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Inside The Huskies

What UW Two-Deeps Might Look Like Entering Spring Ball

Here's a stab at the Huskies' top 44 players entering the month-long competition.
Dan Raley|
Elinneus Davis fights his way to an Illinois ball carrier
Elinneus Davis fights his way to an Illinois ball carrier | Dave Sizer photo

Two-thirds of the University of Washington football starting lineup returns from the LA Bowl, which is an abundance of experience to have in hand moving forward and bodes well for a team coming off a 9-4 season.

Spring football, which begins on Tuesday, will be used to find the other third of starters, if not give players a chance to unseat some of the first-teamers and for yet others to recover from injuries.

So before any wind sprints are completed and helmets begin cracking, here's a glance at who might be the top 22 players and their 22 backups as Jedd Fisch gets set to bring everyone together for the first time, with current injuries taken into consideration.

Altogether, these guys have logged 297 starts at the UW and elsewhere, which is considerable game time experience.

"There's a lot of talent in the building right now, a lot of young talent," said former Husky edge rusher Zach Durfee, now preparing for the NFL Draft. "U-Dub football is just getting better and better. They're going to win something really big really soon. I hate that I wasn't part of it, but hopefully i kind of helped build it."

Thirteen players currently are unavailable as spring ball begins, recovering from assorted injuries and surgeries. That's another 82 career starts for those sitting idle, 379 starts altogether when everybody's healthy.

The missing include senior center Landen Hatchett, a 15-game UW starter at guard and center; senior safety CJ Christian, a 20-game starter at Florida International; junior linebacker Buddah Al-Uqdah, a 24-game starter at WSU and UW; junior offensive tackle Kolt Dieterich, an 18-game starter at Sam Houston State; and sophomore nickelback Rahshawn Clark, a 5-game starter.

Dezmen Roebuck celebrates an LA Bowl moment.
Dezmen Roebuck celebrates an LA Bowl moment. | Dave Sizer photo

OFFENSE

Wide Receiver -- Starter: sophomore Dezmen Roebuck,10-game starter and second-leading receiver returning with 42 catches. Backup: senior Christian Moss, Kennesaw State transfer and 18-game starter.

Wide Receiver -- Starter: junior Rashid Williams, 3-game starter. Backup: freshman Jordan Clay.

Wide Receiver -- Starter: sophomore Chris Lawson, played in eight games as a freshman reserve. Backup: freshman Mason James.

Left Tackle -- Starter: freshman Kodi Greene, it's his job to lose, according to Fisch. Backup: junior Soane Faasolo, 4-game starter.

John Mills looks for someone to hit in the LA Bowl.
John Mills looks for someone to hit in the LA Bowl. | Dave Sizer photo

Left Guard -- Starter: John Mills, 11-game starter and one of the best OLs in the nation as a sophomore. Backup: redshirt freshman Jake Flores.

Center -- Starter: senior Geirean Hatchett, 18-game guard starter at UW and Oklahoma, stepping in for his injured brother. Backup: redshirt freshman Lowen Colman-Brusa.

Right Guard -- Starter: redshirt freshman Champ Taulealea, filling in for Geirean Hatchett. Backup: sophomore Elishah Jackett.

Right Tackle -- Starter: senior Drew Azzopardi, 30-game starter at UW and San Diego State. Backup: redshirt freshman Jack Shaffer.

Decker DeGraaf looks for room to run against Boise State.
Decker DeGraaf looks for room to run against Boise State. | Dave Sizer photo

Tight End -- Starter: junior Decker DeGraaf, 17-game starter. Backup: sophomore Baron Naone.

Quarterback -- Starter: junior Demond Williams Jr.,15-game starter who LSU pursued in the offseason. Backup: sophomore Elijah Brown, Stanford transfer and 4-game starter.

Running Back -- Starter: sophomore Jordan Washington, fastest player on the roster. Backup: freshman Brian Bonner Jr.

DEFENSE

Edge Rusher -- Starter: senior Jacob Lane, 13-game starter. Backup: senior Isaiah Ward, 19-game starter at UW and Arizona.

Defensive Tackle -- Starter: junior Elinneus Davis, 9-game starter. Backup: junior Darin Conley, 12-game starter at Ball State.

Defensive Tackle -- Starter: junior transfer DeSean Watts, 11-game starter at Sacramento State. Backup: freshman Tufuanua Ionatana Umu-Cais.

Edge Rusher -- Starter: freshman Derek Colman-Brusa, promoted as immediate starter. Backup: sophomore Devin Hyde.

Linebacker -- Starter: senior Jacob Manu; 31-game starter at UW and Arizona. Backup: senior Xe'ree Alexander, 18-game starter at Idaho, UCF and UW.

Zaydrius Rainey-Sale drops back in coverage against Boise State.
Zaydrius Rainey-Sale drops back in coverage against Boise State. | Dave Sizer photo

Linebacker -- Starter: sophomore Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, 2-game starter. Backup: redshirt freshman Donovan Robinson Jr.

Cornerback -- Starter: sophomore Dylan Robinson, 5-game starter. Backup: freshman Jeron Jones.

Cornerback -- Starter: junior transfer Manny Karnley, 16-game starter at Virginia and Arizona. Backup: sophomore Elias Johnson.

Safety -- Starter: senior Alex McLaughlin, 36-game starter at UW and Northern Arizona. Backup: sophomore Rahim Wright II.

Safety -- Starter: sophomore Rylon Dillard-Allen, 3-game starter at nickel. Backup: freshman Gavin Day.

Nickelback -- Starter: redshirt freshman Ramonz Adams Jr., played in four games in 2025. Backup: freshman Elijah Durr.

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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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