Things Are Going Right for Rahim Wright In UW Secondary

Husky Roster Review: The sophomore safety is healthy and ready to really launch his career.

Rahim Wright reaches for the ball during a safety drill. | Dave Sizer photo

For University of Washington spring football, sophomore safety Rahim Wright participated in all 15 practices, ran with the No. 1 defense for parts of every workout and, well, everything seemed right in his world.

The year before, he was injured and done after 11 spring practices, and then he got hurt again in fall camp and missed all of the season -- making 2025 a lost year for him.

Jedd Fisch's staff has been eager to turn this 5-foot-10, 195-pound player from Fontana, California, loose in the secondary since signing him for Arizona and then bringing him to Montlake.

“The kid is athletic, he’s physical, he’s got a great frame, and he’s a great kid." UW safeties coach Taylor Mays said. "It’s not a lot more that you could ask for, from a coach’s perspective.”

Said senior Alex McLaughlin, the Huskies' All-Big Ten honorable-mention safety, "We all missed him last year."

Rahim Wright backpedals during spring practice. | Dave Sizer photo

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the Husky roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did in spring practice and what to expect from them going into fall camp.

No one has had more of a gap between UW games played than Wright, who appeared in the 2024 season opener against Weber State and then missed the next 25 while being seasoned and injuring a shoulder.

"I think he's a really good player," former Husky edge rusher Zach Durfee said before spring ball began. "He hasn't had [a chance] to prove much."

McLaughlin and Rylon "Batman" Dillard-Allen entered the spring as the starting safeties before the latter dealt with an unspecified injury.

In Dillard-Allen's absence, Wright and sophomore Paul Mencke Jr. took turns running with the No. 1 defense.

For at least one April practice, the Huskies even put McLaughlin, Wright and Mencke on the field together.

Rahim Wright goes through a spring drill in Dempsey Indoor.. | Dave Sizer photo

Having Wright healthy should make for an interesting fall camp with the Husky safety position now well-stocked with guys ready to play.

"Everyone knows on this team how athletic and strong ‘Heem’ is," McLaughlin said of Wright. "So I think we knew coming into this year how much depth we have in the safety room. I’m comfortable with whoever they put out there with me, or with RDA, or with anybody.”

What he's done: Wright, even while injured, attended all of the position-room meetings last season and is well-versed in the position schematics, so he's caught up on all of his Husky homework. He's poised to get his UW career started in a concentrated manner.

Starter or not: Dillard-Allen, a three-game starter at nickelback in 2025, would appear to have the edge in filling the open safety position. But he's going to have to beat out Wright, who took more spring snaps alongside McLaughlin than anyone else.