Inside The Huskies

UW Adds Cornerback, Still Looking for Running Back, Receiver

The Huskies lock in coverage guy Manny Karnley from Virginia by way of Arizona and Miami.
Dan Raley|
Quincy Porter (11) reaches for a pass under the coverage of UCLA defensive back Rodrick Pleasant (18).
Quincy Porter (11) reaches for a pass under the coverage of UCLA defensive back Rodrick Pleasant (18). | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Now that the University of Washington has plucked a starting quarterback out of the transfer portal -- sorry Beau Pribula -- what's next on the shopping list?

Well, on Saturday, the Huskies signed a new cornerback, according to 247Sports, in former Fisch coverage guy Manny Karnley, who's gone from Arizona to Miami briefly and this past season to Virginia.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Karnley seems more than capable of lining up next to sophomore Dylan Robinson as potential UW starting corners. He was a 10-game starter for a 11-3 Virginia team and had an interception in the Gator Bowl against Missouri. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

The Huskies have secured a trio of defensive linemen in Sacramento State's DeSean Watts, Ball State's Darin Conley and Mississippi State's Kai McClendon, so they have some scholarship bodies on hand to replace the departed. People still have to see what sort of push they can provide up front and if it will be enough.

The UW added place-kicker Tyler Robles from Texas State and punter Hunter Green from San Diego State, and they bring impressive accuracy and distance credentials, respectively. A punting upgrade was mandatory after the Huskies needlessly lost so much field position last fall.

The Huskies also bolstered the offensive line with the addition of Sam Houston State tackle Kolt Dieterich, so there's a certain added comfort level there, with adding him to a group that includes four starters coming back. Dieterich is the proverbial late-bloomer.

So what's next?

It appears the Huskies still need a running back and, most of all, a wide receiver.

Jedd Fisch's staff may go no farther than Oregon to pick up a veteran rusher in Jayden Limar, formerly of Lake Stevens High School -- think Jacob Eason, only a rusher from that northwest Washington town, coming home to enhance a somewhat flagging reputation from his previous college stop.

Oregon running back Jayden Limar (27) runs up against the James Madison defense.
Oregon running back Jayden Limar (27) runs up against the James Madison defense. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Limar left the Ducks before their CFP semifinal game against Indiana, which was preceptive on his part, and will bring 33 games of experience and 3 starts wherever he lands.

As for a wide receiver, the Huskies probably have a lot of lines in the water, scrambling to add someone after losing five players in Denzel Boston, Omari Evans, Raiden Vines-Bright, Audric Harris and now Marcus Harris.

Virginia cornerback Emmanuel Karnley (19) brings down Stanford receiver C.J. Williams.
Virginia cornerback Emmanuel Karnley (19) brings down Stanford receiver C.J. Williams. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The agent for former Ohio State receiver Quincy Porter, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound redshirt freshman from New Milford, New Jersey, shared with On3 that Washington, Michigan, Notre Dame, Miami, Tennessee, South Carolina, UCLA and Auburn, showed immediate interest when Porter hit the portal.

The latest report has the Alabama, Miami, UCLA and the Huskies stepping up their contact over the past 48 hours, according to NextPlay.

Porter appeared in four games for the Buckeyes, catching 4 passes for 59 yards, and maintained a redshirt freshman status. He has four seasons of eligibility to offer.

His agent, Latish Kinsler, said Porter is seeking a place where he can be "the receiver No. 1 and showcase himself in that manner."

The Huskies return a pair of starters from last season in sophomore Dezmen Roebuck, who finished with 42 catches for 560 yards and 7 scores in his first year, and junior Rashid Williams, who opened the first two games but missed most of last season after getting injured twice, and need a third from somewhere.

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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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