UW Football Has Undergone 31.7 Percent Scholarship Roster Change

Since midseason last fall, 27 Husky players have graduated, transferred or been pushed out.

Players come and go for every college football team each year. Attrition and impatience are a given. Recruiting mistakes become obvious. A coaching change accelerates everything.

Over the weekend, three more University of Washington scholarship players departed the program in running back Emeka Megwa, edge rusher Jordan Lolohea and defensive tackle Draco Bynum, who either left on their own or were urged to go.

Since midseason in 2021, the UW has lost or said farewell to 27 scholarship players through requested transfers, graduation or possibly a coaching nudge here and there encouraging them to move on — a resounding 31.7 percent exit rate.

Clearly, these no longer are your grandfather's Huskies.

With new coach Kalen DeBoer trying to clean up the Husky mess left behind by Jimmy Lake, one of every three scholarships of the permitted 85 going forward will belong to a new player. And this is from what was already a fairly young roster. 

Breaking it down: 10 players graduated, 15 players have transferred out since DeBoer took over and 2 others left during the season as Lake's turmoil began to mount, all in the past eight months. 

Of the 10 grads, four were selected in April's NFL draft, one in the first round, and another signed as a free agent, which is how it should be.

Eleven former Huskies have found new schools, with six remaining in the Pac-12 Conference. Just one ex-UW player, kicker Tim Horn, has been picked up by a program outside of the western states so far, going to Rice. 

Just seven of these 17 Husky departures were 4-star recruits coming out of high school.

The SEC and other national entities simply didn't see any players they wanted or were rebuffed if they reached out. This was different from a school such as Pittsburgh, which lost standout receiver Jordan Addison to USC, or Oklahoma, where multiple high-level players followed Lincoln Riley to the Trojans.

Just two of the relocated Huskies, Terrell Bynum and Jackson Sirmon, received any sort of conference recognition at all, both named honorable mention All-Pac-12 last season.

Of the 17 no longer with the program, just five were starters during their stay in Montlake. None of those players who left were offensive linemen, safeties or quarterbacks. Again, not all of them left voluntarily.

17 EX-HUSKIES IN EXILE

Caleb Berry, RB — 3-star recruit, never played over one season, no new school.

Triston Brown, P — 3 stars, JC transfer, never played over two seasons, no new school.

Draco Bynum, DL — 4 stars, played  in 7 games as a reserve over 4 seasons, no new school.

Terrell Bynum, WR — 4 stars, started 19 games over 5 seasons, selected 2021 All-Pac-12 honorable mention, transferred to USC.

Jacobe Covington, CB — 4 stars, played in 13 games as a reserve over 2 seasons, transferred to USC.

Tim Horn, PK — 3 stars, back-up kicker for three seasons, handled kickoff duties, transferred to Rice. 

Laiatu Latu, OLB — 4 stars,  played in 12 games in single season as a reserve, medically retired by UW, transferred to UCLA and cleared to play.

Jordan Lolohea, ILB — 3 stars, played in 10 games as a reserve over two seasons, no new school. 

Cooper McDonald, OLB — 3 stars, started 10 games over two seasons, transferred to San Diego State. 

Emeka Megwa, RB — 4 stars, most decorated UW recruit with 39 offers, never played in one season, never practiced, no new school. 

Noa Ngalu, DL — 3 stars, played in 5 games as a reserve over three seasons, no new school. 

Sawyer Racanelli, WR — 3 stars, played in 13 games as a reserve over two seasons, transferred to Montana. 

Mark Redman, TE — 4 stars, played in 16 games over two seasons, started once, transferred to San Diego State.  

Jackson Sirmon, ILB — 3 stars, started 16 games over four seasons, selected 2021 All-Pac-12 honorable mention, transferred to California. 

MJ Tafisi, ILB — 3 stars, played in 22 games as a reserve over four seasons, transferred to Utah State. 

Taki Taimani, DL — 4 stars, started 14 games over four seasons, transferred to Oregon.

Mason West, TE — 3 stars, never played over two seasons, no new school. 

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