The development and playmaking skills of quarterback Demond Williams Jr., as well as the improvement of the Huskies’ offensive line, will have a significant impact on the team’s 2025 ceiling.
Caple: Did UW Huskies football come out of the portal season ahead?
UW’s fortunes will also be determined by the rehabilitation of numerous players who missed part or all of last season due to injury.
Huskies coach Jedd Fisch recently met with reporters to provide an update on the program’s status as it moves forward into 2025. That evaluation included some remarks about players healing from injuries — some of whom should be available this spring, some of whom the Huskies expect to practice this summer, and one who may have to wait a little longer
Here are seven significant players whose injury circumstances warrant attention.
EDGE Zach Durfee
Durfee’s 11 sacks at Division II Sioux Falls in 2022 put him on the map, and he recorded his first 2.5 sacks in FBS play against Eastern Michigan last season. Durfee, on the other hand, hurt his left foot’s big toe in the same game, and three weeks later, at Rutgers, he did the same with his right. Durfee ended up playing in six games but was clearly hampered by injury. When healthy, coaches consider Durfee to be the team’s best pass rusher. Multiple coaching staffs have praised his athleticism and weight-room accomplishments. But Durfee’s only ambition for this year, he get healthy and stay on the field. He’ll be limited this spring as he recovers from surgery.
DL Jayvon Parker
Parker tore his Achilles during the Huskies’ defeat to Rutgers, just as he was developing as one of the team’s best defensive linemen. Fisch expressed hope. Parker, a fourth-year junior, will be cleared by August 1 to begin training camp. The Huskies got two interior lineman via the transfer portal, Utah’s Simote Pepa and Western Michigan’s Anterio Thompson, but they could require a bounce-back season from Parker to shore up their run defense. The same can be said for Jayvon’s twin brother, Armon, who is also recovering from a season-ending injury and has yet to play in a college game.
TE Quentin Moore
Moore was expected to have a breakout season last year. Moore spent the whole offseason as the clear No. 1 tight end for the first time, and Fisch’s plan would have used him both as a pass-catcher and a blocker. Moore, just 22 snaps into his sixth-year senior season, caught a pass for a 14-yard gain but was hit hard in the left knee by a Weber State player who had (illegally) joined the game from the sidelines. Moore’s damaged MCL kept him out for the whole season, despite Fisch’s initial prediction that he would miss only a few weeks. Moore presumably could have obtained a medical waiver to get the
Moore might have played another collegiate season a year ago, but the NCAA’s one-time waiver for ex-JUCO players ensured his eligibility. This time around, the Huskies have more depth behind him, but Moore should still be an important part of UW’s offense. Tight ends coach Jordan Paopao appeared to suggest Moore will be available for spring practices.
OL Geirean Hatchet
After transferring from Washington to Oklahoma, Hatchett secured a starting role on the Sooners’ offensive tackle but suffered a biceps injury in the 2024 opener; he underwent season-
The surgery was finished the next week. Fisch said he’s “hopeful” Hatchett would be able to participate this spring, but it’s unknown how much. Once healthy, Hatchett, a sixth-year senior, will be a frontrunner to win the starting guard position, with his younger brother, Landen, taking over as center. Geirean, a four-star signee in the 2020 class, started four of UW’s 16 offensive games from 2022-23.
Edge Russell Davis II
Davis missed the majority of the 2024 season due to an injury, but he returned to make three sacks, as well as force and recover a fumble, in UW’s bowl-eligibility-clinching victory over UCLA. Davis’ season was cut short the next week due to a practice injury. Fisch stated in early.
Davis, an Arizona transfer, was scheduled to miss “about three months,” which means he could return in time for spring workouts. UCLA’s offensive line wasn’t exactly a powerhouse last season, but Davis’ three-sack burst was the most spectacular performance by a UW pass rusher.
WR Kevin Green Jr.
Though senior Giles Jackson was a sure starter in the spot for the Huskies last season, Green, a transfer from Arizona, appeared to be a candidate for a backup job based on the plays he made throughout training camp. However, a lower-leg injury received during UW’s last scrimmage sidelined Green for the remainder of the season. Assuming excellent health, Green should have a good shot of landing a starting role this year. Kevin, the receivers coach,
Cummings, who recruited Green from Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany, describes him as a leader in the receiving room, alongside returning star Denzel Boston. Green, a fourth-year junior, does not have much collegiate experience — he played 11 games for Arizona in 2023 and caught eight passes for 97 yards — but he sticks out as a veteran among an otherwise inexperienced bunch of receivers.
LB Jacob Manu
Perhaps Manu’s timeframe isn’t as important, given that the Huskies signed two other seasoned linebackers through the transfer portal, but he could be a valuable contributor at some point. Manu, a first-team All-Pac-12 honoree at Arizona in 2023, tore his ACL in October and transferred to Washington. He said.
Cummings, who brought Green in from Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany, views him as a leader in the receiving room with returning star Denzel Boston. Green, a fourth-year junior, has limited collegiate experience — he played 11 games for Arizona in 2023 and caught eight passes for 97 yards — but he stands out as a veteran among an otherwise inexperienced group of receivers.
LB Jacob Manu
Perhaps Manu’s timetable isn’t as essential now that the Huskies have added two other seasoned linebackers via the transfer portal, but he could be a vital player at some point. Manu, a first-team All-Pac-12 selection at Arizona in 2023, tore his ACL in October and transferred to Washington.
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