Washington could leverage new NCAA ruling to address RB questions

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Editor's note: This piece was written in advance of a reported ruling from the Big Ten on Tuesday morningthat the conference will not allow any player who has declared for the NFL draft or signed a professional contract to play for any of its 18 teams.

Washington may have a solution to their lack of established running back production thanks to the ever-changing landscape of college sports.

The Huskies have already brought back a pair of graduated seniors in defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei and kicker Grady Gross, then had to hold those two players out of practice on Friday and Saturday after the NCAA won a stay of the ruling that made them eligible to begin with. Head coach Jedd Fisch said on Saturday that Gross and Uiagalelei are both allowed to practice with the team under the current rules, but it remains unclear whether or not they will be eligible to play, whether via the initial Colorado blanket ruling or lawsuits of their own.

Parallel to the Colorado lawsuit is another lawsuit in Louisiana, which recently gave a fifth year of eligibility and the ability to enter the transfer portal to 16 players from the class of 2022, including multiple players who had signed NFL contracts. Dae'Quan Wright, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, and Zxavian Harris, formerly of the New Orleans Saints, have already committed to LSU after playing for Lane Kiffin at Mississippi last season.

Former Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson is not among that initial group of 16, but he was waived by the Seattle Seahawks on Monday and intends to enter the transfer portal to return to college, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.

Fisch also mentioned on Saturday that the Huskies have 102 players on their roster, short of the 105-man roster limit, which is how they were able to absorb the re-additions of Gross and Uiagalelei. Could they consider using one of those spots to keep Hankerson in Seattle and add to a running back room that has lost almost all of its returning production heading into 2026?

Washington's depth chart at the position began this spring with third-year back Jordan Washington, but he suffered a neck injury midway through the spring and did not rejoin the team in any capacity until Saturday during the team's mock game. Washington remained in street clothes and seems to still be unlikely to suit up this season due to his injuries. The Huskies also brought in transfers Jayden Limar (Oregon) and Trey Cooley (Troy) this offseason, but both missed the entire spring rehabbing existing injuries. Limar missed the scrimmage on Saturday, while Cooley was the third running back in the rotation.

Ahead of Cooley are second-year back Quaid Carr and first-year back Brian Bonner Jr., both of whom the Huskies are high on despite their lack of experience. Carr was buried as the fourth back in the rotation last season behind Jonah Coleman, Adam Mohammed, and Washington, but looked explosive before suffering an injury against Purdue. He's been the lead back for most of the fall with Washington and Limar limited. Bonner took the spring to adjust to the college game but has had a stronger fall and is entering the season on an upward trajectory after signing with the Huskies as a top-100 recruit.

But with a wide receiver group that also has some questions about returning experience and a team that is ranked No. 17 in the preseason AP poll, signaling legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations, the Huskies may want somebody more proven to raise the floor of their running game. That's where Hankerson could come in after rushing for over 1,000 yards the last two years at Oregon State, averaging 4.5 yards per carry and scoring 24 touchdowns.

Four of Hankerson's five 100-yard games last season came against Group of 6 or FCS competition, but he did also cross the century mark with 101 yards against ACC foe Wake Forest last season. He took 5 carries for 10 yards in Seattle's recent preseason game against the Tennessee Titans as well.

Most players that have entered the portal via this ruling have also seemed to have a destination in mind when entering, which could point Hankerson to the Huskies as well. Washington has a bit longer than most schools to get students enrolled, since the quarter system school year does not start for about a month, and Oregon State's staff was fired and has scattered throughout the country. Head coach Trent Bray is now the defensive coordinator at Washington State, offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson is the quarterbacks coach at Utah, and running backs coach Ray Pickering now holds the same title at UTEP.

It's already hard to predict how the backfield will shake out in two weeks when Washington faces Washington State in the Apple Cup, but a late wrench like the availability of Hankerson has the potential to both shake up and stabilize one of the positions with the most questions for the Huskies.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington could leverage new NCAA ruling to address RB questions

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