With a bye week on deck after the win over Purdue, the Husky coaching staff is about to spend the weekend on the road doing what staffs do at this time of year: chasing future talent. The focus is mainly on the 2028 class, though the coaches are also checking in on some of their top 2028 targets.
There hasn’t been much movement to report in the 2027 class, and that makes sense given the Huskies’ recent rough three-game stretch. Even so, the class appears steady. Unless there’s a major staff shakeup, there doesn’t seem to be much reason to expect significant churn, because most of the commitments sound fully locked in.
One name worth highlighting is three-star offensive line commit Reis Russell from Valor Christian HS in Colorado. Russell has put together a strong senior season and has shown off his versatility by moving out to tackle and thriving there.
The Husky staff expects him to stay inside and play center at the next level, though he should also have the ability to slide to guard if needed. On film, he looks like a tough, physical blocker, the kind of player who can bring more edge to the offensive line.
The Huskies also picked up some action in the 2028 cycle with an offer to four-star defensive lineman RJ Wyms from The Woodlands College Park HS in Texas. Wyms is ranked as the 36th-best player in the country and the No. 4 defensive lineman.
He profiles as an explosive lineman who should fit as a 5T in college. A lot of major programs are in the mix, so landing him will be a challenge, but the Huskies remain active in Texas and are clearly trying to keep pulling top-tier talent out of the state.
In Other News...
Washington May Have Another Running Back Problem After Breakout Ground Game
Washingtons ground game finally looked like a real strength against Purdue, with Trey Cooley and Brian Bonner both giving the Huskies a boost in what stood as their best rushing performance of the season. But the celebration came with another familiar worry for a backfield that has been battered all year, as six of the teams nine running backs have already missed time in some form.
Cooley, a sixth-year back, left the game with a shoulder injury and is set to undergo evaluation that includes x-rays. The timing only adds to the concern for a unit that had just four healthy running backs available against Purdue, with several others already expected to be out for the season, leaving Washington to wonder whether its long-awaited breakthrough on the ground might be followed by another setback. [Read more 🡒]
Washington's Quarterback Decision Just Got More Complicated At The Worst Time
Elijah Brown got his first start of the season and made it hard for Washington to ignore him, filling in for the injured Demond Williams Jr. and helping the Huskies beat Purdue 38-26. Brown threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns, but the outing also came with three interceptions, a reminder of both his upside and the volatility that can come with handing a young quarterback the keys in a critical stretch.
With Nebraska next on the schedule, Jedd Fisch was not ready to settle the discussion. The Huskies still have to sort out whether Brown's breakthrough performance is enough to keep him in the lineup or whether Williams will be back in time to reclaim the job, and the timing is hardly ideal for a team trying to build momentum and stability at the most important position on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Gets A Clear Opening As Nebraska Brings Real Concerns
Nebraskas trip to Oregon left more than just a loss on the ledger. The Cornhuskers dropped a 17-14 decision after carrying a fourth-quarter lead for the second straight game, a frustrating pattern that speaks to how close they have been in recent weeks and how often things have slipped away late. Special teams inconsistency and a rushing attack that has struggled to find traction have only added to the unease around a team that has shown enough to hang around, but not enough to finish.
For Washington, the timing matters. Nebraska now gets a bye week before hosting the Huskies, giving Matt Rhule and his staff a brief window to sort through the issues and the injury situation that surfaced after the Oregon game. Rhule referenced injuries to Gunnar Gottula, Isaiah Mozee and Jamal Rule afterward, and those concerns only deepen the questions around a team already searching for steadier execution on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]