crowell injured a knee in fall camp a year ago and has been brought back slowly. His return doesn't appear imminent.

Davis has suffered a pair of devastating injuries, an elbow and a knee, since having a 3-sack game against UCLA last November, a performance that earned him co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Wright was seen in a sling during fall camp after becoming injured sometime before it opened.

Omari Evans played well when he was healthy in spring ball, but got injured again in fall camp. | Skylar Lin Visual

Evans has been injured much of his time at the UW, going back to early in spring football. He was said to have been in the starting competition with freshman Raiden Vines-Bright for the slot receiver spot up to the end before the latter earned the job, according to Fisch.

Ward, a six-game starter who played in all 13 Husky games in 2024, has been dealing with a sprained ankle.

McCutcheon is the grandson of former Colorado State and NFL running back great Lawrence McCutcheon.

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