There may not be a can’t-miss national headliner on Washington’s roster, but that doesn’t mean the Huskies are short on players who could wind up near the top of the FBS stat sheets by December.
With Jedd Fisch entering his third season in Seattle, Washington’s roster is deeper and more seasoned than it was in either of his first two years. That gives the Huskies a real chance to produce a few breakout statistical seasons, even if none of them arrive with obvious superstar billing. Five names stand out as the best bets to make noise on a national scale.
Hunter Green looks like the safest play of the bunch. The graduate transfer punter arrives from San Diego State after finishing sixth nationally last season with a 47-yard average on 63 punts, and he drilled 22 kicks of 50 yards or more.
Before that, he averaged better than 45 yards per punt over two seasons at Northern Colorado and earned first-team All-Big Sky honors as a true freshman. At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, he brings a big leg and already sits on the Ray Guy Award preseason watch list.
If that production carries over into Big Ten play, Green should be right in the mix among the nation’s punting leaders.
Dezmen Roebuck could also climb quickly if his role keeps expanding. The true freshman made a real impact in 2025, finishing second on the team with 42 catches, 554-plus receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
He’s the one healthy and proven returner among Washington’s pass catchers, and the Huskies are expected to lean on him heavily. Roebuck has moved to a new number and into a full-time slot role, which is the kind of setup that can produce a steady stream of easier completions in Fisch’s offense.
Washington’s system has historically funneled most of the targets to the top two receivers, and Roebuck already showed he can get open. If he’s one of the top options from the start, 80 to 90 catches isn’t out of the question.
Demond Williams Jr. is the biggest swing here, but also the one with the highest ceiling. In 2025, he posted a 161.0 NCAA passer rating, good for 10th nationally, while throwing for just over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns.
He added 611 rushing yards and six scores on the ground, giving him a legitimate dual-threat profile. Still, the numbers came with a caveat: a lot of that success came against the softer side of Washington’s schedule.
In the Huskies’ four losses last season - Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana and Oregon - his passer rating fell to 107.8. The raw talent is obvious, and his preseason Davey O’Brien and Maxwell Award watch-list status reflects that.
The question is whether he can match that efficiency against the kind of defenses that have slowed him down before. If he does, a national passing title is in play.
Jacob Manu already has the kind of season that puts him on this kind of list. Back in 2023 at Arizona under Fisch, he led the Pac-12 with 116 tackles and added 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and an interception on his way to First-Team All-Pac-12 honors.
Manu plays with energy and urgency, and he seems to find the ball no matter where it goes. Washington’s conference schedule should create plenty of chances for him to pile up stops against the run.
A rangy linebacker beside him in ZRS could trim some of those opportunities, but Manu has already proven he can live in the triple digits. A national tackles title is absolutely within reach if he gets back near that 2023 level.
Tyler Robles brings a different kind of leaderboard potential. The kicker was one of the most accurate in the country at Texas State in 2025, converting 21 of 23 field goal tries for a 91.3 percent rate that led the Sun Belt and ranked eighth nationally.
He also went 53 for 54 on extra points and set a Texas State single-season scoring record with 116 points. Robles connected on three of four attempts from 50 yards and beyond, and he’s already on the Lou Groza Award preseason watch list.
In a conference full of tough defenses, he should get plenty of scoring chances. If he repeats that level of accuracy, he could be in the hunt to finish first nationally in field goal percentage.
In Other News...
Washington May Have Found A Freshman Pass Rusher It Needs Fast
A freshman edge rusher has moved himself into the middle of Washingtons preseason conversation, and not just because he arrived with a four-star pedigree. Ramzak Fruean spent spring practice working with the second unit, but by training camp he had earned starting snaps, a sign the Huskies are already leaning on him for immediate help off the edge.
The rise only picked up after the teams mock game, where Fruean flashed the kind of disruption Washington has been searching for in its pass rush. He pressured the quarterback and got to him for a sack, enough to keep his momentum building as the Huskies try to sort out who can make an early impact on defense. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Faces A Brutal 2026 Test Against Elite Defenses
Washingtons 2026 schedule already looks like a grind, and the hardest part may be how many of the opponents on it are built to make life miserable on that side of the ball. Iowa is the clearest example, the kind of program that has spent years leaning on a defense that is steady, physical and rarely gives away anything cheap, even as the Hawkeyes prepare for some turnover up front.
Penn State adds another demanding layer to the slate because its defense figures to be a work in progress with a new staff in place. With Matt Campbell taking over and DAnton Lynn helping shape the unit after James Franklins dismissal, the Nittany Lions could look different by the time Washington sees them, but the challenge remains the same: the Huskies are staring at a season with very little margin for error against elite defensive groups. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Now Knows Which Apple Cup Quarterback It Will See Again
Washingtons first look at the revamped Apple Cup picture now has a little more clarity, with Washington State settling on Caden Pinnick as the quarterback the Huskies will face on Sept. 6. Pinnick arrives after a strong season at UC Davis, where he established himself as a productive passer and gives the Cougars a fresh look at the position heading into one of the states biggest games.
The Huskies have seen Pinnick before, back in 2023, when the matchup went decisively in their favor. Even so, a new quarterback on the other side adds an extra layer to a rivalry that rarely needs much help, and Washington can now start preparing for a familiar opponent who comes with a very different rsum this time around. [Read more 🡒]