Inside The Huskies

Muhammad Leaves UW for Portal, Though NFL Is Not Out of Question

The Oklahoma State transfer spent a lone season in Montlake.
Dan Raley|
Muhammad Leaves UW for Portal, Though NFL Is Not Out of Question
Muhammad Leaves UW for Portal, Though NFL Is Not Out of Question

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Washington Huskies

At the Sugar Bowl, cornerback Jabbar Muhammad was asked if anyone would be shocked if he was still a University of Washington football player in 2024. 

He thought about it for a couple of seconds, laughed and then said, "No comment."

The answer, of course, all along was yes, that everyone should be downright shocked if didn't go to the NFL after the recently concluded season. 

On Friday, with his Husky coach headed for Alabama and a bunch of teammates declaring for the draft or the transfer portal, Muhammad spelled out his future.

He'll reportedly enter the portal again, though the NFL draft still doesn't seem out of the question for him, where cornerbacks, talented corners like him, command a lot of attention and contracts that pay exceptionally well.

Muhammad becomes the latest player since the CFP championship game against Michigan to exit the program with eligibility remaining — 11 scholarship players and a pair of non-scholarship guys — joining wide receivers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk, nickelback Mishael Powell, running back Dillon Johnson, edge rusher Bralen Trice, offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, defensive tackle Faatui Tuitele, cornerback Jaivion Green, quarterback Will Haskell and walk-ons Griffin Waiss and Austin Harnetiaux, a tight end and a linebacker.

This was the plan all along for Muhammad, who transferred to the UW from Oklahoma State: play a productive season for the Huskies, elevate his pro stock and pull the trigger on a pro career. 

Beginning in spring practice, the DeSoto, Texas, native engaged in classic one-on-one battles with All-America wide receiver Rome Odunze, promising that both would be in the NFL one day.

On Friday, Odunze declared his draft intentions shortly before Muhammad did. So they'll like be one-on-one again, only in games rather than practice. 

The 5-foot-10, 183-pound junior corner proved to be as talented as advertised, which was someone who ran well, played aggressively in coverage and always was extremely confident whenever on the field.

Starting all 15 games for a 14-1 Husky team, Muhammad finished with a wieldy 20 pass break-ups and 3 interceptions. He also had 46 tackles, including 5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks, and he forced a fumble.

No one is shocked that Muhammad is leaving, though another college season is surprising if that happens elsewhere. i

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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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