Tag: washington huskies football

Washington football adds second QB in 2025 class

The Washington Huskies added some depth to the quarterbacks room by taking a second 2025 prospect at the position.

The Washington Huskies have found a way to ensure long-term depth at quarterback. While coach Jedd Fisch is still looking to add an experienced option to the room for 2024, since there are just two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, he’s added a promising long-term prospect in Treston Kini McMillan.

A three-star quarterback from Mililani High School in Hawaii, McMillan is ranked as the nation’s No. 39 prospect at the position by 247Sports and is a good depth piece to have behind three-star commit Dash Beierly.

Last season’s Gatorade Player of the Year in Hawaii, McMillan is a 5-foot-10, 210-pound dual-threat quarterback with intriguing upside.

He gives quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty a talented athlete to work with after throwing for 3,521 yards and 42 touchdowns during his junior season. McMillan added 575 yards and 11 scores on the ground and will have plenty of time to develop as he sits behind Demond Williams, who is presumed to take over the starting job in 2025.

Assuming Fisch is able to secure a quarterback with some experience from the transfer portal for the upcoming season, there will be a few players ahead of him on the depth chart for the foreseeable future.

Former Washington QB Sam Huard commits to Utah

Former Washington quarterback Sam Huard transferred from Cal Poly to Utah on Tuesday, ending speculation about a potential return to Montlake.

When quarterback Sam Huard re-entered the transfer portal after a season at FCS Cal Poly, many thought a reunion with the Washington Huskies may be in the cards. Coach Jedd Fisch’s team has just two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster following the departure of Dermaricus Davis for UCLA, and Huard seemed like one of the better depth options available in the portal.

Instead, Huard is joining a former Pac-12 opponent.

On Tuesday, the five-star recruit from the 2021 class announced his commitment to Utah for his remaining two seasons of college eligibility. The Utes return seventh-year quarterback Cam Rising in 2024 but lost both primary backups when 2023 starters Bryson Barnes and Nate Johnson transferred this winter.

In Salt Lake City, Huard should have an unimpeded path to the backup job and may see substantial time, given Rising’s injury history, for a team with College Football Playoff aspirations. Utah joins the Big 12 this season and is widely believed to be one of the favorites to win the conference.

Huard, whose father Damon and uncle Brock both started for the Huskies in the 1990s, would also have a chance to start for Utah in 2025 when Rising’s eligibility is exhausted. That opportunity seems much harder to grasp at Washington, where freshman Demond Williams has begun to establish himself as the future of the program after a strong showing in spring practice.

Washington should still be expected to add a third quarterback in the spring transfer window.

Washington four-star TE target Vander Ploog has a promising future

The Washington Huskies have found a promising prospect in four-star TE Vander Ploog, who recently took his official visit to Seattle.

The Washington Huskies and tight ends coach Jordan Paopao are looking to make a major splash at the position in the 2025 recruiting class. One of Paopao’s top targets is four-star tight end Vander Ploog from Troy High School in Fullerton, California.

Ploog, who is ranked as the nation’s No. 14 TE by 247Sports took his official visit to Washington over the weekend for the team’s spring game and is set to take trips to Utah, California, and Arizona State this summer before making his decision. Washington needs to add multiple bodies at tight end and the 6-foot-6, 210-pound prospect is a promising developmental prospect.

An impressive athlete who runs very well but certainly needs to add weight, he has the potential to be a big factor in coach Jedd Fisch’s offense, which loves to utilize its tight ends. He has a lot of experience running routes as a wide receiver and has shown he can make plays in traffic.

As he continues to develop a more extensive route tree, add weight, and refine his run blocking technique, Ploog has shown that his ceiling is as high as anyone’s at the position. Paopao has shown to be one of the nation’s best developers of talent, placing 10 tight ends in the NFL since he started coaching the position in 2013.

Ploog has as much upside as anyone Paopao has coached at the position and with Fisch’s strong emphasis on pulling in what he called the “best class in school history,” Ploog has become a priority target for the coaching staff and would be an intriguing add to the 2025 class. [lawrence-related id=3277]

Former Washington QB Dermaricus Davis transfers to UCLA

The Washington Huskies are down to two scholarship quarterbacks after Dermaricus Davis announced his commitment to UCLA.

Former Washington Huskies quarterback Dermaricus Davis, who entered the transfer portal before the conclusion of spring practice, has committed to UCLA following an official visit to Westwood. The 2024 early enrollee was ranked as the No.17 quarterback coming out of high school by 247Sports and will have all four years of eligibility to utilize.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound product of Etiwanda High School in California will join first-year head coach DeShaun Foster and the Bruins where he could have a shot to compete for the starting job with another former Washington quarterback, veteran Ethan Garbers.

Davis originally entered the transfer portal after Kalen DeBoer departed for Alabama, but decided to withdraw and give Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff a shot.

He competed for the backup job alongside fellow four-star freshman Demond Williams, who also enrolled early. It appeared that Williams, who is much further along in his development, had beaten him out for the responsibilities to back up Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers.

Davis is a promising talent with plenty of arm strength and good mobility, but it might serve him best if the Bruins choose to redshirt him this year. [lawrence-related id=965]

Long snapper Cameron Warchuck commits to Washington

Long snapper Cameron Warchuck, a transfer from Colorado, committed to the Washington Huskies on Monday.

Jedd Fisch has landed another potential starter for the Washington Huskies in the transfer portal.

Colorado transfer Cameron Warchuck announced his commitment to Washington on Monday via X (formerly Twitter). The redshirt junior started all twelve games for the Buffaloes last season and will compete with walk-on Caleb Johnston for the starting snapper role in the fall.

Washington lost 2023 starter Jaden Green just before spring practice when Green decided to pursue a professional career, which left Johnston as the only long snapper on the roster for the spring.

The 6-foot-0, 245-pound Warchuck was ranked as a five-star long snapper recruit by Rubio Long Snapping coming out of Norco (CA) High School in 2021. Rubio’s scale is out of six stars; five stars indicates an “FBS Freshman Starter, Scholarship Pick” according to their website. Rubio also rated him the No. 15 best long snapping prospect in the country in 2021.

Warchuck also played lacrosse at Norco, finishing his high school career with a Defensive Player of the Year award. Built like a linebacker or fullback with plus snapping ability, his addition is one that may go under the radar but should immediately impact special teams coordinator Jordan Paopao and the Huskies in 2024.

UCLA lands commitment from ex-Washington QB after visit

UCLA hosted Washington transfer on an official visit.

The UCLA Bruins football program continues to work hard on the recruiting trail. Over the weekend, they added Florida A&M EDGE Cherif Seye after landing a few special teams additions the week before.

And, over the weekend they also hosted former Washington quarterback Dermaricus Davis, per Tracy Pierson of Bruin Report.

Then, on Monday afternoon, Davis committed to the Bruins, per Hayes Fawcett of On3.

BREAKING: Former Washington QB Dermaricus Davis has Committed to UCLA, he tells @on3sports.

The Class of 2024 QB enrolled at Washington in January Was ranked as the No. 8 QB in the ‘24 Class (per On3) Will have all 4 years of eligibility remaining

The four-star prospect out of high school committed to Washington but entered the portal after Kalen DeBoer went to Alabama. But, he returned to Seattle after Jedd Fisch was hired before entering the portal again this Spring.

Karson Gordon and Henry Hasselbeck are two quarterback commits for the Class of 2024 for UCLA, so Davis should immediately compete for the backup job.

Collin Schlee left for Virginia Tech and Justyn Martin has been the backup, but Davis is a talented player and a significant pickup for DeShaun Foster and the Bruins.

Washington offensive line commit Chris Adams flips to Memphis

The Washington Huskies received bad news on Monday when offensive lineman transfer Chris Adams announced he was flipping his commitment to Memphis

In a head-spinning morning for Washington Huskies fans, the coaching staff lost a commitment from former Old Dominion offensive tackle Chris Adams, who will take his talents to Memphis. Adams was a season-long starter for Old Dominion last season and was poised to compete for a starting job at several positions for the Huskies.

Adams abruptly announced his flip on Monday morning, moments before Ohio State interior offensive lineman Enokk Vimahi committed to Washington, offering some reprieve.

It’s unclear why Adams quickly flipped to Memphis with little warning, as coach Jedd Fisch has made it clear that the team is being aggressive on the recruiting trail to find reinforcements for the offensive line.

Adams offered positional flexibility and had relatively high-upside for a player that has entered the portal this late into the process. His experience at left tackle would have been welcome as redshirt freshmen Soane Faasolo and Elishah Jackett have, to this point, not looked ready for live game action.

The coaching staff will now turn to securing a replacement for Adams. Upgrading along the offensive line is still a major need for the Huskies, but with limited options in the portal, it will be worth following the next steps.

Adams was one of the dwindling number of remaining players in the portal with significant and productive starting experience, making this is a sizable loss. This is good news for Faasolo and Jackett as for the moment, they are competing against each other for the starting left tackle spot. If one is able to step up in fall camp, the loss of Adams will sting a bit less. [lawrence-related id=3261]

Washington adds former Ohio State offensive lineman from transfer portal

The Washington Huskies added an experienced body to their offensive line on Monday from Ohio State in graduate transfer Enokk Vimahi.

The Washington Huskies are still pushing to add as many pieces as possible to the offensive line and found a valuable member to the group in former Ohio State guard Enokk Vimahi.

A former four-star recruit and top-125 player nationally out of Kahuku High School in Hawaii, Vimahi played in 35 games with two starts over his five years with the Buckeyes. While he may not have been ready to contribute in Columbus, offensive line coach Brennan Carroll should find a way to utilize Vimahi’s experience in Seattle as part of a group that had its fair share of struggles in the spring.

The 6-foot-4, 310-pound guard should compete for a starting spot along the interior of Washington’s offensive line, where the Huskies are looking for a center and right guard. After suffering a season-ending injury in 2023, Gaard Memmelaar is expected to slot in at left guard, adding some more desperately needed experience up front along with Vimahi.

After Old Dominion tackle Chris Adams announced he would be flipping his commitment from Washington to Memphis moments before Vimahi’s announcement, Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff is still looking for more reinforcements up front. Adding Vimahi, who has plenty of Big Ten experience under his belt, is a good start.

Four-Star RB Jordan Washington has a bright future on Montlake

The Washington Huskies secured a huge commitment on Sunday in former Arizona running back Jordan Washington whose electric speed will immediately impact the team.

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.

Washington adds TE reinforcements from Nevada product Keleki Latu

The Washington Huskies added a much-needed body at tight end in Nevada transfer Keleki Latu.

The Washington Huskies have found some much-needed depth in the transfer portal, as former Nevada Wolfpack tight end Keleki Latu announced his commitment to Washington on Sunday night.

The younger brother of former Husky edge rusher and the No. 15 overall pick in the NFL draft, Laiatu Latu, Keleki brings the experience and production tight ends coach Jordan Paopao is looking for. He began his career at California, where he tallied 22 catches for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns before transferring to Nevada before the 2023 season.

With the Wolfpack, the 6-foot-7, 237-pound tight end pulled in 14 receptions for 179 yards over the team’s first six games before he suffered an injury that cut his season short. Latu has two years of eligibility remaining and should be asked to step into an important role in coach Jedd Fisch’s offense.

He should step in behind presumed starter Quentin Moore and provide a safety valve option as a pass catcher and an imposing presence as a run blocker. Latu’s addition signals that the coaching staff won’t have to rely as heavily on true freshman Decker DeGraaf, who showed a lot of growth during spring practice but still has a lot of developing to do, like all young tight ends.

His commitment also means that the coaching staff is moving closer to 85 scholarships for the 2024 season, as Latu makes 77. Over the coming weeks, the Huskies should continue to add more bodies from the transfer portal, and should mainly see those additions along the offensive and defensive lines.