Derek Colman-Brusa Added 30 Pounds and a New Position. The Huskies Are Already Moving Him Inside

Derek Colman-Brusa signed with Washington as a 267-pound edge rusher. Three months later, he's 295 pounds and playing defensive tackle. That's not a typo, and the Seattle native isn't complaining.

The 6-foot-5 freshman arrived on campus in January as the state's top football recruit from Kennedy Catholic High School. He was ranked the No. 19 edge rusher in the 2026 cycle by 247Sports. But during the winter in UW's weight room, he packed on nearly 30 pounds of muscle. Now he's anchoring the first-choice defense alongside junior Elinneus Davis on the interior line.

"I always saw myself as kind of a smaller end," Colman-Brusa said. "But our strength staff and nutrition staff have been doing an unbelievable job getting me strong. Getting me right."

The Speed Translates, But the Learning Curve Is Real

At Kennedy Catholic, Colman-Brusa was a wrecking ball on the edge. He posted 66 tackles for a loss including 34 sacks. That edge rusher speed is valuable inside, he said, because he can blow up blocks before they even set. But interior line is a completely different animal.

Taking on double teams? That's relatively new territory. Edge rushers get one-on-one matchups with tackles most of the time. Now he's learning to navigate the trenches against multiple offensive linemen at once. The good news is he's got help. Davis, who has played 25 games at UW over the past two seasons, has been invaluable in teaching the schemes and assignments.

"He's been a great help learning the plays and getting the scheme down," Colman-Brusa said. "Can't say enough good things about the guy."

Fisch Isn't Afraid to Play His Best Players

Coach Jedd Fisch has made it clear that performance determines playing time at Washington, not age or experience. During Saturday's ninth practice under blue skies at Husky Stadium, Colman-Brusa got significant full-contact reps in the heart of the defensive line.

"That's why high school kids want to come to Washington," Fisch said. "They know that we don't get into 'Are you old? Are you young? Are you experienced? Are you not? Are you the best player at your position?' If you are, we're going to play you."

The move inside isn't totally unprecedented. Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei, another former Husky, played edge rusher at Arizona before reuniting with Fisch and Kaufusi at Washington. He's 6-4, 285 pounds, and he played exclusively inside last season, starting 13 games and generating 23 pressures, fourth among Big Ten defensive tackles. Colman-Brusa has the same profile but with a bigger frame.

At 17 years old with senior prom still ahead of him, Colman-Brusa is already reshaping his game for the next level. The fact that he's thriving suggests the Huskies might have something special here.

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