With the season nearing, the focus in Seattle shifts from who the Huskies lost through the portal to who arrived ready to make an immediate difference in 2026. Washington added 14 transfers this offseason, and a few of them look positioned to play major roles right away. One of them stands out above the rest.
The clearest plug-and-play addition may be cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, who comes to Washington from Virginia after previously being at Arizona. There’s obvious value in bringing in a player this staff already knows well, and Karnley fits that mold even if his path to Montlake took a slight detour.
He brings real game experience with 10 starts and more than 1,000 snaps under his belt. Washington had youth in the cornerback room, but Karnley gives the Huskies something more: a veteran who can step in and potentially win the starting job at CB immediately.
Up front, Darin Conley should also factor heavily into the rotation. The Ball State transfer gives Washington another quality defensive lineman, and he appears to be in strong position to compete for a starting spot against true freshman Derek Colman-Brusa.
Even if Conley doesn’t open the year with the first unit, that may not matter much in a defense that likes to rotate. Either way, he should see plenty of snaps and help maintain the level of play along the defensive line.
Special teams could get a major boost from Tyler Robles, who arrives from Texas State after also spending time at USC. In a sport where winning the hidden battle matters, Robles gives Washington a real weapon.
He went 21-for-23 on field goals last season, including 3-for-4 from 50 yards and beyond. That 91.3% rate led all FBS kickers who attempted at least 20 field goals.
It also landed him on the preseason watchlist for the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the top placekicker in college football.
Still, the transfer with the biggest potential impact may be Jayden Limar. Washington needs someone to stabilize the backfield after Jonah Coleman headed to the NFL and Adam Mohamad transferred to Cal.
That need only grew after Jordan Washington suffered a severe injury, leaving the Huskies short on experienced options at running back. Limar was a depth piece at Oregon, but he made the most of his chances, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
He missed spring ball because of injury, but if Washington is going to take a step forward this fall, the run game will have to do its part, and Limar looks like the back most likely to lead that effort.
In Other News...
Washington Faces One Huge Question In Replacing Denzel Boston
Washingtons rise under Jedd Fisch gives the Huskies a sturdy place to start entering 2026. After finishing 9-4 and landing at No. 19 in the initial Coaches Poll, the program has enough momentum to believe it can stay in the national conversation, but one offseason storyline stands above the rest: replacing Denzel Boston. He was the teams most productive receiver in 2025, leading Washington in receptions, yards and touchdowns, and his departure leaves a sizable hole in an offense that leaned on him in big moments.
The Huskies do have options, and the competition to fill that void should be one of the more interesting camp battles on the roster. Freshman Dezmen Roebuck, Rashid Williams and a transfer from Kennesaw State are all in the mix, giving Washington a blend of youth and experience to sort through. The bigger question is whether anyone can match Bostons combination of reliability and physical presence, because for a team with postseason expectations, finding the right answer there could shape how high this offense can climb. [Read more 🡒]
Dezmen Roebuck Is Giving Washington A New Go-To Threat
During Washingtons fall training camp, Dezmen Roebuck has been making a clear case for a bigger role in the Huskies passing game. The second-year wide receiver has shown up repeatedly with touchdown catches and the kind of steady first-down grabs that help keep drives moving, the sort of production coaches notice quickly when the offense is still sorting out its identity.
Jedd Fisch has taken notice too, drawing a comparison between Roebucks growing role and that of a former high-performing receiver while signaling that the expectations are rising with him. For a Washington offense looking for a reliable option who can win consistently, Roebucks camp has offered a promising glimpse of what he might become once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Curtis Williams Still Defines A Painful Part Of Washington Football
George Fleming, Wayne Moses and Bishop Sankey all left distinct marks on Washington football, from championship glory to record-setting production to a long pro career that kept the program in the spotlight. Fleming helped power the 1961 Rose Bowl win before going on to a political career, Moses went from standout player to coach, and Sankeys rushing totals made him one of the more memorable backs to wear the purple and gold.
Curtis Williams remains part of that same school of remembered Huskies, but for a far more painful reason. His playing career ended in tragedy, and his death in 2002 stands as the only death of a Washington student-athlete caused by a sports-related injury, a sobering line in the programs history that still lingers whenever the school looks back at its notable names. [Read more 🡒]