How Former Huskies Fared This Season Playing Elsewhere

Nearly four dozen former University of Washington football players turned up on other teams this season, with not quite half of them making it into the College Football Playoffs or iinto a bowl game.

Most were looking for more playing time that wasn't going to come in Montlake. Others continued to flourish after leaving with Kalen DeBoer for Alabama. Yet others have come and gone at North Carolina after deciding Bill Belichick was not the answer to their career advancement.

Linebackers Bryun Parham and Khmori House respectively led Connecticut and North Carolina in tackles, while wide receiver Germie Bernard topped Alabama in receiving (see accompanying chart).

Jack McCallister was selected as the second-team All-Big Ten punter with a 42.3-yard average for Purdue while his UW backup, Adam Saul, finished with a 41.3 average for Ball State, both of which were better than their Husky predecessor this season.

Parker Brailsford was named as a third-team All-SEC center for Alabama, continuing to fulfill his promise as one of the best at his position nationwide.

Nineteen of the guys played for CFP or bowl teams and 19 played for teams with losing records.

Former Husky center Parker Brailsford gets himself ready for a CFP game with Alabama against Oklahoma. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Wide receiver Keith Reynolds found more open space by transferring to Miami of Ohio, where he returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown against UNLV. He also ran and caught the ball with greater frequency.

Sam Adams dropped down a level to Sacramento State and the Big Sky, and the veteran running back got his hands on the football a lot more than he did in Montlake and scored five times.

EX-HUSKIES PLAYING ELSEWHERE
Sam Adams II, RB, Sacramento State	played in 12 games for 7-5 team; rushed 36 times for 181 yards and 3 TDs; caught 9 passes for 134 yards and 2 TDs
Lonyatta Alexander Jr., WR, Idaho	broken arm, missed season for 4-8 team
Davon Banks, CB, Boise State	played in 6 games for 9-5 LA Bowl team;10 tackles, PBU,; dismissed during season
Darren Barkins, CB, Cal Poly	played in 5 games for 4-8 team; 9 tackles, PBU
Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama	leads 11-3 CFP team in receiving with 60 catches for 802 yards and 7 TDs; rushed 18 times for 101 yards and 2 scores; completed 2 of 2 passes for 15 yards
Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama	14-game starter for CFP team, named to third-team All-SEC team
Ryder Bumgarner, RB, Central Washington	played 12 games for Division II 10-2 playoff team; rushed 81 times for 481 yards and 5 TDs; caught 9 passes for 98 yards and score
Roice Cleeland, OG, UC Davis	played in one game against Washington for 9-4 team
Josh Cuevas, TE, Alabama	starter who has 34 catches for 384 yards and 4 TDs for 11-3 CFP team; received Senior Bowl invite
Cam Davis, RB, Minnesota	team captain for 7-5 team in Rate Bowl; rushed 34 times for 109 yards and 2 TDs; caught 18 passes for 119 yards
Thaddeus Dixon, CB, North Carolina	started 7 games for 4-8 team, had 20 tackles, 6 PBUs; received Senior Bowl invite
Tristian Dunn, S, California	played in 13 games on special teams for 7-6 team in Hawaii Bowl; 4 tackles
Diesel Gordon, S, Sacramento State	played in 9 games and started twice for 7-5 team; 6 tackles, 3 PBUs
Jay Green, CB, Stanford	started 8 games for 4-8 team; third-leading tackler with 50, 2 TFL, 2 PBUs, 2 forced fumbles
Austin Hartineaux, LB, Nevada	played in 12 games for 3-9 team; 21 tackles, 2 PBUs; will enter transfer portal
Justin Harrington, S, West Virginia	played in 9 games for 4-8 team; 7 tackles
Maurice Heims, ER, Idaho	played in 9 games for 4-8 team; 8 tackles
Lance Holtzclaw, ER, Utah	played in 12 games for 10-2 Las Vegas Bowl team; 24 tackles, 2 PBUs
Khmori House, LB, North Carolina	starter in 12 games for 4-8 team; led team in tackles with 78, sack, interception, PBU, forced fumble; will enter transfer portal
Sam Huard, QB, USC	played in 2 games for 9-3 Alamo Bowl team; completed 1 of 1 passing for 10 yards
Elijah Jackson, CB, TCU	played in one game, broke tibia bone and lost for season for 8-4 Alamo Bowl team
Jalen Klemm, OT, Arizona State	played in 12 games as a reserve for 8-4 Sun Bowl team
Logan Lisherness, LB, Central Washington	played in 12 games for Division II 10-2 playoff team; third on team in tackles with 49, 9 TFLs, 4 sacks, 2 PBUs
Taeshaun Lyons, WR, UNLV	played in 14 games for 10-4 team in Frisco Bowl; caught 16 passes for 241 yards and 3 TDs
Austn Mack, QB, Alabama	played in 3 games for 11-3 CFP team; completed 13 of 16 passes for 125 yards and 2 scores
Jack McCallister, P, Purdue	averaged 43.2 yards on 50 punts for 2-10 Purdue; selected second-team All-Big Ten
Gaard Memmelaar, OG, Central Florida	played in 12 games as part-time starter for 5-7 team
Will Nixon, RB, Syracuse	played in 12 games for 3-9 team; rushed 107 times for 432 yards and 3 TDs, caught 26 passes for 187 yards
Bryun Parham, LB, Connecticut	started 12 games for 9-3 Fenway Bowl team; leads team in tackles with 116, 11 TFLs, 10 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 recoveries, 1 interception, 1 PBU
Kuao Peihopa, OT, Hawaii	starter in 13 games for 9-4 Hawaii Bowl team
Troy Petz, P, Washington State	did not appear in any games for a 7-6 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl team
Caleb Presley, CB, San Jose State	played in 7 games for 3-9 team; 22 tackles, 2 PBUs
Sawyer Racanelli, WR, Wake Forest	played in 12 games for 8-4 Mayo Bowl team;; 17 catches for 291 yards and score
Curley Reed III, CB, Louisiana	did not appear in any games for 6-7 team
Keith Reynolds, WR, Miami of Ohio	played in 13 games for 7-6 Arizona Bowl team; caught 39 passes for 348 yards and TD; rushed 24 times fo142 yards; returned 14 kickoffs for 419 yards, including 100-yard TD return against UNLV
Jason Robinson Jr., WR, North Carolina	didn't play in any games for 4-8 team; will enter transfer portal
Adam Saul, P, Ball State	punted 69 times for 41.3-yard average for 4-8 team
Jordan Shaw, NB, Texas A&M	played in 10 games for 11-2 CFP team; 13 tackles, PBU
Sav'ell Smalls, TE, Colorado	played in 5 games for 3-9 team on special teams, lost to injury for rest of the season
Zakhari Spears, CB, Idaho	played in 8 games for 4-8 team; 9 tackles
Kahlee Tafai, OT, Minnesota	played in 3 games for 7-5 team in the Rate Bowl
Griffin Waiss, TE, Stanford	played in 12 games on special teams for 4-8 team
Peyton Waters, S, North Carolina	played in 4 games; 3 tackles for 4-8 team
Jayden Wayne, ER, California	played in 13 games for 7-6 Hawaii Bowl team; 25 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2 sacks

Caleb Presley seemed to rekindle his career as a part-time starting cornerback for San Jose State while nickelback Jordan Shaw saw his role at Texas A&M diminish some as a reserve for the CFP-bound Aggies after being a first-teamer in Montlake.

Of local players who were recruiting phenoms, one-time 4-star edge rusher Jayden Wayne found more game time at California while 5-star edge rusher turned tight end Sav'ell Smalls lasted not even a half season at Colorado before he was lost to an injury.

At Minnesota, Cam Davis was a team captain but maintained a modest role, while fellow Husky-turned-Gopher Kahlee Tafai went from part-time UW starter to appearing in just three games as a reserve for the Big Ten team.

Cornerback Elijah Jackson has had nothing but bad luck since starting all 15 games for the UW playoff team in 2023, which included saving the Sugar Bowl and a CFP semifinals game against Texas with a last-play end-zone pass break-up.

Jackson lasted just one game at TCU before breaking a tibia bone.

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