Fisch On Uiagalelei's Sudden Return: 'Best Players Will Play'

Through five practices, a University of Washington football team widely considered Top 20 poll worthy is beginning to take shape.

Coming from spring ball, it's a veteran group because there just haven't been many personnel changes at all as the Huskies have retained two-thirds of their 2025 starters.

The most interesting thing that's happened in a week of workouts at the East field has been the return of 13-game starting defensive tackle Ta'ita'i "TiTi" Uiagalelei to play a now permitted fifth college football season. It was something that coach Jedd Fisch addressed on Tuesday.

"All the best players will play," Fisch said. "We just have an unbelievable defensive-line room."

Fourth-year player and returning starter Elinneus Davis and freshman prodigy Derek Colman-Brusa opened all 15 spring practices at defensive tackle and haven't shown any inclination so far to give up their jobs.

Once the eligibility rule was voted in, enabling players to take part in five full seasons over five years, Fisch said he and his staff immediately thought of Uiagalelei while the 6-foot-4, 280-pound defender simultaneously called them to see if he could come back.

He played three seasons for Arizona before transferring and becoming a 13-game starter for Fisch in Montlake.

In March, Uiagalelei participated in UW Pro Day in front of NFL scouts but didn't get drafted a month later, so it looked as if his football career might be over. Yet the NCAA rule-makers gave him a playing extension.

"I had him come up in front of the team and introduce himself, tell them where he played last and talk about his experience at his last school," Fisch said facetiously. "The guys were excited he's back. We have, by far, the most depth we've had in the defensive-line room since I've been here or anywhere in the last six years I've been."

After adhering to couple of practices that required him to go through mandatory conditioning without contact, Uiagalelei drew a couple snaps in 11-on-11 team play late in Tuesday's session.

While this is a veteran team with otherwise few surprises so far, and fans in attendance continuously asking for names of young players making early inroads, freshman tight end Sam Vyhidal did just that on Tuesday.

While in a 7-on-7 drill, with linemen on both sides taking a knee, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound newcomer from Lake Oswego, Oregon, raced downfield and got behind the secondary to catch a 65-yard touchdown pass in a full sprint that was dazzling to see.

The immediate reaction was who was that wide receiver who just got deep and slipped behind safety Rahim Wright and linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale?

It was Vyhidal, a talented athlete who also ran the football and played linebacker in high school.

Tuesday's practice ultimately turned out to be more of a platform to showcase the talents of second-year wide receiver and returning starter Dezmen Roebuck.

Dezmen Roebuck tries to set up a tackler after making a catch. | Dave Sizer photo

Midway through the workout, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound pass-catcher from Marana, Arizona, hauled in a a 15-yard scoring pass at the left pylon with Elias Johnson in coverage and somehow survived offensive guard John Mills barreling through to chest bump him.

"I'm expecting great things from Dez," Fisch said. "Dez has an enormous ceiling."

Tuesday's practice ended in Husky Stadium with Roebuck making a high-degree-of-difficulty touchdown catch covering 25 yards, one that took him to the back of the end zone with freshman cornerback Elijah Durr hanging all over him.

The Huskies are down to 14 practices that includes a mock game to try and earn job promotions and additional playing time before turning to game-week preparation for the Apple Cup opener against Washington State on Sept. 6.

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