UW coach Jedd Fisch likes what he sees this spring but knows roster will change
SEATTLE – It was a busy Saturday afternoon at Husky Stadium, with implications for this year’s UW football team and the future.
A large group of recruits was on hand for Washington’s ninth spring practice of the year, and new Husky coach Jedd Fisch liked what he saw.
“We got 104 plays in today and then special teams, so we got a lot of work done, which was good,” Fisch said after practice. “We were able to see a lot of players – I think we saw everybody today out on the field in some way, shape or form. We got a lot of tackling in, which was important for us because we’ve been in soft shells the last two practices. We’re trying to get as many guys back healthy, and we stayed healthy today, which is important in our scrimmages.”
Fifth-year senior Will Rogers, who transferred from Mississippi State, and freshman Demond Williams Jr., who enrolled early so he could participate in spring practices, got most of the reps at quarterback and both delivered some big moments Saturday.
“Those two guys are certainly competing at a very high level,” Fisch said.
Asked to assess how spring practices have gone after nine of the 15, Fisch said, “It’s been good,” then noted the team will look a lot different at the start of fall camp, with the Huskies expected to be quite busy in acquiring players in the transfer portal.
“We’re just trying to work through what type of football team we’re going to be,” Fisch said. “I tell these guys, in about four to six weeks, we’ll know who our team is for 2024. And then when we know who that team is, then that team is going to take us all the way through hopefully January.
“Until that time, we’re just going to work on becoming as good of a player as we can become, embracing a culture of hard work and understanding what embracing the grind actually really means.”
Fisch said he believes “college football is messed up” with how the transfer portal is working.
“There is no such thing as a one-day contract except for college football or college basketball,” he said. “But we’re going to embrace what it is right now. And we’re going to try to get the best players that are in the portal to be a part of the Huskies. … A lot of players want to be on this football team and be a part of this football program. So getting players is not the problem. It’s getting the right players that fit our culture and getting the right players that fit our roster, which is really the key to this whole thing.”
Fisch said a lot of players have stood out at spring practices, naming linebacker Carson Bruener, offensive lineman Drew Azzopardi, running back Adam Mohammed, defensive backs Jordan Shaw and Thaddeus Dixon.
“There are a lot of guys that I’m not thinking about right now, but it’s been fun to see every player get better,” Fisch said.