Quaid Carr is still early in his college run, but he’s already talking like a back who knows what the job demands. Jayden Limar, meanwhile, is closer to the end of his career and sounding comfortable in a role that asks him to do a little of everything. Both were asked recently about the same thing: how they fit into Washington’s offense, how they’re handling the competition for carries, and what they’ve put in over the offseason to get ready.
For Carr, the biggest change has been the body. He said he has added “about 14 to 15 pounds” since arriving, a gain he sees as necessary in the Big Ten.
The work has shown up most in the weight room, where he pointed to his bench press and power clean as the strength numbers that have improved the most. He even joked about keeping pace with Limar: “You see this dude's biceps right here, man?
I'm trying to look like him.”
Carr said his focus has been on development under coach Scottie Graham, with help from Limar and Trey Cooley as he learns the offense and grows into the position. He said he isn’t surprised to be in line for a bigger opportunity this year.
“No, I'm not. I'm not surprised.
I've been working towards this. Me and coach Graham have had our talks, but no, I'm not surprised.
I'm ready. I think I've developed well.
I still have got room to develop but, I'm ready.”
The mental side has been part of the process too. Carr said he’s leaned on prayer and conversations with the older backs, especially Limar, to stay steady as the expectations rise.
“Honestly, I've just been praying. God's going to put you in the right opportunities and the right places, so I've been praying.
I've been having my talks with the older guys, especially Jayden. He's been helping me, been calming my mind, trying not to stress about it.”
The rotation, though, is still unresolved. Carr said the staff hasn’t laid out exactly how many backs will be involved in the regular offense.
“We have not. It's still out there.
Everybody's still trying to earn their spot. So no, we haven't yet.”
What Carr says he’s done to keep moving forward is pretty straightforward: get stronger, keep adding weight, and keep learning. He said he’s closing in on his 200-pound goal, and he’s also trying to become more valuable in the passing game.
The biggest challenge, he said, is simply absorbing the volume of the offense. Washington has installed “probably” about 400 plays in camp, and sorting through all of that has been the hardest part.
Limar, from his end, likes what he’s seen from Carr. The thing that stands out most, he said, is the way Carr carries himself now.
“Just the confidence growth. I would say coming in, I knew he had a lot of talent and I saw that (from the start) and then this spring, obviously I wasn't out there, so just to watch the confidence and just grow.
You see it out here now in fall, his confidence is soaring through the roof and that's what you want to see.”
He also doesn’t think Carr’s size goals are out of reach. Limar said the freshman was his lift partner when he first got to Washington, and the work has already started to show.
“It ain't going to be hard for him. He was my lift partner when I first got here and so the minute I got with him, I saw how he worked.
I said, 'you're going to put on weight, no problem' and that's what he's done this offseason and he's been growing a lot.”
As for Limar himself, he said he’s close to full health and being managed carefully. “I'm right there.
We're working every day. We've got a good plan set up, so looking forward to week one and taking it day by day right now.”
He also confirmed the ankle remains part of the rehab process, though the plan is about getting his body ready to last the full season.
That’s important because Limar sees plenty to like in this offense. He called it a system that lets a back do everything, from catching passes to running the ball to pass blocking.
“It lets you do everything -- catch the ball, you run the ball, you pass block -- so you get to show every attribute of a running back. That's what I'm excited for.”
For Limar, the setting still means something too. He said playing at Washington is exactly what he imagined growing up nearby, and he remembered sitting front row at games against Stanford when Myles Gaskin and those teams were playing.
“100%. It was amazing.
Growing up, I used to come to games, sat front row against Stanford when Myles Gaskin and all them were playing, so now being on the field, it's amazing. The atmosphere around here is awesome.
It's great to be home.”
Carr and Limar may be at different points in their careers, but both are working toward the same goal: earning their place in a crowded backfield and being ready when the season starts. Carr is still building.
Limar is getting back to full speed. And both are convinced Washington’s offense will give them a chance to show what they can do.
In Other News...
USCs Ticket Surprise Raises An Uncomfortable Question About Fan Interest
USCs season opener against San Jos State came with an unexpected side story before the first snap: resale tickets were sliding to around $9, a striking number for a program that usually treats home dates as a premium draw. The matchup itself offered one explanation, given the Spartans modest profile, but the soft market also pointed to bigger factors around the program, from scorching game-day temperatures to a growing sense of fan fatigue with what has unfolded under Lincoln Riley.
The Trojans have tried to make the Coliseum experience more appealing with several game-day upgrades, and the schedule still gives them chances to reset the mood. Multiple ranked opponents are coming to Los Angeles this season, which should tell a better story about where demand really stands. For now, though, the cheap opener is a reminder that interest can cool quickly when expectations and results stop matching the brand. [Read more 🡒]