Washington Football Has Grown Up, and It Shows on the Field

Three years ago, the Huskies rolled out the oldest roster in the nation, loaded with sixth-year seniors. Fast forward to now, and after two seasons of building from scratch, Jedd Fisch's team looks nothing like those rebuilding squads that struggled to find stability. During spring ball, something shifted. The vibe was different. More seasoned. More ready.

Experience Everywhere You Look

The numbers tell the story. Washington is bringing 31 scholarship players with college starting experience to the field, and 21 of them earned their stripes in purple and gold. That's almost an entire starting lineup of guys who know what game day looks like. Collectively, these veterans have logged 401 games started across their careers, with 185 of those coming as Huskies.

Three players stand out as anchors of that experience. Senior safety Alex McLaughlin leads the way with 36 career starts, most of them from his time at Northern Arizona. Senior linebacker Jacob Manu brings 32 starts, again majority from Arizona. And senior offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi, who has been a staple on the UW line, comes in with 30 starts, nearly all of them wearing purple and gold. These guys are the backbone.

The Transfer Portal Brings Diverse Veteran Savvy

What makes this roster even more interesting is the journey some of these players took to get here. Linebacker Xe'ree Alexander has started games for three different programs spanning the country: Idaho, Central Florida, and Washington. He's one of nine Huskies who have started games for at least two different programs. Four UW players bring Big Sky Conference starting experience totaling 52 games combined. That's a lot of different levels of competition represented in the locker room.

Young Talent Ready to Step In

Fisch isn't banking entirely on veterans, though. The coach could start as many as four younger players seeing their first college action: redshirt freshman running back Quaid Carr, redshirt freshman offensive guard Champ Taulealea, and freshmen Derek Colman-Brusa at defensive tackle and Kodi Greene at offensive tackle. It's a blend that looks nothing like 2024, when three different left tackles rotated through the lineup just trying to get the job done.

The Huskies feel ready for Year 3 under Fisch. This team has grown up fast.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.