Washington Football Can be Scary Good or Bad in 2026

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There are many ways to twist, use, and sell one word that may encapsulate the upcoming 2026 college football season for the Washington Huskies: scary.

During his weekly appearance on Puck Sports with Jason Puckett, longtime Oregon sports radio host and columnist John Canzano used the five-letter word to describe what the opposing view was of the 2023 team that featured two top ten draft picks, quarterback Michael Penix Jr., and wide receiver Rome Odunze, and went on to make the school's first national championship appearance in three-plus decades.

"Look, three years ago, they scared you. Michael Penix Jr., Rome Odunze, they were scary on offense. I think Oregon fans were scared when Washington was on offense," Canzano said. "They really have lacked that in the last couple years, and I still have a question: how do they replace (wide receiver Denzel) Boston and (running back Jonah) Coleman?"

The valid question wasn't answered much during spring camp last month, with Kennesaw State senior wide receiver transfer Christian Moss and both veteran running back additions, Jayden Limar from Oregon and Trey Cooley from Troy, out rehabbing injuries.

Sophomore Dezmen Roebuck, who finished second behind Boston in all three key receiving statistical categories with 42 receptions for 560 yards and 7 touchdowns—the latter of which set a new freshman school record—in 2025, is sliding inside this coming fall as more of a slot threat for Huskies' coach Jedd Fisch.

However, as Canzano noted, the gap between Roebuck's production and the next closest receiver is as wide as the Pacific Ocean.

Fellow sophomore Chris Lawson is the next closest with 10 receptions for 115 yards over eight games last season, with only 7 receptions for 82 yards combined between sophomore Rashid Williams and second-year freshman Justice Williams. Although Rashid did register an additional 11 receptions for 138 yards and one touchdown in 2024, the former four-star recruit in the 2023 class is coming off a season that featured two separate injuries that kept him off the field for all but the first two games against Colorado State and UC Davis.

Even with a healthy Rashid Williams and Roebuck, Fisch and junior starting quarterback Demond Williams Jr. will need another outside receiver to step up and fill the production void left by Boston. Junior tight end Decker DeGraaf is the second-highest returning pass-catcher from last season, regardless of position, with 32 catches for 360 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but the next four players between DeGraaf and Lawson aren't with the team.

If Moss, who finished No. 7 in Conference USA last year with 689 yards and No. 10 with 45 receptions, can carry at least half the weight of Boston's production from 2025 as Lawson emerges in a bigger role alongside freshmen receivers Jordan Clay and Trez Davis, there is enough potential for the Huskies' offense to be scary good this fall.

However, the true key lies in replacing Coleman's impact.

With Cooley and Limar expected to be more of a dual-starter tandem similar to what Arizona featured in 2022 with DJ Williams and Michael Wiley, who combined for 173 carries, 1,147 rushing yards, and 11 touchdowns, when Coleman—much like former four-star recruit Brian Bonner this coming fall—was a true freshman and gave the Wildcats 75 carries, 372 yards, and 4 scores.

But if one or either of the veteran transfers isn't able to be a dependable option for Fisch and running backs coach Scottie Graham, and at least one of Moss or the younger receivers isn't able to step up in Boston's absence, then it could be a scary season on Montlake for all the wrong reasons.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies have a wide range of outcomes in 2026

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