Dawgman’s latest look at Washington’s linebackers points to a room that could end up carrying a lot of weight for the Huskies this season. The key move was made last year, when UW used a red-shirt on Jacob Manu.
That came with some short-term pain, but the payoff could be real this fall. Manu now joins a group that includes rising talents Xe’Ree Alexander and Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, and the room has the kind of depth and upside that could make it one of the best in the country.
On the quarterback front, Sports Illustrated ranked every QB in the Power 4 conferences and put Demond Williams seventh among 68 players. SI did note Williams’s issues against top defenses, but also pointed out that not many of the quarterbacks ahead of him can claim a better proven record against elite competition.
There’s also a fresh list of breakout candidates on the UW offense from Huskies Wire, and the names make sense given the turnover at some of the skill spots. Jordan Clay and Quaid Carr are among the players highlighted as candidates to produce more this year.
And on the basketball side, Washington now knows its opening matchup in the Maui Invitational. The Huskies will start against BYU, a team that still looks loaded even with AJ Dybantsa now in DC. The Cougars remain one of the best funded and most talented teams around, which means the new-look Dawgs are getting a serious test right out of the gate.
In Other News...
Danny Sprinkle's New-Look Huskies Face An Early Maui Reality Check
The Maui Invitational will give Danny Sprinkles Washington program an early measuring stick in 2026, and it comes at a time when the Huskies are still sorting out what this roster is going to look like. Washington is set to play in the Hawaii event and already knows BYU will be part of the trip, with the rest of the tournament slate still to be filled in around a field that should provide plenty of pressure before the season settles in.
For the Huskies, the bigger picture is just as important as the matchup list. Washington has six returning players and nine newcomers, and the nonconference calendar already includes Colgate and Baylor while six more games remain to be announced. Even before the Maui pairings are finalized, the schedule is shaping up as a clear test of how quickly this group can come together against quality competition. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Just Cleared A Huge Recruiting Test Under Danny Sprinkle
Washingtons early work in the Class of 2027 is already starting to show up on the national radar, even with just one commitment in hand for 2026. The Huskies are in the mix for five-star small forward Malachi Jordan, who has trimmed his list to eight schools, and that alone is a notable step for Danny Sprinkles staff as it tries to build momentum on the trail.
Jordans recruitment still has plenty of moving parts, with official visits lined up for several of the programs chasing him. Rivals currently has Vanderbilt as the front-runner, with Washington sitting fourth in the odds, so the Huskies have more ground to make up if they want to turn a strong early position into a real closing opportunity. [Read more 🡒]