SEATTLE - The Washington Huskies are heading into their regular-season opener with a wide receiver room built for flexibility, and that change could give Jedd Fisch more ways to move pieces around when the Apple Cup kicks off Sunday at Husky Stadium.
When Washington faces Washington State at 1 p.m. PT, it will also be the third season Fisch and wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings have worked together in Seattle.
In the first two years, the Huskies leaned on receivers with clearly defined jobs, including Denzel Boston, the team’s top receiver over the last two seasons. Boston is now with the Cleveland Browns after being selected in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
That setup has changed this year. Instead of assigning receivers to one spot and leaving them there, Fisch and Cummings have pushed the group to learn all three wide receiver positions.
Those spots are the “X,” the “Z” and the slot, or “F.” In the past, Boston handled the “X” role for Washington, while the rest of the room was taught with more fixed responsibilities. This season, the Huskies want more players who can shift around without the offense losing rhythm.
At least two starters on the depth chart for the Apple Cup fit that mold. Sixth-year receiver Christian Moss won the starting “X” job during the offseason, and second-year receiver Dezmen Roebuck moved from the “Z” last season to the “F” this offseason. Second-year receiver Chris Lawson, listed behind Roebuck and starting “Z” receiver Rashid Williams, is another player with the ability to line up at all three spots.
That versatility has raised the overall level of understanding in the room, and Fisch can use it to change looks more smoothly and hunt for favorable matchups more often.
“All offseason, we really talked about how we can get a bunch of guys in different positions and see what different guys can do in different scenarios,” Cummings said in a weekly news conference Tuesday. “I think the leadership of (third-year quarterback Demond Williams Jr.) has a lot to do with that. I think his ability to grab receivers on the side and talk to them about what he expects them to do on each play, I think has been a huge part (of what we want to do), especially in the summer time when we were out for a little bit.
In Other News...
Washington Has More Than The Apple Cup Riding On This Opener
The Apple Cup is always a measuring-stick game, but Washingtons season opener at Husky Stadium carries an extra layer of importance this year. As the Huskies get ready to face Washington State, the game will double as a showcase for the program, with several top football recruits set to be on hand to take in the atmosphere and evaluate what Washington has to offer.
Among the visitors is Antijuan Wilkes Jr., one of the most highly regarded prospects in the country, along with Mylan Griggs, a four-star receiver from Cass Technical in Michigan. Their presence gives Washington a chance to make a strong first impression on talent from different regions, and it adds another reason for the Huskies to want their opener to feel like more than just an early-season rivalry game. [Read more 🡒]
Apple Cup Still Means Everything As Jedd Fisch Eyes A Statement Win
Jedd Fisch has already learned how much the Apple Cup means in this job, and he will get another reminder when Washington opens the season against Washington State at Husky Stadium. The rivalry comes first on the schedule for both teams, which only adds to the weight of a game that still carries more than bragging rights in Seattle.
Fisch has talked about the trophy as something players understand quickly once they are around the program, and that has helped turn an old rivalry into an immediate measuring stick for his tenure. With the Huskies set for another chapter against the Cougars, the game offers an early chance to show where this team stands and to see whether Fisch can keep building on the way he has handled this series so far. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Gets An Early Apple Cup Test Fans Will Be Watching Closely
Week 1 brings a familiar rivalry matchup into an unusual spot on the calendar, and the early Apple Cup carries the kind of intrigue that tends to follow Washington State into a new season. The Cougars are starting over on offense under Kirby Moore, with Caden Pinnick expected to be the face of that side of the ball, which gives this opener a very different feel than the one Huskies fans have grown used to seeing in recent years.
Washington still gets the benefit of a roster that looks deeper in the places that matter most for a game like this, even with the cross-state meeting landing before either team has had much chance to settle in. Washington States rebuild under Jimmy Rogers has leaned heavily on defense, which leaves the Huskies looking at a thinner opponent on the other side of the ball and makes this one of the Week 1 games in the state worth following closely from the opening whistle. [Read more 🡒]