Washington fans will have plenty to work with when College Football 27 drops July 9, and the early ratings suggest the Huskies have a roster packed with playable talent.
That lines up with the program’s upward climb under Jedd Fisch. Washington went 6-7 in 2024 and followed that with a 9-4 season in 2025, a run that has helped put the Huskies into several preseason top 25 polls heading into the next season.
At the top of the list is quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who checks in at an 88 overall. The true junior just finished his first full season as the starter and put together a massive year, leading the Big Ten in total yardage with 3,676 yards - 3,065 through the air and 611 on the ground - while accounting for 31 total touchdowns, including 25 passing and six rushing, against eight interceptions.
Williams came to Washington after following Fisch through the transfer portal, after first committing to Fisch’s previous stop, Arizona. Now he’s expected to take another step in 2026.
The next highest-rated offensive player is sophomore receiver Dezmen Roebuck at 87 overall. Roebuck finished second on the team in receiving last season with 42 catches for 560 yards and seven touchdowns, and he’s set to shift from the outside into the slot. Washington expects him to be Williams’ top target in the passing game.
The other 87 belongs to senior linebacker Jacob Manu, who gives the Huskies a proven piece on defense. Manu, a former first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2023, was limited to five games last season because of injuries.
He ended the year with 23 tackles, including 10 solo stops, and one pass defended. He’s now healthy and projected to anchor a linebacker group that may be Washington’s deepest unit.
EA Sports also gave Washington a little extra juice in the speed department. Running back Jordan Washington is listed as the fastest player on the roster, with a 93 speed rating and an 81 overall.
The sophomore entered the season as the presumed starter after posting 27 carries for 233 yards and one touchdown as a freshman in 2025. Washington’s backfield picture changed after Jonah Coleman entered the NFL draft and Adam Mohammed transferred to Cal.
Jordan Washington, though, suffered a head-and-neck injury that kept him out for most of spring practice, and his status for fall camp and the season remains to be determined.
There’s more depth beyond the headliners, too. Washington has seven players rated 84 overall or better, including safety Alex McLaughlin at 84, tight end Decker DeGraaf at 84, defensive tackle Elinneus Davis at 85 and right tackle Drew Azzopardi at 85.
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Illinois Just Made A Season Defining Bet On Its Offense
Washington has its own quarterback question to monitor as the season approaches, and Demond Williams Jr. remains at the center of it. After a promising stretch that showed why the Huskies believe so much in his upside, the next step is about turning that talent into steadier production when the games matter most, especially after some uneven moments in the biggest spots last year.
The bigger picture around college football only sharpens the stakes for Washington. Around the country, programs are betting on young passers to take a leap, while others are asking transfers to stabilize the position right away, and that backdrop makes Williams development feel even more important for Jedd Fischs team. If the Huskies are going to keep climbing, they need their quarterback to match the confidence the staff has already shown in him. [Read more 🡒]
65 Days Until Kickoff And Husky History Runs Deep
With kickoff still 65 days away, the reminder here is less about the countdown and more about the lineage. Washingtons history is packed with players who left Montlake for the NFL, and this latest look back spotlights a run of Huskies who turned college production into pro opportunities, from Khalif Barnes and Dave Browning to Frank Garcia and Fletcher Jenkins. It is the kind of roll call that shows how often the program has fed the next level, and why old names still matter when the season starts inching closer.
Vic Markov fits that same tradition, though his place in Husky lore goes well beyond what happened on Saturdays. He was later recognized on the programs Centennial Team and earned a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1976, a reminder that Washingtons past is built on more than just draft boards and pro rosters. The story leaves one of the most compelling chapters of his life just offstage, which only adds to the sense that this history runs deeper than a simple list of football accomplishments. [Read more 🡒]