Jedd Fisch isn’t spending much time chasing the noise around college football’s biggest talking points. As Washington heads into his third season, the Huskies’ coach is keeping his focus on the people in the room - the players who have built this roster and the standard he believes they can keep raising in 2026.
Speaking to media members in Chicago, Fisch opened by expressing deep appreciation for his family, university leadership under President Jones and Athletic Director Pat Chun, and Commissioner Tony Petitti’s guidance of the conference. But he quickly steered the conversation back to what he sees as the real story.
“Somewhere along the way, we've lost track of the players and spent so much time talking about NIL and the transfer portal... We've lost track of the very special kids that represent college athletics and college sports,” Fisch said.
That theme carried through the rest of his remarks. Washington, he said, has leaned on high-school recruiting and internal development rather than building through the transfer portal.
In Fisch’s words, “This team was not bought; this team was built. This team was built from 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds,”
The Huskies return 58 players from a team that brings back starters at 20 of 22 positions. The roster also features more than 400 career college starts, even while remaining one of the youngest groups in the country.
Fisch was joined in Chicago by linebacker Jacob Manu, quarterback Demond Williams and center Landen Hatchett. He had especially strong praise for Williams, who is entering his second season as a starter and, according to Fisch, has already taken full control of the locker room.
The coach also addressed the realities of life in the Big Ten, where Washington’s travel schedule stretches across three time zones and adds a layer of difficulty to every week. Fisch said the program has leaned on advice from NFL coaching minds like Sean McVay and approaches travel with an NFL-level professional mindset in order to get players ready for the highest level of competition.
That grind, Fisch said, helps forge a different kind of toughness. And with the program guided by its five-word acronym SPELL - respect, accountability, integrity, selflessness, and enthusiasm - Washington believes it has the foundation to keep pushing forward in Seattle.
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