Linebacker U? Huskies Offer Own Version For Apple Cup

Washington State will have to deal with UW second-row defenders coming at it in droves.

Two of these three Huskies, Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, Xe'ree Alexander and Jacob Manu, will start at linebacker. | Dave Sizer phot

Pardon the Washington State football team if it shows up at Husky Stadium on Sunday, takes one look at the University of Washington linebacking corps and is rightfully confused, wondering out loud how Penn State got involved in the season opener.

You know, Linebacker U.

It was once the Nittany Lions' calling card to supply more highly decorated linebackers to the NFL than any other college program by a wide margin.

This weekend, the Purple and Gold supplies its own version.

The Huskies are poised to send extra talented second-row defenders at WSU in waves, even one guy the Cougars know well, and this might be a little taxing.

"We think we have four linebackers right now who can go out and start on most teams and certainly start on our team," UW coach Jedd Fisch said.

Right now, it's Jacob Manu opening this game and a cast of thousands trying to join him.

When the Huskies released their depth chart on Monday for the rivalry game, Manu was listed as one linebacker starter while Zaydrius Rainey-Sale and Xe'ree Alexander were considered options for the other spot.

Then there's Buddah Al-Uqdah, the former Cougars backer just now returning from a knee injury suffered against his former teammates in last year's Apple Cup in Pullman and listed as Manu's back-up.

After dealing with his own knee injury that limited him to a half season each of the last two years, the 5-foot-10, 225-pound Manu appears to have regained his previous form.

Buddah Al-Uqdah appears to be healthy enough to face the Cougars. | Dave Sizer photo

"Right now, Jacob Manu has solidified himself as a starting linebacker for the first game of the year and he makes everyone around him better," said Fisch of a player who led the Pac-12 in tackles with 116 in 2023.

Next up is the 6-foot-2, 240-pound Rainey-Sale, who calls himself the fastest linebacker in the nation, and the the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Alexander, who's on the Butkus Award watch list and was the LA Bowl defensive MVP.

"Xe'ree and Zay and Buddah are all guys who are going to have significant playing time and start a lot of games," Fisch said.

Collectively, these four started 72 college games, 15 at the UW.

Xe'ree Alexander turned in an MVP performance at the LA Bowl. | Dave Sizer photo

The coach said the 5-foot-10, 230-pound Al-Uqdah didn't rate starting consideration on the depth chart for this game only because he's still in recovery.

"I would have probably put 'or' on Buddah, as well, except he's just been rehabbing from his knee and we're not ready to throw him out there for as many reps as a starter might have," Fisch said of the depth chart option.

Jacob Manu is ready to lead the UW linebackers into the Apple Cup. | Dan Rale

Of course, the Huskies could solve part of this dilemma by going with a linebacker formation that's old school -- by playing three at once.

As they say, the UW could load the box, if not overload it.

"We've got to see what we're going to do schematically," Fisch said. "We can package three linebackers at any time. It's tough to just pick one or two."