Phil Steele isn’t shutting the door on Washington’s playoff chances.
During a recent appearance on Seattle Sports 710, the longtime college football analyst said the Huskies could be in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth as they head into their third season under head coach Jedd Fisch.
“I think progress is they’re going to flirt with a playoff berth depending on what they do in the last five games of the season," Steele said on the Bump and Stacy show Monday. " ... But this is a team clearly capable of flirting with a playoff berth."
Washington is coming off a 9-4 season, a three-win jump from Fisch’s first year, when the Huskies finished 6-7 after the loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game. The year ended on a high note with a 38-10 win over Boise State in the Los Angeles Bowl.
That momentum has plenty of preseason observers expecting another step forward. Several outlets have placed Washington in the mid-teens of their preseason top 25 rankings, which would put the Huskies in position to push for a CFP spot.
Steele said he sees reasons to buy into that optimism. He believes Washington’s offensive line and defense both project as top-25 units nationally entering the season.
There’s also a strong core coming back. Washington returns four of five starters on the offensive line from last season, with five-star Class of 2026 recruit Kodi Greene expected to step in at left tackle. Junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is back, along with a significant amount of talent on the front six.
The biggest changes are on the back end and in the skill positions. Washington lost its starting cornerbacks, Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock, leading receiver Denzel Boston and leading rusher Jonah Coleman to the NFL Draft.
The cornerback spots appear set for now, with sophomore Dylan Robinson and senior Emmanuel Karnley lined up on the outside. The starting outside receiver and running back jobs will be decided during fall and summer camp, especially after several wide receivers and running backs missed spring practice because of injuries.
Washington opens its third season under Fisch in the Apple Cup against Washington State at 1 p.m. PT on Sept. 6 at Husky Stadium in Seattle.
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