After Washington’s spring game on Friday, Jedd Fisch mentioned that the Huskies are close to the 85-man scholarship limit, suggesting a few players hadn’t committed publicly.
One of those players is former Arizona running back Jordan Washington, the Wildcats’ highest-rated commit in the 2024 class. Washington, who committed to the Huskies on Sunday, is a speedy running back who finished second in California in the 100-meter dash, with a personal best 10.24 time in the event. While running back wasn’t necessarily a need for the team, the potential future pairing of fellow freshman Adam Mohammed and Washington was too much to pass up.
A top-200 player in 2024, Washington will immediately step into the running back competition in some capacity. He also racked up 50 catches during his senior year to go with his 800 rushing yards for an average of over 10 yards per carry. This tremendous production should translate into efficiency at the college level.
On the field, Washington was a complete mismatch for any high school player. His ability to accelerate is unmatched, as being able to reach his top speed so quickly when taking a simple swing route out of the backfield creates problems for a defense.
He can outrun any linebacker that is matched up against him, and his productivity as a receiver gives him a high floor entering the college level. Despite his smaller size, he could easily carve out a role as a dangerous weapon out of the backfield.
Currently, Washington is much more of a playmaker than a true running back, but that isn’t a bad thing. As just a true freshman, Washington will have plenty of time to develop his game.
Running backs coach Scottie Graham should help him focus on utilizing more lateral cuts as his speed won’t allow him to win the same way in college. Developing his vision will go a long way to improving his game as well. Getting to the outside will be a large part of his winning formula where stretch runs and pitches will be his friend in Seattle, while adding weight to become more serviceable between the tackles will drastically increase the likelihood that Washington can be a three-down back.
Washington is a rare freshman that would very easily compete for a hefty role on most teams. That is not necessarily the case with the Huskies, as the ultra-talented duo of Jonah Coleman and Cameron Davis are on top the depth chart. Even behind them, Mohammed has impressed this spring and has likely earned carries this season. That said, the talent that Washington brings is going to be tough for Fisch and company to keep off the field for long.