Day 18 of Washington’s fall camp had a different feel inside Husky Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. The grind of competition is still there, but the Huskies are clearly moving into the part of camp where practice starts looking more like a game week.
That showed up in the way periods were organized. At one point, the No. 1 offense worked against the scout team defense while the scout team offense lined up against the No. 1 defense. It was the kind of setup that gives both top units the looks they’d normally get from an opponent.
Washington also revealed its 2026 team captains earlier in the day: QB Demond Williams, OL Landen Hatchett, OL John Mills, OL Drew Azzopardi, DL Elinneus Davis, LB Jacob Manu, and Safety Alex McLaughlin. After practice, all seven went to the southeast corner of the field to introduce themselves to boosters on the sideline.
On the field, there were encouraging signs from a few players working their way up the ladder. Champ Taulealea, Geirean Hatchett, and Trey Cooley continued to ramp up on offense, while Jacob Manu, Dylan Robinson, and Isaiah Ward did the same on defense.
Not everyone was fully dressed for contact. Landen Hatchett and Donovan Robinson were in workout clothes, while Mason James and Xe'ree Alexander wore gold non-contact jerseys. Interior offensive lineman Lowen Colman-Brusa was present with a brace on one of his legs, and receiver Trez Davis briefly left before returning to finish practice without issue.
The workout itself lasted two hours and didn’t feature any real hitting, but there were still a few moments that stood out. Washington hit the defense on a couple busts, including one that would have sent Quaid Carr 70 yards to the end zone.
The defensive highlight came when Emmanuel Karnley intercepted a Dash Beierly throw intended for Justice Williams. Williams got a hand on the deep ball first, but the pass bounced off him and right into Karnley’s arms. Karnley then turned upfield and took it the rest of the way for a touchdown.
Logan George also flashed with a pair of pass-rush moves against backup right tackle Justin Hylkema that resulted in touch sacks. More broadly, the defensive line kept finding success against the offensive front.
At center, Kolt Dieterich continued working with the first team, though Geirean Hatchett got a healthy number of reps there too. During special teams work, the two were seen snapping to each other off to the side while Landen Hatchett spoke with Dieterich.
Dieterich’s snaps, when they’ve missed, have mostly been high. Williams has often been athletic enough to recover, but there have also been times when the ball has sailed too far for him to have a chance.
The staff is aware of it, and Michael Switzer and the players are working to reduce any issues before they become a problem. Still, with a new center in place, some adjustment is natural. The positive for Washington is that Dieterich already looks like an experienced, sharp lineman who has picked up the position quickly.
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