Husky Roster Review: 'Batman' Played Like Superhero at Times

In terms of catchy nicknames, the University of Washington football program welcomed players who referred themselves as "Showtime" and "Lockdown" in recent seasons, but those guys weren't able to establish lasting brands and left town.

Rylon "Batman" Dillard-Allen, however, presents all sorts of intriguing superhero possibilities and appears here to stay.

The early enrollee freshman safety with the Caped Crusader tendencies came ready to play in April and capped 15 spring practices with a stirring 30-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Spring Game that sent a jolt through Husky Stadium.

It was Batman Begins, the sequel.

"RDA is a guy who's extremely talented," safeties coach Taylor Mays said, giving him yet another identifying label.

The only thing this first-year player from Phoenix could have done to make his spring more memorable was to drive out of Montlake in the Batmobile.

The kid nicknamed "Batman" dressed the part in his Arizona visit | Arizona

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the Husky roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did this past spring and what to expect from them going forward.

From the early stages of spring ball, the 6-foot, 180-pound Dillard-Allen showed himself to be a player with personality who tends to crave a little attention.

When Husky coach Jedd Fisch was conducting his first spring news conference in the stadium, the defensive back took the opportunity to photo-bomb the moment by stopping in the background and mugging for the cameras.

This guy answering to Batman was tough-minded with a lot of flair while he lined up with the No. 2 defense throughout the spring. If he seemed like he was chomping at the bit, maybe that's why he wore two mouthguards on his facemask, one black and the other green.

🗣️ RDA pick 6!!! @RyDillardAllen 🙌 pic.twitter.com/5W0a05SVEK
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) May 3, 2025

In a goal-line set during practice No. 6, Dillard-Allen came up fast to drop receiver Marcus Harris on the 3-yard line and celebrated by trading fierce shoulder shots with cornerback Leroy Bryant.

Two practices later, Batman intercepted a Kai Horton ball intended for the same Harris, returned it 10-15 yards and punted it.

He had memorable battles with fellow freshman Chris Lawson, pushing, shoving and grabbing the receiver on pass routes.

Dillard-Allen seemed to try and get away with as much as he could in coverage until practice No. 14, when secondary coach John Richardson yelled at him to play it more straight up.

Rylon Dillard-Allen grabs a practice interception during spring ball. | Skylar Lin Visuals

To open the second half of the Spring Game, Dillard-Allen came up with his pick-6 like a lion going after a wounded hyena. Once freshman quarterback Dash Beierly got hit by defensive tackle Bryce Butler and let go of a pass that fluttered badly, the safety stole it, raced into the end zone and naturally jumped up on the rail and celebrated with his already adoring fans.

Besides that nickname, Batman seems to have obvious star power about him. He'll be the guy no doubt with the customized T-shirts, hats and capes for sale.

Mays, his position coach, said there shouldn't be any limitations put on this guy, especially by this extroverted player himself.

"You can make all the strides in the world right now," Mays said. "You're a freshman -- the only difference is the older guys have more reps."

Ah, but they don't have that nickname.

RYLON DILLARD-ALLEN FILE

What he's done: Dillard-Allen came to the Huskies after he was named 6A Central Region Defensive Player of the Year in Arizona, collecting 65 tackles and 7 interceptions for Mountain Pointe High School. Schools such as Alabama, Oregon, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas A&M and USC all had offers out to him. He's a talent.

Starter or not: Batman likely waits for players such as seniors Makell Esteen and CJ Christian to graduate before he makes his big move for a starting role for 2026, but he's one of those guys who might not wait to play. His marketing staff and product line is ready to go right now.

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