It’s been nothing but chaos for the Washington Huskies ever since the National Championship loss to Michigan in January.
Following head coach Kalen DeBoer’s departure to Alabama, Washington’s roster went through a level of transformation that had never been seen in the program’s 70-year history. Over 65 players either left or came into the program. Center Parker Brailsford, wide receiver Germie Bernard and quarterback Austin Mack followed DeBoer to Tuscaloosa, all four-star players according to 24/7 Sports.
Fellow four-stars Taeshuan Lyons (wide receiver) and Jabbar Muhammad (cornerback) jumped ship to Utah and Oregon, respectively. Of course, the program will also have to deal with replacing it’s NFL draft prospects, headlined by Heisman-finalist quarterback Michael Penix Jr. This begs the question: how will the Huskies be able to keep their heads above water going forward?
New head coach Jedd Fisch has an extensive NFL pedigree
Fisch has coached for numerous teams at both the collegiate and professional levels. Some highlights include a two-year stint as offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013-14 and a one-year spell as Bill Belichick’s quarterbacks coach in New England (2020). He also spent time with the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens.
After his brief gig with the Patriots, Fisch went out west to lead the Arizona Wildcats program. While the Cats had losing seasons his first two years, they enjoyed a 10-3 record and an Alamo Bowl victory in 2023. The New Jersey native has experienced winning at multiple levels, as he was Sean McVay’s senior offensive assistant during the Rams’ 2018 run to a Super Bowl appearance.
Fisch has put together an experienced coaching staff
Fisch has worked his NFL connections to recruit replacements for DeBoer’s staff. He hired Stephen Belichick (son of Bill) as defensive coordinator, who spent 11 years with the Patriots as an assistant coach. Belichick contributed to three championships over that timespan.
Another son of an NFL legend headlines Fisch’s former Arizona staff members that came with him to Seattle. Brennan Carroll (son of Pete) will handle both the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach duties, just like he did at Arizona. Eight other position coaches from the Arizona staff also jumped ship with Carroll, all of whom helped Fisch turn the Wildcats into a winning program over his tenure.
Luke Del Rio (son of Jack) and Jake Lynch (son of John) fill out the staff as offensive analyst and defensive graduate assistant, respectively. Del Rio spent the last three seasons with the Washington Commanders as both an offensive quality control analyst and assistant quarterbacks coach. Meanwhile, Lynch is getting his first coaching break as a graduate assistant after playing linebacker at Stanford.
The Huskies will maintain a quality roster
Despite many players leaving the squad, Washington will still roll into the season with high-caliber players at important positions. Four-star quarterbacks Will Rogers and Demaricus Davis will remain with the team after a brief spell in the transfer portal following DeBoer’s departure. Rogers passed for 89 touchdowns and 12,315 yards over four years at Mississippi State, with the latter stat ranking second all-time in the SEC. The fifth-year senior should be a fine option as a stopgap while Davis develops.
Fisch also brought several of his core players from Arizona with him, including four-star cornerback Ephesians Prysock, who is 24/7’s 18th-ranked transfer at the position. Fellow four-star players Drew Azzopardi (offensive tackle, San Diego State) and Sebastian Valdez (defensive lineman, Montana State) will provide immediate help to each side of the trenches.
Overall outlook
There’s no doubt that the Huskies will have plenty of adjusting to do, especially considering their move to the Big Ten. With an entirely new coaching staff and several new players also added to the equation, don’t be surprised if the program has a few bumps in the road going forward. It would be a tall order for it to repeat last year’s success, but it does have potential once Fisch continues to fill out the roster with talent and gel with the players.