With Fisch Staff, Karnley Is Back Where He Belongs

The cornerback has rejoined the coaches he initially played for at Arizona.

Manny Karnley is a projected cornerback starter for the UW. | Dave Sizer phot

In the end, Emmanuel "Manny" Karnley wanted something familiar.

After spending a spring at Miami and a season with Virginia, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback decided he had to play for the coaches who first recruited him, brought him to the college game in Arizona and provided him with NFL dreams.

So he signed back on with Jedd Fisch's staff, now at the University of Washington, and it's been a happy homecoming for him, complete with all of the high-level promises that he what was looking for.

"This is literally the 33rd NFL program," Karnley said. "They do everything as a pro. Every step we're taking is clearly to win a national championship. There is nothing that doesn't add up to a national championship. I believe in coach Fisch and his staff. I'm all in."

What the Huskies have in return is their third Arizona cornerback transfer in three seasons, with Karnley following Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock to the UW and hoping someday to end up in the NFL with the others, as well.

"He is the last of the Mohicans," secondary coach John Richardson said.

Karnley is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound coverage guy from Antioch, California, the same city that produced former Husky wide receiver Giles Jackson, though they played for different high schools.

He's been a starter since his first day in Montlake in April. He has two seasons left to hone his craft with this coaching staff. He's been physical with the UW pass-catchers on a regular basis.

Manny Karnley (8) and Dylan Robinson are the Huskies' starting corners. | Dave Sizer photo

Unwittingly, he was part of spring football's biggest downer moment when he intercepted a pass and stiff-armed UW running back Jordan Washington trying to tackle him, unintentionally leaving the rusher with a season-ending neck injury.

Karnley comes to Seattle after starting 10 of the 14 games he played last season for a Virginia team that beat Missouri 13-7 in the Gator Bowl, opening six of 10 appearances for a post-Fisch Arizona team two years ago and playing just once before redshirting in Tucson in 2023.

Last year, he felt he had to look around, first turning to Miami where the Hurricanes were stacked with defensive backs, and moving on to Virginia, where it felt right but wasn't enough to keep him there.

"Emmanuel had to do what was best for him," Richardson said.

Manny Karnley pulls up during spring practice. | Dave Sizer photo

Now he's back answering to the coach who brought him to Arizona and got him started, which gives him a great sense of comfort.

"He brings that same energy you need to play corner, like he's been the person on you and at our position," Karnley said of Richardson, "and you need that because you're going to be on an island a lot of times."

Island living in the Northwest, now that's home.