UW football: 3 things we learned about Huskies' offense this spring | Analysis
Darude's "Sandstorm" won't echo through Husky Stadium for the next three months. Neither will Endor's "Pump It Up."
After a month of excitement and on-field action - culminating in Friday's spring game - the Huskies will retreat to the weight rooms and offseason conditioning programs.
But coach Jedd Fisch and the Huskies certainly have a lot to contemplate before fall camp begins. And with 15 practices officially complete, here are three things we learned about the offense during spring practices.
1. Rashid Williams is a starter
Washington entered spring practices a month ago with one known starter at wide receiver: sophomore Dezmen Roebuck. The Marana, Ariz., native enjoyed a breakout true freshman campaign in 2025, making 42 catches for 560 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. And Roebuck solidified his starting status in the spring, showing off all the traits that made him a trusted pass catcher as a true freshman despite moving into the slot.
The decision to move Roebuck from Z receiver, where he'd made his breakthrough in 2025, happened in part to accommodate Rashid Williams' return. A former 247Sports composite four-star wide receiver who initially signed for Kalen DeBoer - and the only scholarship wideout from the vaunted 2023 receiver group still on UW's roster in 2026 - Williams won the starting Z-receiver role over Roebuck during fall camp in 2025.
But Williams' season was derailed almost immediately. He suffered a collarbone injury that required surgery during the first offensive play of UW's 70-10 victory against FCS UC Davis on Sept. 6. He was slated to return to play Wisconsin on Nov. 8, but a hand injury sustained during the bye week prematurely ended his season. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound receiver finished the season with five catches for 54 yards receiving.
This spring, the Brentwood, Calif., native was given the first opportunity to regain his starting role. Williams has taken almost every snap with the top offense throughout spring practices, and Fisch heaped praise on the junior wideout for battling through the adversity of 2025 to return to his best in 2026.
"To be able to have him come back and take on that leadership role," Fisch said on Friday, "and be able to make some of those plays tonight with (junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr.) was fun to see."
Williams punctuated his rejuvenated spring with a standout performance in the spring game. He was UW's leading receiver, making two catches for 56 yards including a 43-yard touchdown on a deep post from Demond Williams Jr. Rashid Williams also made a toe-tapping 13-yard catch along the right sideline on a pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Treston "Kini" McMillan.
"It's been great to see Rashid step up," Fisch said, "and be the guy we know he's going to be all season."
2. Quaid Carr will play
While Rashid Williams essentially locked down a starting role at wide receiver this spring, UW's running backs situation is less certain.
Sophomore Jordan Washington (neck), senior Jayden Limar (ankle), and sixth-year tailback Trey Cooley (ACL rehabilitation) all missed either the entire spring or a majority of it. Highly touted freshman Brian Bonner Jr. was unavailable for the spring game after suffering a minor hamstring injury, Fisch said.
The UW coach, however, said it was a good experience for his young running backs - redshirt freshmen Quaid Carr and Julian McMahan and true freshmen Bonner and Ansu Sanoe - who got more reps this spring than they might've under normal circumstances. Carr, the 5-11, 189-pound tailback from Southern California, impressed the most.
"I think Quaid had the best spring, by far, in that room," Fisch said.
Whether Carr can turn his strong spring into a starting role remains to be seen. The 205-pound Limar and the 208-pound Cooley bring significantly more experience and more size to the Husky backfield. Both transferred to UW with just one year of eligibility remaining, and will have their say in the running back rotation during fall camp.
But Carr's spring performances have seemingly guaranteed himself a role in the Husky offense for 2026. If Limar and Cooley earn a larger share of the carries, then perhaps Carr will fit as the change-of-pace back where Washington - who Fisch hopes will begin his rehabilitation in July, but still has to be cleared by medical staff and outside consultants following his neck injury this spring - thrived in 2025. Carr can also be an impactful returner.
"I think it's going to be a really big fall and summer for Jaden to get back, for Trey to compete and get back, for us to evaluate where Jordan is and make a decision there," Fisch said. "For Quaid to continue to improve."
3. Two freshmen may start on the offensive line
Fisch announced one freshman was going to get a shot to start on the offensive line back in December - Kodi Greene, the composite five-star freshman who flipped to UW from Oregon back in April, 2025.
Fisch's expectations for Greene haven't changed. The true freshman left tackle was poised and comfortable throughout his first spring, with coaches and teammates praising his adaptability.
"Kodi Greene's done some impressive things out here," offensive line coach Michael Switzer said on April 16. "He's talented in terms of his athleticism and his ability to play the game of football."
Another freshman, however, has also solidified his claim to a starting spot this spring. Champ Taulealea, the redshirt freshman offensive lineman and former composite four-star recruit, spent all 15 practices as the team's top right guard.
The 6-5, 344-pound Taulealea, who played in five games in 2025 as a true freshman while maintaining his redshirt, initially got the opportunity because seventh-year offensive lineman Geirean Hatchett, who started all 13 games at right guard in 2025, shifted over to center to replace his brother, senior Landen Hatchett, while he recovers from a wrist injury.
But Geirean Hatchett went down with an arm injury during UW's second practice, leaving Taulealea unchallenged for right guard snaps throughout the spring. Fisch said Friday he expects both Hatchett brothers to be healthy by the time fall camp starts, but Taulealea's strong spring may have done enough to give him the inside track to a starting job this fall, despite Geirean Hatchett's considerable experience.
"He's taking his opportunity right now, and doing a really nice job," Switzer said. "He ended the year getting a good amount of reps and showing he can do some good things. I think with the reps he's gotten with that first group at right guard, he's different from last year. He's taking it very seriously. It means a lot to him, and he's doing a nice job through spring camp."
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