Washington slots in at No. 7 in Cleveland.com Big Ten Preseason Poll

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The annual Cleveland.com Big Ten Preseason Media Poll is a signal that the college football season is drawing near, and ahead of their third season in the conference, the Washington Huskies slotted in at No. 7 in the rankings.

Jedd Fisch's team finished behind Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, USC, Michigan, and Penn State, and received 366 points from the vote, coming in just shy of No. 6, where the Nittany Lions garnered 380 points.

"Washington was one of the big winners of the college football offseason, as it was able to retain star quarterback Demond Williams Jr. after he initially announced plans to enter the transfer portal," On3's Daniel Hager wrote in his review of the rankings.

"Williams Jr. now reunites with head coach Jedd Fisch as the Huskies look to build on a successful 9-4 campaign. In year three of the Fisch Era, however, there’s no doubt the program is looking to return to the sport’s biggest stage. In the two seasons since Kalen DeBoer departed for Alabama, they’ve failed to finish the season ranked inside the year-end (College Football Playoff) rankings."

Even after losing seven players to the NFL draft, headlined by wide receiver Denzel Boston and running back Jonah Coleman, the Huskies added several promising pieces to their roster through both the high school ranks and the transfer portal that should be able to make an early impact in 2026 that could help them improve on their standing in the poll.

The Huskies are expecting former five-star Kodi Greene will step in and start right away at left tackle, while a trio of four-star prospects at wide receiver and four more along the defensive line could give the infusion of youth and talent that Fisch is looking for. Combined with portal acquisitions like cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, defensive linemen DeSean Watts and Darin Conley, wide receiver Christian Moss, and running back Jayden Limar, Fisch has effectively reloaded the talent on his roster and has an opportunity to make a statement this fall.

Washington will face off with three of the programs ahead of them in the poll: hosting Penn State and Indiana in November before heading down to Oregon to close out the regular season, which could help them move up the Big Ten rankings.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington slots in at No. 7 in Cleveland.com Big Ten Preseason Poll

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