Ramonz Adams Joins the Spring Conversation At Nickelback

Much has been made about University of Washington nickelback Ramonz Adams Jr. increasing his body weight from 152 to 176 pounds on his 6-foot frame in a year's time, with Husky coach Jedd Fisch even doing a video spot about this.

Yet the ability of this redshirt freshman from Smithville, Texas, to establish himself as one of the Huskies' more proficient on-field conversationalists might be a greater achievement.

In practice, UW players always can hear him coming.

"He likes to talk a lot," sophomore wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck said.

While loquacious sophomore safety Rylon "Batman" Dillard-Allen might claim he has no equal in this particular talent, especially after he was spotted yapping loudly at a group of offensive players last week in mid drill, Adams is a most able trash talker.

He's the guy who showed up as this skinny freshman last year and wasted no time in informing an older and much larger UW player, who got a little extra rough on a play, that he was "the worst player in the Big Ten" at his position the previous season.

Roebuck considers Adams one of his best friends, even outside of football. They tend to go head to head and have a running commentary that bonds them whenever they're in uniform.

"Going against him every day, he's going to get a lot out of me and vice versa," the wide receiver said. "When I beat him at first, if he talks smack to me first, i'm going to talk back. If he's not talking, I just give him a look that I got him."

Elias Johnson (26) and Ramonz Adams Jr. (16) share a spring moment. | Dave Sizer photo

Not only that, Roebuck and Adams are part of a unique group of Husky football players that goes 10 strong in which each has a Z in their name -- it's Dezmen and Ramonz.

Others are senior offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi, sophomore linebacker Zayrdius Rainey-Sale, redshirt freshman Victor Sanchez Hernandez, freshman quarteback Derek Zammit, freshman linebacker Ezaya Tokio, freshman wide receiver Trez Davis, freshman edge rusher Ramzak Fruean and freshman defensive tackle David Schwerzel.

Adams redshirted as a freshman while putting on weight, but he still played in games against UC Davis, Purdue, UCLA and in the LA Bowl against Boise State as the UW tried to season him as much as it could without using up his first-season eligibility.

This spring, he moved up to No. 1 nickelback after returning starter and sophomore Rahshawn Clark had shoulder surgery and will need the spring to recover, though Clark has been in uniform taking part in limited activities.

Ramonz Adams Jr. putting the resources to work. 💪☔️ pic.twitter.com/BQIDXejRBo
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) April 2, 2026

Getting No. 1 snaps, even if just as a place-holder for Clark, Adams is well on his way to making significant game-day contributions this coming season. Conversations, too.

His teammates like him for his confident, brash ways when going head to head with him, especially Roebuck.

"Me and Ramonz, we've been violent since we got here," Roebuck said.

Vocal and violent.