No Place to Hyde: UW Edge Rusher Draws Votes of Confidence

The answer is Devin Hyde.

With spring football two weeks out, the most overlooked University of Washington football player to this point, at least outside of the Husky locker room, might be this 6-foot-5, 255-pound edge rusher from Menlo Park, California.

in recent weeks, Hyde has watched incoming 4-star edge Derek Colman-Brusa invited to a media sit-down to talk about himself as a new freshman, rather than Hyde receive that opportunity as a returning sophomore. In fact, Hyde has not spoken with local reporters in his time in Montlake.

He has heard Husky coach Jedd Fisch describe Colman-Brusa as so promising the first-year player might be able to come in and start right away, which would come at Hyde's expense.

Yet ask current and former players who's a hidden gem on the UW roster and invariably Hyde's name comes up. Bunched with different players. Yet he's always part of this conversation.

"Champ [Taulealea] and Devin Hyde are going to have big years this year," offensive lineman Carver Willis said at Husky. Pro Day this week. "Two young guys who I think just have maximum potential."

Willis would have insight. Taulealea is a redshirt freshman offensive guard who at times played right next to him while Hyde would be directly across from him.

Who is Devin Hyde, anyway?

He's a Bay Area product who received nearly a dozen scholarship offers, with UCLA, California and Arizona among them, but mostly from smaller schools. He might have been better known as a Bay Area rugby player.

Meantime, Colman-Brusa had Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and USC jostling for his services.

Edge rusher Devin Hyde shown when he committed to the UW football team. | UW

Hyde, however, was one of last season's pleasant surprises for Fisch's staff, someone who came ready to play right away for the Huskies even while arriving with limited fanfare.

He had a seven-yard sack in his very first UW game, in last year's opener against Colorado State.

He also did something that much touted fellow freshman and other Bay Area import John Mills wasn't able to do -- stay healthy and appear in every Husky game in 2025.

In fact, Hyde was one of just three UW first-year players to pull this feat, joined by safety Rylon Dillard-Allen and wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck.

With senior Jacob Lane a 13-game starter returning and logically locking down one edge position, the other one is up for grabs.

Any number of players will be in the running for the other opening coming off the corner, among them veterans Isaiah Ward, Russell Davis II and Hayden Moore, not to mention the precocious Derek Colman-Brusa and, yes, Devin Hyde.