Starting jobs still up for grabs as Huskies wrap up spring camp

SEATTLE – For Jedd Fisch, Washington’s spring game represents an ending and a beginning.

After devoting the past month to spring practices, the UW football coach said the spring game is a chance to reward the players, coaching staff and the families for their hard work with some excitement. It’s a major reason why Fisch insists on hosting a spring game every season, even as they’ve become unpopular at other programs.

“Not everybody gets to play Saturdays in the fall,” Fisch said. Certainly, the spring game gives them the opportunity to compete. We’ll do that as long as we possibly can.”

But the spring game also marks the start of the final sprint. The last offseason push before fall camp. One Fisch anticipates being full of competition.

“We’ve got to see what type of jump we can make between now and Aug. 1,” he said. “I would expect our team to look stronger, bigger, thicker, faster and even more focused when we get back out here in three months.”

Fisch and the Huskies completed their spring game on a beautiful Friday evening at Husky Stadium, in front of an estimated 19,000 fans. UW’s purple team – led by junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr., junior wide receiver Rashid Williams and redshirt freshman linebacker Donovan Robinson Jr. – beat the gold team 27-10.

“I hope our entire team,” Fisch said, “is ready to compete in the fall during training camp.”

Washington entered its spring practice seasons with some major question marks at important positions, including X receiver, running back and defensive tackle. And while Fisch said he’d seen his entire roster try to step into those opportunities this spring, the UW coach isn’t rushing to make any major decisions.

For example, Fisch heavily praised redshirt freshman Quaid Carr and said the 5-foot-11, 189-pound tailback had the best spring out of UW’s available running backs. Carr took two carries for seven yards and gained a first down in limited action during the spring game.

However, the UW coach made it clear he still wants to evaluate the rest of the group – and particularly injured veteran running backs Jayden Limar and Trey Cooley – before making any decisions about who will be officially named Jonah Coleman’s successor.

Injuries have prevented Fisch from getting a full look at several options on his roster. Along with Limar and Cooley, fifth-year wide receiver Christian Moss and true freshman wideout Jordan Clay have been very limited this spring as new arrivals.

Additional injuries to known contributors like senior center Landon Hatchett, junior tight end Kade Eldridge, fifth-year linebacker Taariq “Buddah” Al-Uqdah and sophomore nickel Rahshawn Clark, among others, also means UW hasn’t seen the full core it will rely upon in 2026.

Fisch also noted there are a handful of incoming freshmen who won’t arrive until the summer who he’d like to evaluate, like cornerback Rahsjon Duncan. Just a year ago, cornerback Dylan Robinson and wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck weren’t on the roster during spring practices before becoming key contributors during their true freshmen seasons.

“I don’t know what some of these guys even look like when it’s time to get going,” Fisch said. “So we’re going to have some amazing competition this fall. We’re going to embrace it. We’re going to play young or old, it doesn’t matter. The guys that make money, the guys that make very little money, doesn’t matter.

“We’re just going to play the guys that are going to compete.”

The Huskies did, however, get a glimpse of some of those guys during the scrimmage. Rashid Williams punctuated his strong spring with a three catch, 63-yard performance in the spring game. His 43-yard touchdown catch on a deep post route from Demond Williams Jr. was the longest offensive play of the exhibition, as he found space between Dylan Robinson and true freshman Jeron Jones for the touchdown.

Demond Williams Jr. overcame a slow start to finish the scrimmage 4 of 8 for 76 yards, a touchdown and an interception. True freshman safety Gavin Day and true freshman edge rusher Ramzak Fruean each blew up a jet sweep, while Dylan Robinson made an acrobatic effort to intercept a Demond Williams Jr. pass thrown behind Rashid Williams early on.

Yet the biggest play of the game came from Donovan Robinson Jr. The redshirt freshman from Chicago ripped a pass by true freshman quarterback Derek Zammit out of the hands of walk-on running back Beck Walker before returning it 53 yards to the end zone where he was mobbed by his Team Purple teammates.

“Donovan is really growing and learning what it’s like to play linebacker in this defense,” Fisch said. “He should have a tremendous future ahead of him.”