Fisch Shrugs at House's Departure, But Castigates Timing of Portal

Surrounded by media members in Dempsey Indoor, Jedd Fisch didn't blink, change expression or show any emotion whatsoever when asked about losing standout freshman linebacker Khmori House to the transfer portal.

The University of Washington football coach -- and maybe he's been steeled to personnel changes by his decade and a half of working in the NFL -- simply moved on to the next player, the next practice and the next game.

"Definitely want to wish him the best," Fisch said on Tuesday. "There will be others, and we understand for us to build our team the way we want to with our championship culture that we have, there's going to a lot of influx over this year and with those two portal windows."

The first-year Husky coach doesn't have time to belabor the ramifications of losing the 6-foot, 213-pound House, a precocious freshman who started five games. He didn't lament losing a kid who saved a 26-21 victory over USC with one of the plays of the season -- a fourth-down, fourth-quarter stop at the goal line that resulted in a 3-yard loss for running back Woody Marks -- and would have been the cornerstone of the 2025 UW defense.

Hmmm, wonder if those very same Trojans are one of the teams trying to woo this player from nearby Pasadena, California?

Unlike other Huskies, House is not practicing with the team while he's school shopping nor will he accompany the UW to the Sun Bowl to face Louisville on New Year's Eve.

"We have players who want to come here," Fisch pointed out, noting that a half-dozen portal visitors were at practice that day.

He didn't say it, but reportedly most or all of them are from Arizona, including senior linebacker Jacob Manu, formerly a first-team All-Pac-12 selection.

Instead, Fisch used his time to rail against a system that has stacked bowl games, high school recruiting and portal moves all in the same December window, creating a major hardship on everyone involved.

He said the transfer portal should be held only in April to avoid having players leave their teams before bowl games are played.

Khmori House takes a break during spring football practice. | Skylar Lin Visuals

"I think in the world of college football we're living in, there are no decisions that catch you off guard," the coach said of House's departure. "Everybody has to make decisions that are best for them. Unfortunately, that's what we've created. We've created a very bad calendar. There's a lot of great things about college football.

"One of the things that's a problem is the calendar -- we have to find ways for guys to finish what they started."

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington