Washington heads into 2026 with real buzz after a second season under Jedd Fisch that pushed the Huskies from 6-7 to 9-4. The optimism is already showing up nationally, too, with Washington landing at No. 19 in the first Coaches Poll. But for all the momentum, there’s still one big question hanging over the Apple Cup opener: who steps into the role left behind by Denzel Boston at wide receiver?
Boston’s final season at UW was a monster. The Emerald Ridge High School product finished his four-year run in 2025 with 62 catches, 881 yards and 11 touchdown grabs, leading the Huskies in every one of those categories. That kind of production doesn’t get replaced easily, even with several key pieces back and a deep room of pass-catchers for Demond Williams to work with.
There are obvious internal candidates. Freshman all-american Dezmen Roebuck finished second on the team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in 2025, and he looks like a natural candidate to become Williams’ top target. Rashid Williams also has the kind of recruiting profile that makes you think a breakout could be coming, especially after being talked about as a reliable option when healthy during spring and fall work.
But Washington also went outside the program, adding Ohio State’s Bodpegn Miller and Kennesaw State veteran Christian Moss. And Moss is the name that stands out if you’re looking for a player built to handle the X receiver spot.
The fit starts with the frame. Moss checks in at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, only an inch shorter and 10 pounds lighter than Boston.
That size matters at the outside spot, where a receiver has to deal with press coverage and win on contested throws. Moss has the length and strength to do that.
He’s also already done the job at the FBS level. Last season at Kennesaw State, about 90 percent of his snaps came as an outside receiver, and he made that role count with 45 catches for nearly 700 yards and two touchdowns.
The easy pushback is obvious: Kennesaw State in C-USA is not the Big Ten. But Moss did more than put up numbers against lesser competition.
In his 2025 game log, his two toughest matchups by PFF team grade were Liberty and defending national champion Indiana. In those two games, he caught eight of 10 targets for 126 yards and a touchdown.
That kind of output against elite opponents makes it easier to believe his game can travel.
There are still areas Washington will want cleaned up. Moss had five drops last season, which would have led the Huskies in 2025.
He also caught just three of nine contested-catch chances, according to PFF. Those are the kinds of details Kevin Cummings and the staff will be working on with him.
Even so, there are reasons to think the numbers can improve in Seattle. Demond Williams completed 69.5 percent of his passes last year, while Kennesaw State finished at 61.6 percent.
Washington also had only seven drops as a team in 2025, compared with 17 for the Owls. Put Moss with a more accurate quarterback and a cleaner passing game, and the opportunity for better results is obvious.
There’s also the matter of experience. Moss was in his fifth year of college football last season, but he wasn’t exactly overloaded with game reps before that.
He had played in just 15 total games and caught 20 passes entering 2025. That made last year a breakout not just in production, but in availability.
And when Moss had his chances against the best teams, he made them count. All three of his contested catches came against Indiana.
Washington needs someone to claim the outside role left open by Boston, and Moss has the size, the résumé and the production profile to make a real push. He also showed enough splash-play ability last season, with a 20-plus yard reception in eight games, to suggest there’s more there. The Huskies have plenty of options, but Moss looks like a legitimate candidate to become a major part of the offense in 2026.
In Other News...
Washington's Transfer Class Could Decide How Far The Huskies Go
Washington spent the offseason reshaping its roster through the portal, bringing in 14 transfer players as it looks to build on last season and keep pace in a competitive Big Ten race. A handful of newcomers stand out right away because of both their experience and the positions they fill, including cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, defensive lineman Darin Conley, kicker Tyler Robles and running back Jayden Limar.
Karnley and Conley figure to help a defense that needs more reliable play on the back end and up front, while Robles gives the Huskies a specialist with a chance to stabilize a key spot. Limar, meanwhile, adds another layer to the offense as Washington tries to sort out its rotation and find answers that can hold up over a full season. The talent is there, but how quickly those transfers settle in may end up saying a lot about just how far the Huskies can go. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Camp Battle Is Starting To Reveal A Defensive Climber
Washingtons training camp brought the Huskies back inside Husky Stadium for a practice that mixed offense-versus-defense drills with a few notable absences, and the defense came away looking like the sharper side for much of the day. The offense still had its moments, with Christian Moss and Justice Williams both flashing in spots, but the overall tone of the workout leaned toward a unit that was winning more of the key battles.
Among the players drawing attention was freshman safety Gavin Day, who kept showing up around the football and continuing a camp trend that has made him hard to ignore. With several Huskies sidelined for the session, the door was open for younger players to make an impression, and Day appears to be climbing fast enough to force the staff to keep a closer eye on how much more he can carve out before the season turns from competition to consequence. [Read more 🡒]
Washingtons Backup QB Battle Is Starting To Get Real
Jedd Fischs latest look at Washington camp had a little bit of everything, from the defensive front to the quarterback room, but the most interesting subplot might be the one behind Demond Williams Jr. Stanford transfer Elijah Brown is in the mix to become the Huskies No. 2 quarterback, with Dash Beierly and Tristan Kini McMillan also trying to make that job their own as fall work continues. Its the kind of competition that can shape a season quietly at first, especially for a team that wants every snap in August to sort itself out before the games start counting.
Fisch also pointed to the defensive line, where Ramzak Frueans explosiveness has stood out and Taitai Uiagaleleis return adds another layer of depth for Washington. For a roster trying to build stability on both sides of the ball, those developments matter just as much as the headline battle under center. The Huskies have already seen one offseason story line settle into place at quarterback, but the backup race is still one of the cleaner ways to measure how much trust this team really has behind its starter. [Read more 🡒]