Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies missed out on one of their top priorities at safety, Genisis Smith, who opted to withdraw from the transfer portal and return to Arizona, and have turned their attention to Florida International’s CJ Christian.
A former junior college product, Christian has spent his last three seasons with the Panthers and has posted 151 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 10 pass breakups, 5 interceptions, and a fumble recovery. His most productive season came in 2023 when he finished with 55 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 6 pass breakups before posting a career-high 71 tackles last season.
“The good thing about CJ is that he always wants to keep getting better,” coach Mike MacIntyre said of the safety in 2023. “He has excellent ball skills, good eyes, can judge a football and make plays on it. He can cover, he can run, he can fill the alley. He’s a dual-threat type safety. He’s really, really tough. Like a safety should, he can erase other people’s mistakes.”
With one year of eligibility remaining, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Christian would be a short-term addition to what is a promising position group for coach Vinnie Sunseri. The Huskies already added one safety from the portal in Northern Arizona’s Alex McLaughlin, who has two years left, to a group that includes six players who will be listed as sophomores or younger in 2025.
Sunseri appears to be looking for another veteran presence alongside McLaughlin and Makell Esteen since the group is losing seniors Kamren Fabiculanan and Cameron Broussard. Christian’s addition would fill that role as promising young players like Peyton Waters, Rahshawn Clark, and Rylon Dillard-Allen grow into their roles in the secondary.