Washington Huskies rise two spots in ESPN's way-too-early rankings

As spring practice rolls on for the Washington Huskies, national outlets are starting to take notice of the promising team Jedd Fisch's coaching staff is putting together.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Mark Schlabach updated the outlet's way-too-early top 25 ahead of the 2026 season, and bumped the Huskies up two spots from No. 19 to No. 17. That places them as the No. 6 team in the Big Ten behind No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon, No. 6 Indiana, No. 14 Michigan, and No. 15 Penn State.

Throughout the early portion of practice, the Huskies have shown off a lot of promising depth at positions of need as Fisch continues to build around quarterback Demond Williams Jr.

"Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. spent the spring mending relationships with his teammates and fans after nearly bolting for another school," Schlabach wrote. "If Williams plays as well as he did in 2025, when he passed for 3,065 yards with 25 touchdowns, they'll probably forgive him quickly. The Huskies will have to replace Coleman, their leading rusher, and Boston, their leading receiver, but coach Jedd Fisch has been building to the 2026 season."

Although there are questions about who will step up and replace the top-end NFL talent that departed, the Huskies have brought in some promising young pieces in the 2026 class that have stood out early. Wide receivers Jordan Clay and Trez Davis look like early contributors, while offensive lineman Kodi Greene is the early favorite to start at left tackle, and Brian Bonner is expected to factor into the rotation in the backfield.

"Dezmen Roebuck looks like the next big thing at receiver, and there will be good competition at tailback after Adam Mohammed surprisingly transferred to Cal," he continued. "There will be new faces in the secondary, and the Huskies will be loaded at linebacker."

On defense, the Huskies have some high-end building blocks to lean on between cornerbacks Emmanuel Karnley and Dylan Robinson, safeties Alex McLaughlin and Rylon Dillard-Allen, and an elite linebacker corps with Jacob Manu, Xe'ree Alexander, and Zaydrius Rainey-Sale leading the charge. If defensive coordinator Ryan Walters can unlock a pass rush, Washington should be fueled by one of the best defenses in the Big Ten.