Popular College Sports Figure Believes Washington Could Make College Football Playoff

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The Washington Huskies football team is hoping the third time's the charm this upcoming season.

The Huskies will enter their third year under head coach Jedd Fisch. In the team's first year under Fisch, which was its first following a loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game, the team finished 6-7.

Washington improved by three wins last season at 9-4 and capped off the year off in emphatic fashion with a 38-10 win against the Boise State Broncos in the Los Angeles Bowl.

It's anticipated by several various publications and outlets that the Huskies will take another step forward this upcoming season. Several media sites and companies have UW ranked in the mid-teens of their respective preseason top 25 polls, which would place Washington in prime contendership for a spot in the College Football Playoffs (CFP).

One of the most notable analysts of college football, Phil Steele, made a recent appearance on Seattle Sports 710 and seemed to add his name to the list of people who believe Washington can take a step forward in its third year under Fisch.

"I think progress is they’re going to flirt with a playoff berth depending on what they do in the last five games of the season," Steele said on the Bump and Stacy show Monday. " … But this is a team clearly capable of flirting with a playoff berth."

Steele also opined that he believes the team's offensive line and defense both as top 25 units in the country entering this next season.

The Huskies will begin their third season under Fisch in the Apple Cup against in-state rivals, the Washington State Cougars, at 1 p.m. PT on Sept. 6 at Husky Stadium in Seattle.

Washington will be returning a significant amount of talent on the team, including four-of-five starters on the offensive line from this past season, with the only newcomer being five-star Class of 2026 recruit Kodi Greene, who's set to take over the starting left tackle position.

The Huskies will also bring back junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and a significant amount of talent on the front-six.

The biggest turnover for Washington comes at the cornerback position, the wide receiver position and running back position. The Huskies lost their starting cornerbacks (Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock), leading receiver (Denzel Boston) and leading rusher (Jonah Coleman) to the NFL Draft.

The Huskies' starting cornerback positions are set for this upcoming season, with sophomore Dylan Robinson and senior Emmanuel Karnley set to line up on the outside. The starting outside wideout and running back roles will be determined in fall/summer training camp. Several wide receivers and running backs missed practice in the spring due to various injuries.

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