Breaking Down the UW Football Roster With What Fisch Has Signed and Inherited
The University of Washington football roster is always changing, often without fanfare. A name here and a name there, added or deleted.
For example, sophomore back-up kicker Addison Shrock, a walk-on from Bellingham, Washington, no longer is listed after appearing in two Husky football games and converting points after touchdowns against Colorado in 2022 and California in 2023.
Just over two weeks before Jedd Fisch opens spring football practice, the official count of Husky players stands at 99, a group put together by four different UW head coaches.
This is the final installment of four stories examining the existing manpower and how it arrived at Montlake. Here's how the roster breaks down at this very moment: Chris Petersen brought in 5 of these players, Jimmy Lake is responsible for 17, DeBoer welcomed 63 and the balance of the signees goes to the newly hired Fisch, who has 14 of his own players with a significant number of additions coming in May, and likely subtractions, too, before next season begins.
Ephesians Prysock (7 in Arizona red) gives chase after UW running back Dillon Johnson (7 in white).
Zachary BonDurant/USA TODAY Sports
Of those 14, Fisch has delivered five guys who played for him extensively at the University of Arizona in junior running back Jonah Coleman, junior cornerback Ephesians Prysock and sophomore edge rusher Isaiah Ward, all starters, plus junior defensive tackle Russell Davis II and junior linebacker Anthony Ward, who were well-used reserves or special-teams players.
Add to that group defensive back Jordan Shaw who played at Indiana last season, transferred to Arizona and signed with the UW; linebacker Bryun Parham, a San Jose State transfer and an All-Mountain West honorable-mention selection; and defensive lineman Bryce Butler, a Kansas JC transfer who asked for his Wildcats scholarship release in order to follow Fisch to the UW.
Six more players who signed with Arizona as high school recruits, received their releases and re-signed with the UW are quarterback Demond Williams Jr., cornerbacks Rahshawn Clark and Rahim Wright II, wide receiver Audric Harris, running back Adam Mohammed and offensive tackle Justin "Moose" Hylkema.
A seventh high school recruit to flip from Arizona to the Huskies is offensive tackle Michael Watkins, who hasn't been added to the roster, most likely because his scholarship paperwork isn't official just yet. He would give the UW an even 100 players at the moment.
Bryun Parham is a new UW linebacker from San Jose State.
Brian Losness/USA TODAY Sports
Fisch has promised to add 4-5 more veteran offensive linemen during the next transfer-portal signing period in May to shore up the Huskies' most depleted position group in terms of numbers.
He could probably use another veteran tight end, linebacker and defensive tackle to really supplement those areas, but the UW coach has suggested he won't necessarily go seeking more skill-position players because he already likes what he sees on the roster.
However, Fisch added fairly emphatically that he and his staff will never turn down a great player, no matter how well-stocked they are at that particular position, if he wants to join him..
So this new coach is off and running, claiming 15 percent of the current roster as players he's personally brought to Seattle and Fisch appears more than ready to put them together with what Petersen, Lake and DeBoer left him and see where it goes.
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