Washington's young RBs display growth at spring practice No. 11

The Washington Huskies' eleventh spring practice came to an early end when Jedd Fisch's air horn sounded three times, presumably to watch the first day of the NFL draft.

While wide receiver Denzel Boston didn't hear his name called in the first round, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. was clearly very excited to watch his top pass catcher get to the next level.

"Definitely going to watch our guy put his best foot forward," Williams said. "Whatever team selects him is getting a beast...(He's) a great motivational guy, he comes to work every day ready to work, brings energy every single day, somebody anybody would like on their team."

On the field, Fisch slowed things down to half speed for the second straight day in an attempt to limit wear and tear on his players ahead of their second scrimmage on Saturday, and Washington's young group of running backs stood out. With the increased reps in a slim, injury-riddled room, redshirt freshman Quaid Carr and true freshman Brian Bonner looked as comfortable as they've been all spring.

"A lot of it’s going fast," running backs coach Scottie Graham said of Bonner, who was ranked as the No. 6 running back in the country by the 247Sports Composite. "We’ve had some great conversations, just really keeping him solid and making sure the wheels don’t fall off…We’re very lucky to have Brian. He’s special. When he puts that foot down, it’s bye-bye, it’s beep-beep. He can roll, he’ll be fine.”

Both Bonner and Carr ripped off several explosive runs throughout the course of practice, demonstrating improved vision and feel for Fisch's zone run scheme, while the offensive line did a great job paving a path for the ball carriers.

With seniors Trey Cooley and Jayden Limar sidelined with injuries, along with Jonah Coleman's graduation and departure for the NFL draft, Carr has stepped up and proven himself to be the most reliable pass protector of the unit this spring. Combined with his comfort in the offense, the redshirt freshman, who has drawn plenty of praise over the offseason, looks like he could be an important piece of Washington's rushing attack this fall.