Inside The Huskies

McLaughlin Finished Among Top 6 Big Ten Safeties

The Husky playmaker and one other will return for the upcoming season.
Dan Raley|
Alex McLaughlin crashes into Illinois receiver Hank Beatty.
Alex McLaughlin crashes into Illinois receiver Hank Beatty. | Dave Sizer photo

University of Washington spring football is just over five weeks out and Alex McLaughlin knows much better what to expect this time.

Twelve months ago, he arrived from Northern Arizona and the Big Sky Conference and spent the 15 practices largely as a back-up safety, getting acclimated to Montlake.

"I was just feeling my way around," McLaughlin said.

Yet it was just an initiation process for the now 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior from Chandler, Arizona, who became a 13-game starter -- one of just four for the UW on defense -- scored twice on turnovers and, according to analytics site Pro Football Sports Netword (PFSN) on Tuesday, was the sixth-highest graded Big Ten safety in 2025.

With an 88.0 performance grade, based on analyzing every play involving him, McLaughlin trailed only Illinois' Miles Scott (93.6), a pair of Indiana safeties in Louis Moore (92.7) and Amare Ferrell (88.1), USC's Bishop Fitzgerald (89.2) and Maryland's Jalen Huskey (88.6).

Now it's hard to believe Scott of the Illini wasn't out of position just a few times during his team's 42-25 loss to McLaughlin and the UW in Seattle in late October.

All except Indiana's Ferrell were seniors who exited after last season, which means that McLaughlin and the Hoosier returnee should have an excellent chance to become the best players at their position in the Big Ten this coming season.

Alex McLaughlin (12) gets an earful from a Purdue player.
Alex McLaughlin (12) gets an earful from a Purdue player. | Dave Sizer photo

McLaughlin, of course, finished as the Huskies' leading tackler with 93, 20 more than his nearest teammate, and 6 pass break-ups, 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery.

"Running and tackling, I feel that's my game," he said last fall.

He scored on a 47-yard interception return against Washington State in the Apple Cup and a 59-yard interception runback against UCLA, giving the UW a playmaker capable of making a big play at any time.

McLaughlin had a season-high 13 tackles against Ohio State and 12 against Illinois and the aforementioned Scott, who had just 6 tackles that day in Husky stadium.

He was rewarded as an All-Big Ten honorable-mention selection by both the coaches' and media teams compiled.

So spring football is fast approaching again and this veteran playmaker this time will be with the No. 1 defense throughout April and into May.

Alex McLaughlin celebrates his 47-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Apple Cup.
Alex McLaughlin celebrates his 47-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Apple Cup. | Dave Sizer photo

Rather than be the apprentice, which he was last year, McLaughlin will be one of the headliners as the Huskies put together a defense that returns seven of 11 starters and should be even more formidable with results-oriented defensive coordinator Ryan Walters at the helm for a second season.

McLaughlin might not take a backseat to any safety in the Big Ten this year, let alone in Montlake.

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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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