Sights and sounds from Washington’s ninth spring practice

The Washington Huskies held a scrimmage during their ninth spring practice inside Husky Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Jedd Fisch couldn’t have picked a better day to hold a scrimmage. On a perfect, 70-degree day inside Husky Stadium, the Washington Huskies took the field for their ninth spring practice for the first of two scrimmages before the team’s spring game on May 3.

“We got a lot of work done and I think we were able to see every single player out on the field today,” Fisch said.

However, they were without one key piece.

Fisch announced that edge rusher Zach Durfee would miss the rest of spring practice with an elbow injury that he suffered last Saturday. The head coach said that the Sioux Falls transfer required surgery to repair the injury, which will keep him out for the next two months, but the Huskies are planning to have him back by the time fall camp starts.

Even without Durfee, the pass rush had a good day against Washington’s patchwork offensive line. The Huskies showed off an impressive pass rush, highlighted by multiple pseudo-sacks for edge rusher Lance Holtzclaw, along with multiple pressures from defensive tackle Jayvon Parker and edge rusher Jacob Lane.

Cornerback Jordan Shaw also made his way into the backfield, coming untouched on a nickel blitz for a sack, touching quarterback Demond Williams down. He also recorded the defense’s only interception of the day as he continued his strong campaign this spring, which could help him secure the starting job as defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s nickelback.

After practice, both Fisch and quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty said that the team will be adding more players to the offensive front over the coming weeks from the transfer portal.

However, Williams didn’t need too much time when he made the play of the day, finding wide receiver Keith Reynolds for a 25-yard touchdown early on in practice. The true freshman displayed excellent poise and awareness, stepping up in the pocket before making a throw on the run and dropping a perfect throw right into the bucket for Reynolds.

“Demond is doing a great job,” Dougherty said. “He’s light years ahead of a kid that should still be in the hot lunch line. He should still be in high school right now, but he’s out here playing college football in Husky Stadium. And to do what he’s doing is pretty special.”

Spring Practice Notebook

  • Among the inactives on Saturday were offensive lineman Kahlee Tafai, who participated in the practice for the first time in over a week, but donned a yellow non-contact jersey. He was joined on the side field by running back Cameron Davis and cornerback Caleb Presley, while wide receiver Audric Harris didn’t suit up.
  • Quarterback Will Rogers had a good day, throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Giles Jackson, and a 30-yard score to wide receiver Denzel Boston, which he threaded in between cornerback Thaddeus Dixon and safety Makell Esteen.
  • Saturday’s practice saw a lot of high-profile visitors descend on campus for unofficial visits, including three-star quarterback commit Dash Beierly, and 2026 five-star quarterback prospect Brady Smigiel.
  • Freshman linebacker Khmori House displayed his impressive speed during the scrimmage, getting a great jump off the line of scrimmage and exploding into the backfield for a sack before Williams could even finish his drop.
  • Fisch also mentioned a handful of players that have stood out in his eyes this spring: linebacker Carson Bruener, offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi, cornerbacks Jordan Shaw and Thaddeus Dixon, and running back Adam Mohammed.