Ranking Huskies' 12 Spring Transfers Who Came In with College Experience

Five of them came with Jedd Fisch from Arizona to Montlake.

As the University of Washington football team reaches the two-thirds marker of spring practice, everyone by now should be comfortable with their surroundings and know people on a first-name basis, notably the dozen players with college experience who were brought in as transfers.

If the Huskies were to play a game this weekend, at least five of these newcomers would be penciled in as starters, maybe more

As everyone pulls on the pads once again on Saturday for a contact workout, we take a look at Jedd Fisch's reinforcements -- five of whom came with the coach from Arizona -- brought in to help offset the near 40 percent roster attrition that took place following the Huskies' CFP national championship run.

The following is how the roster additions have fared so far in April, ranking them for their spring practice contribution so far:

1. Will Rogers, QB (Mississippi State) -- He's made a fairly seamless transition to running the offense, throwing the ball accurately and being a vocal leader. It's clear why he passed for 12,315 yards in the SEC and started 40 times. He's also made it a point to tell everyone he won't be another Michael Penix Jr., which is a wise move.

2. Jonah Coleman, RB (Arizona) -- Coleman's butterball presence couldn't be more needed with Tybo Rogers' facing serious legal issues, Will Nixon leaving through the transfer portal and veteran holdovers Cam Davis and Sam Adams II coming off injuries and not available for contact this spring. This running back's cartwheel and back flip in full gear remains a spring ball highlight.

3. Ephesians Prysock , CB (Arizona) -- Denzel Boston has caught a few balls on this fellow 6-foot-4 Husky football player, but Prysock has bounced back nicely, showing his football acumen, speed and an extra long reach. He'll be a suitable replacement for ballhawk Jabbar Muhammad, who's now at Oregon.

4. Drew Azzopardi, RT (San Diego State) -- The Huskies started out with Azzopardi at left tackle on the No. 1 offense only to switch him to the right side because that's a more natural position for him. He could be the only starting spring lineman who ends up in the lineup for the season opener against Weber State.

Jeremiah Hunter, the Cal transfer, is pushing for a starting job at wide receiver.

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5. Isaiah Ward, ER (Arizona) -- Long and lean, he started 11games last season for the Wildcats, including the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma, where he finished up with a crucial sack, and those credentials alone make him Husky starting material. He's run with the ones almost exclusively.

6. Sebastian Valdez, DT (Montana State) -- Zach Durfee calls this guy the strongest player on the UW team and he acknowledges to having a 405-pound bench press. Outside of sitting out a practice or two with some physical issue, Valdez has been a spring fixture where Tuli Letuligasenoa used to play, only he brings a taller frame.

7. Jeremiah Hunter, WR (California) -- Hunter largely has run with the second offensive unit because he's learning technique in the pro-style offense, but he's shown big-time ability to go up and catch the ball. He and Rashid Williams likely will battle it out for this starting position to the opener.

8. Bryun Parham, LB (San Jose State) -- Parham moves well and plays physical, but he leans to the thin side when he stands next to filled-out fellow linebackers Carson Bruener and Alphonzo Tuputala. He could stand another 10-15 pounds of muscle if he intends to dislodge one of them as a starter.

9. Jordan Shaw, NB (Indiana) -- While Dyson McCutcheon has drawn most of the No. 1 reps at nickelback, Shaw will continue to push him for the job. He moves well, appears coachable, and has shown practice feistiness, getting in a few shoves with a receiver.

Bryce Buter (92) is a Kansas JC transfer trying to make headway at defensive tackle for the Huskies.

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10. Russell Davis II, ER (Arizona) -- He's run with the twos coming off the corner and, similar to Parham, seems a little slim at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds. He's a guy who played in 11 games last season for Arizona and came up with 3.5 sacks, but he wasn't a starter. He'll need more bulk for the Big Ten.

11. Bryce Butler, DT (Garden City CC) -- He's listed at 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds, but he looks a lot heavier than that. Consequently, he's been well down the spring rotation and will need to get in better shape to become a contributor in the coming season.

12. Anthony Ward, LB (Arizona) -- The older of the two Ward brothers was buried on the UW roster in 2020 and 2021 and didn't play, transferred to Arizona, sat out a year and appeared in all 13 games last season on special teams, even scoring a touchdown on a blocked punt. However, he's been well down the ladder in linebacker reps so far.

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