The Washington Huskies are heading into the Apple Cup with a running back plan that looks a lot different from the one they used last season. Instead of leaning on one workhorse, head coach Jedd Fisch says the backfield will be handled more like a committee, with second-year back Quaid Carr getting the first crack at the starting role.
Carr is listed atop the depth chart for Sunday’s season-opener against Washington State, but he won’t be carrying the load alone. Jayden Limar and Trey Cooley are right there behind him, and Fisch made it clear on Monday that all three should see the field in meaningful ways.
"Quaid, Jayden and Trey will all get significant work," Fisch said Monday. "Quaid has certainly earned the starting role based on all of the reps he took in the spring, all the reps he took in training camp and really being the lead back. ... We're gonna have to figure out a rotation, probably much more a by-committee than we did with Jonah last year."
That marks a notable shift from Washington’s recent setup. Jonah Coleman handled 349 carries over two seasons with the Huskies and was the offense’s bellcow when healthy. This time around, the staff appears ready to spread the touches around and see which back separates from the pack.
Carr’s rise came out of necessity in the spring after third-year back Jordan Washington suffered a neck injury. At that point, Limar and Cooley were still unavailable as they recovered from injuries of their own from last season, leaving Carr to take the lead role through the offseason work.
Now the depth chart reflects the way camp played out. Limar, a fourth-year transfer from Oregon, sits second. Cooley, a sixth-year transfer from Troy, is third.
The three backs bring different profiles to the offense. Limar spent three seasons as a backup at Oregon and finished there with 95 carries for 442 yards and four touchdowns, along with 20 receptions for 207 yards and one score.
Cooley’s college résumé stretches across Georgia Tech and Louisville, where he piled up 215 carries for 1,009 yards and six touchdowns and added 33 catches for 355 yards and four touchdowns. He did not take a snap last season with Troy after suffering a knee injury in preseason practice.
Carr, meanwhile, is still early in his college career. In his true freshman season last year, he played in two games, ran the ball four times for 14 yards and added one catch for five yards.
For now, Washington’s backfield is less about one featured runner and more about finding the right mix. Sunday will be the first real look at how that rotation comes together.
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Jedd Fisch Just Put Washington Fans On Alert About The Apple Cup
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Jedd Fisch said he hopes the Apple Cup keeps going, which is hardly a surprise from a coach who understands what the game means on both sides of the state line. Still, the uncertainty surrounding the rivalrys long-term future is hard to ignore, and it leaves Washington supporters watching not just this years matchup, but the bigger picture of whether one of the Pac-12s defining traditions will remain in place. [Read more 🡒]
Washingtons Big Ten Respect Problem Is Already Fueling Debate
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Washington's Apple Cup Front Faces A Huge Test Sooner Than Expected
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Elinneus Davis, the veteran in the group, has become an important stabilizer for the line, and he has sounded confident about how the younger players fit beside him. The chemistry, the preparation and the fact that both freshmen have forced their way into starting roles all point to a unit that is being trusted sooner than most expected, which makes this matchup one of the more intriguing tests on Washingtons schedule. [Read more 🡒]