Washington’s injury list keeps growing, and now two more starters are being treated as uncertain from week to week.
Fourth-year wide receiver Rashid Williams and fourth-year cornerback Emmanuel Karnley are both set to be evaluated on a game-to-game basis after suffering soft tissue injuries, according to ESPN college sports reporter Pete Thamel in posts on "X" on Monday. Both players remained on Washington’s depth chart for the Huskies’ final nonconference game of the season against Eastern Washington, set for 4:15 p.m. PT on Sept. 19 at Husky Stadium in Seattle.
The setbacks come on top of an already rough opening stretch for the Huskies. In Week 1, Washington lost its top two running backs on the depth chart, second-year Quaid Carr and fourth-year Jayden Limar, to long-term injuries.
Carr could potentially miss the rest of the season. Sixth-year wide receiver Christian Moss also left that game with a lower-body soft tissue injury and is expected to be sidelined for two to three months.
Williams’ injury is especially frustrating after the way his season had started to come together. He missed almost all of last year because of two separate injuries, but he stayed healthy through the offseason, built chemistry with third-year quarterback Demond Williams Jr., and won a starting job. Through two games, he has caught four passes for 96 yards and a touchdown.
If Williams can’t play, Washington will likely turn to first-year receivers Trez Davis and Jordan Clay, just like it did Saturday against the Aggies. Clay finished with four catches for 42 yards, while Davis had four receptions for 44 yards.
Karnley also arrived as a key piece and wasted little time securing a role. After transferring from Virginia, he quickly claimed one of the two open outside cornerback spots, with returning second-year Dylan Robinson taking the other. Last year’s starters, Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock, were both selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Through the first two games, Karnley has posted five total tackles, including three solo stops, along with two passes defended.
If Karnley is unavailable, first-year Jeron Jones is the most likely replacement. Jones has seven total tackles, six of them solo, and also picked off a pass in the season opener against the Washington State Cougars.
In Other News...
Washingtons Offense And Coaching Still Left Fans Uneasy After Utah State
Washingtons win over Utah State still left plenty of room for concern, even with the defense doing its part and keeping the opponent under control. The Huskies got encouraging work from a unit that generally held up well, and the special teams coverage of the game was enough to keep the focus on the bigger issues elsewhere, especially as the offense tried to find a steadier rhythm and the evaluation of the overall performance remained mixed.
The discomfort came from what Washington still is not quite cleaning up on offense and along the sideline, where coaching decisions and game management left fans with questions after a game that should have offered more clarity. There were positive individual moments and some signs of progress, but the review of the full performance suggested a team still sorting out its identity, with the next round of adjustments already looming. [Read more 🡒]
Former Husky Gave UW Fans A Week 1 Moment To Celebrate
Seven former Washington players were drafted in 2026 and found themselves in NFL season opener action, a reminder that the Huskies talent pipeline is already reaching the next level. For UW fans, it was a chance to track a familiar group across the league, with some players seeing meaningful snaps while others were limited by injury or coachs decisions before the first Sunday of the season was even over.
The biggest moment for the purple-and-gold crowd came from Denzel Boston, who turned in the kind of opener that gets remembered back in Seattle. Elsewhere, the availability picture was mixed, and two of the former Huskies, Zach Durfee and Anterio Thompson, are already looking at a longer wait to get back on the field as they recover from injuries and remain sidelined for at least the early part of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Washington May Have Found A Needed Playmaker In Baron Naone
Baron Naone has quickly become one of the more dependable pieces in Washingtons early-season offense. The second-year tight end has been a consistent target over the first two weeks, giving the Huskies a reliable option while key offensive players have dealt with injuries, and Washington has still managed to win its first two games.
The production has not been flashy, but it has been steady enough to suggest there may be a larger role ahead. Naone has already drawn national notice as one of the better tight ends in the country, and with the Huskies looking for answers in the passing game, he appears positioned to be a focal point again in the weeks to come. [Read more 🡒]