Inside The Huskies

Freshman Raiden Vines-Bright Likely Will Start UW Opener

Jedd Fisch says the first-year player has earned the right to be in the opening lineup.
Dan Raley|
Raiden Vines-Bright celebrates his Spring Game touchdown.
Raiden Vines-Bright celebrates his Spring Game touchdown. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Previously listed as a starting option, freshman wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright most likely will open the University of Washington's season opener against Colorado State on Saturday night, according to coach Jedd Fisch.

Vines Bright and Penn State transfer Omari Evans were listed in competition for the job on a Husky depth chart distributed earlier in the day, but the first-year player appears to have won the it outright.

"I think Raiden will start," Fisch said at his Monday press briefing. "Raiden will start for us, right now going into Saturday. He deserves it in how he's practiced, in how he's prepared, in the plays that he made when the opportunity presented itself."

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Vines-Bright from Tempe, Arizona, and the IMG Academy in Florida, first made a move in the UW Spring Game, by leading all receivers with 8 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown.

Freshman Raiden Vines-Bright had 8 catches for 131 yards and a score in the UW Spring Game.
Freshman Raiden Vines-Bright had 8 catches for 131 yards and a score in the UW Spring Game. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Once fall camp began, he repeatedly used his physicality to get to balls that might have eluded others and impressed the coaching staff while competing with veterans Audric Harris, Kevin Green Jr. and Evans for playing time.

Vines-Bright actually sat out the first major scrimmage that doubled as fall practice No. 9, but he caught three passes for 41 yards in the mock game held as the 14th practice with fans and media watching on August 16.

"As practices have continued, he's continued to show up," Fisch said.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Evans is considered the UW's fastest receiver, with deep-threat speed. He started six games for Penn State in 2024 and caught a 38-yard touchdown pass against Boise State in the CFP quarterfinals last December. He will rotate in.

The Huskies brought in five freshmen receivers this past year and most came ready to play at a high level, with Chris Lawson and Marcus Harris emerging as spring standouts yet falling back when they were injured during fall camp.

Dezmen Roebuck has been a UW fall camp surprise.
Dezmen Roebuck has been a UW fall camp surprise. | Dan Raley

Over the past month, freshman Dezmen Roebuck and Vines-Bright have continued to keep the pressure on for playing time.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Roebuck enters the season opener as a second-unit wide receiver behind sophomore starter Rashid Williams.

"We have young freshmen who are making plays," Fisch said. "Roebuck and Raiden are going to be playing."

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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