Washington may finally be close to getting a key piece of its offensive line back.
Fourth-year center Landen Hatchett is listed as questionable for the Huskies’ first road game of the season against No. 18 USC, set for 4:30 p.m.
PT on Oct. 4 at L.A. Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.
If he goes, it would end a stretch on the sideline that began with a wrist injury he suffered last season.
Hatchett has not played this season, but he returned to practice in the week before Washington’s game against Minnesota. He did not take part in competitive 11-on-11 work, yet he has kept building back toward full speed and is now a game-time decision for Saturday.
The injury dates back to Oct. 25, 2025, when Hatchett was hurt against Illinois. Even after that, he appeared in two more games last season, against Wisconsin on Nov. 8, 2025, and Oregon on Nov. 29, 2025.
He had surgery in December, and at the time, the coaching staff did not believe the recovery would cost him games. The initial expectation was that he would be back during training camp, and when that didn’t happen, the target shifted to Washington’s Big Ten opener against Minnesota.
A second surgery on the same wrist in May pushed the timeline back again.
"When he had the surgery that first week in December, there was no thought process at all - we felt he would be fully involved starting June 1. But then he had another surgery in (April or May).
And, at that point in time, we were still under the impression that, if all things went great, he would be back for the second-to-last week of training camp. As things progressed, it was longer than we all hoped in progress.
So, therefore, it started becoming a week-to-week thing starting Week 3 of the season. ... We're finally at a spot where we're able to take it all the way to the last minute and see what it looks like.
And we're getting pretty close to being able to make it work."
In Other News...
Washington Heads To USC With One Big Break On Defense
Washingtons trip to USC picked up a little more defensive intrigue this week, and not because of anything the Huskies did on the field. The Trojans will be without linebacker Desman Stephens after he was suspended for one game following the illegal late hit that got him ejected against Oregon, a play that drew plenty of attention and forced USC to address both discipline and player safety.
For Washington, the timing matters because the Huskies are also expecting key defenders back from injury as they head into a tricky road matchup. USC coach Lincoln Riley said the suspension was necessary and stressed the programs support for Oregon quarterback Dante Moore as he recovers, but the bigger ripple for Saturday is that Washington will not have to prepare for Stephens on the other side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Washingtons Run Game Has Turned Into A Real Early Problem
Washingtons rushing game has been one of the early trouble spots of the season, and it has shown up in a hurry. Through four weeks, the Huskies sit near the bottom of the Big Ten in rushing yards per game, a sign that the ground attack has not yet found any rhythm as the league schedule starts to tighten.
The issues have been compounded by a thin backfield, with injuries slicing into the group Washington expected to lean on. Jordan Washington, Quaid Carr, Jayden Limar and Julian McMahan have all been part of the setback, leaving Brian Bonner and Trey Cooley to handle most of the load while Ansu Sanoe and Ryken Moon fill in around them. The result is a rotation still trying to settle, and the bigger concern is whether the Huskies can stabilize it before the absence list gets any longer. [Read more 🡒]
USC Suddenly Has A Linebacker Problem Heading Into Washington
USCs defense will look different when Washington comes to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and not just because of the usual late-season turnover. The Trojans are already managing a linebacker shuffle after Desman Stephens II was sidelined, leaving a vacancy in the middle of a defense that has to deal with a Huskies offense built around quarterback Demon Williams Jr. and his ability to threaten teams as a runner and a passer.
TaMere Robinson is the veteran now asked to step into the spot and steady things for USC, bringing experience from his time at Penn State into a game that figures to test his range and discipline. For Washington, it adds another wrinkle to a matchup that already had enough intrigue, because the Huskies may have found one more area where they can press an opponent that suddenly has to adjust on the fly. [Read more 🡒]