Husky RB Competition Moves to Forefront

Entering last November's game at Wisconsin, running back might have been the University of Washington football team's most secure and well-stocked position at that moment.

Against the Badgers, Jonah Coleman was making his 22nd consecutive start for the Huskies as a high-production guy, coming off a 1,000-yard season in 2024 and well on his way to a 15-touchdown showing last fall.

Even when he got rolled up on and limped off the field that day, the UW still didn't blink and inserted then-sophomore Adam Mohammed, who was playing in his 22nd consecutive game as the back-up and became the starter for the next two outings.

Five months later, however, Husky running back appears to have gone from an embarrassment of riches to the team's biggest position unknown as spring practice opens on Tuesday.

Coleman is less than a month away from getting his name called out in the NFL Draft and Mohammed inexplicably transferred to California, where the Golden Bears consider him their No. 1 ball carrier and a transfer portal steal.

Back in Montlake, the Huskies currently have seven running backs on scholarship who will compete for the job in a wide-open competition.

Yet the two oldest rushers, newly obtained transfers Jayden Limar from Oregon and Trey Cooley from Troy, won't be available until fall camp, which could be a huge disadvantage for them as single-season players for the Huskies.

Consequently, the UW is left with five guys without many college credentials at all. All are sophomores or younger. None have been starters. Just two have even carried the football in a Husky game.

With Limar recovering from ankle surgery and Cooley a late arrival in getting to Montlake, the younger backs will be given every opportunity to secure this job and maybe make the presence of these two older players moot.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound sophomore Jordan Washington returns with the most career carries at the UW with 30, the most yards gained with 240 and the only touchdown with one, a 68-yard breakaway dash to the end zone against Purdue.

Quaid Carr had a rush and a reception against Purdue. | Dave Sizer photo

He might be the fastest player on this Husky team. While he'll draw plenty of playing time, his slight build could prevent him from becoming a heavy workload guy.

Quaid Carr, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound redshirt freshman, has four carries for 14 yards to his name in appearances against Purdue and Boise State in the LA Bowl. He has upper-level speed, as well. He could be a factor.

The third returning back is Julian McMahan, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound redshirt freshman who presents a bigger back and is more of a bruiser than the others. He hasn't played on game day yet and has some ground to make up with his peers.

Julian McMahan fakes a handoff with quarterback Kai Horton. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Newcomers are freshmen Brian Bonner and Ansu Sanoe, and this is where it really gets interesting. for the Huskies.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Bonner is the highest-rated running back to arrive at the UW since Napoleon Kaufman showed up with a great deal of fanfare in 1991. Both are Southern California products.

Brian Bonner and Scottie Graham shared a recruiting image from the running back's Montlake visit. | UW

Kaufman was an NFL-bound back from Lompoc who became the Huskies' all-time leading rusher before homegrown Myles Gaskin later passed him.

It is hoped that Bonner, who rushed for a career 3,043 yards and 41 touchdowns in Valencia, north of Los Angeles, might come in ready to play and be able carry a significant load from the outset,

Sanoe, at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, is not nearly as flashy as Bonner, but he piled up 2,532 yards and 35 touchdowns rushing in the Portland, Oregon, suburbs, and will get a good look.

On Tuesday, it will be gentlemen, start your running-back engines, in what could be a compelling competition.