Washington’s 2026 roster is shaping up as a seasoned group, and that matters with USC on the schedule.
Even after seven players had their names called in the 2026 NFL draft, Jedd Fisch’s team still enters his third season with one of the more experienced rosters in college football. According to TruMedia’s database, Washington has 25,219 snaps on the books, which ranks No. 32 nationally and No. 7 in the Big Ten behind UCLA, Indiana, Nebraska, Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State.
That total stands out even more when you consider what the Huskies are replacing. Offensive linemen Zach Henning and Paki Finau, running back Adam Mohammed, and wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright all started multiple games for Washington in 2025.
The good news for Washington is that the depth chart isn’t being rebuilt from scratch. The transfer portal brought in Virginia cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, Sam Houston State offensive tackle Kolt Dieterich, and Ball State defensive tackle Darin Conley, giving the Huskies more experienced pieces to help fill the gaps.
There’s also a clear sign of how Fisch wants this program built. More than 3,000 of those snaps came from players who were true freshmen in 2025, including Freshman All-Americans safety Rylon Dillard-Allen, offensive lineman John Mills, and wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck.
USC, meanwhile, is bringing back plenty of proven production on offense. That makes the matchup’s experience angle especially interesting, because the real test will come when Washington’s returning defensive starters line up against the Trojans’ returning offensive starters.
In Other News...
USC May Have Its Next Breakout Target For Jayden Maiava
Tanook Hines gave USC a real glimpse of what the passing game could look like down the stretch last season, when the sophomore receiver moved into a starting role and became a more reliable option for Jayden Maiava. His rise came at the right time for a Trojans offense that is trying to sort out its next wave of targets, and it helped set the expectation that Hines could be one of the players who helps define the room this fall.
The tricky part is that Hines missed spring practice after an offseason procedure, leaving Maiava to build timing with a very different group of receivers. USC spent those weeks mixing in six signees from the 2026 class, along with transfers and other young options such as Terrell Anderson, Zacharyus Williams, Corey Simms and Romero Ison, which only adds to the sense that the Trojans have more pieces to work with but still need the right one to emerge. [Read more 🡒]
USC May Finally Have The Newcomers To Fix Its Biggest Problem
Lincoln Riley spent the offseason trying to solve the same issue that has tripped up USC for years, and the early signs point to the defense finally getting some real help. With Gary Patterson in place to run that side of the ball, the Trojans have also added a wave of newcomers who should matter right away, from freshman edge rusher Luke Wafle to transfer help at corner, on the interior and at linebacker.
The mix is what makes it interesting for USC. Wafle brings pass-rush upside, while Jontez Williams, Alex VanSumeren and Deven Bryant give the Trojans bodies and experience at spots that needed both. Whether that group turns promise into actual stability will be one of the biggest questions around the program when the season starts, and it is the kind of question USC cannot afford to leave hanging for long. [Read more 🡒]
Why USC's Pass Rush May Hinge On This Rising Trojans Edge
Kameryn Crawford has already done enough at USC to make the edge-rusher conversation feel a little different than it did a year ago. After flashing as a freshman and then turning that promise into production as a sophomore, the defensive end moved into a starting role when an injury opened the door, and he made the most of it with a season that put him at the front of the Trojans pass-rush picture.
Now the question is less about whether Crawford belongs and more about how much higher his ceiling can go in a deeper defensive end room. Shaun Nua has pointed to the added talent and depth along the line, which gives USC more options and more pressure off the edge, but it also puts a spotlight on Crawford as one of the players most likely to shape how disruptive this defense can be. [Read more 🡒]