Washington football gets positive injury news regarding starting WR

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The Washington Huskies will have one of their regular starters this weekend against Eastern Washington despite an injury last week against Utah State.

Wide receiver Rashid Williams, who left the Utah State game with what head coach Jedd Fisch called an oblique issue, is cleared to play and will start on Saturday, Fisch told the media on Thursday.

Williams' health is a massive boost for Washington's receiving corps, considering the Huskies also learned this week that Kennesaw State transfer and starting X receiver Christian Moss will be out until at least November 1 with a lower-body injury. Wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings told the media on Tuesday that the team is hopeful that Moss will be able to return this season, but it's still a massive blow to lose a player who teammates and coaches alike raved about this summer and fall.

Sophomore Chris Lawson will take over for Moss in the meantime, but Lawson would have likely moved over to Williams' Z receiver spot with freshman Jordan Clay starting at X had Williams needed to miss time.

Instead, the Huskies can keep both Clay and freshman Trez Davis, both of whom had 4 catches against Utah State, on the second line of the depth chart and bring them along at a more reasonable pace while Williams, Lawson, and sophomore Dezmen Roebuck take the bulk of the work. Lawson leads all receivers with 116 yards on 7 catches and nearly came down with an impressive acrobatic touchdown catch against Utah State. Roebuck leads the team in receptions with 14 for 100 yards. Williams has 4 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, Washington's only passing touchdown of the season and Williams' first inside Husky Stadium.

Clay and Davis are the only other receivers who have recorded a catch, although Justice Williams has also seen limited time this season. Justice Williams is primarily an X receiver, however, so it was a bit unclear who would take snaps at Z after Davis if Rashid Williams was out for any significant amount of time. Washington has gotten good production from their tight ends, however, with Baron Naone and Decker DeGraaf combining for 15 receptions for 116 yards in two games.

A few other Huskies, like defensive tackle Elinneus Davis, cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, and center Landen Hatchett, will not suit up against Eastern Washington but are expected to be back next week to open Big Ten play against Minnesota. The fact that Williams has avoided being lumped into that group and will play on Saturday is great news for his health and is a positive development for a player who has suffered terrible injury luck during his three-plus seasons on Montlake.

Washington kicks off with Eastern Washington at 4:15 p.m. PT on Saturday in Husky Stadium.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington football gets positive injury news regarding starting WR

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