UW Huskies could 'pop' with 9 or 10 wins in 2025

Jedd Fisch faced a challenging situation when he took over as the UW Huskies’ head coach back in January 2024.

Phil Steele has higher expectations for UW Huskies this season

The Huskies were fresh off a trip to the national championship game, but they were facing a full-on rebuild. They ended up needing to replace 20 of their 22 starters and their entire coaching staff, which meant Fisch essentially had to cobble together a team for 2024.

It amounted to what was essentially a transition year, as Washington finished 6-7 after a loss in the Sun Bowl.

But with a full season and a full recruiting cycle under their new coach, the Dawgs are in a much better spot heading into Year 2 of the Fisch era.

In fact, FOX college football analyst Joel Klatt thinks the Huskies could be a dark-horse College Football Playoff contender this fall. During an appearance Thursday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, Klatt said he has UW as one of five “stock-up” teams he’s buying in 2025.

“I think Washington could pop,” Klatt said. “I could see them winning nine games, potentially 10. And if you get to 10 in the Big Ten, you’re talking about being in the conversation for the CFP. I think Jedd’s got something going.”

The personnel

The optimism around the Huskies begins with dual-threat quarterback Demond Williams Jr.

As a true freshman last fall, the speedy 5-foot-11, 190-pound Williams spent most of the season as a change-of-pace QB behind then-senior Will Rogers. Williams then took over the starting job late in the year showcased his electrifying skill set down the stretch, capped by a sensational performance against Louisville in the Sun Bowl.

“I think he’s really good,” Klatt said.

HOW’D HE MAKE THIS PLAY?! pic.twitter.com/yEwMOKliTO

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 31, 2024

The Huskies also have a pair of big-time returning offensive weapons in senior running back Jonah Coleman and junior wide receiver Denzel Boston. Coleman was a 1,000-yard rusher last season, while Boston is gaining steam as a potential 2026 first-round NFL Draft pick after 834-yard, nine-touchdown campaign last fall.

Up front, the offensive line figures to be improved with incoming Kansas State transfer Carver Willis and the return of Geirean Hatchett, who spent a season at Oklahoma before transferring back to UW.

“I like what they’ve got at running back and wide receiver,” Klatt said. “They have to improve on the offensive line.”

And on defense, a slew of potential impact transfers enter the fold – including standout cornerback Tacario Davis from Arizona. They’ll be led by former Purdue head coach Ryan Walters, who takes over as UW’s new defensive coordinator. Prior to spending the past two seasons at Purdue, Walters had a success-filled run at Illinois, where he transformed the Fighting Illini into the FBS’ top-ranked scoring defense in 2022.

“I’m a huge fan of Ryan Walters,” Klatt said. “I played with Ryan. He was a teammate of mine and I think he got a bad hand at Purdue. They didn’t support him very well. So I like that aspect. (And) Fisch got some guys to come up from Arizona, including Tacario Davis.”

The home-field advantage

As for the schedule, most of the Huskies’ toughest matchups this fall are inside the friendly confines of Husky Stadium.

Of the Huskies’ four opponents that were ranked in ESPN’s post-spring Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings, three of them travel to Seattle: defending national champion Ohio State (No. 5), upstart Illinois (No. 11) and defending Big Ten champion Oregon (No. 8). The lone opponent in those rankings that UW faces on the road is Michigan (No. 20).

And as Klatt pointed out, the Huskies have a 20-game home win streak on Montlake. They haven’t lost at Husky Stadium since the 2021 Apple Cup.

“It’s the most underrated home-field advantage in college football,” Klatt said. “No one talks about it. One of the great environments in the entire sport.”

Listen to the full conversation with Joel Klatt at this link or in the audio player at the top of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

UW Huskies could ‘pop’ with 9 or 10 wins in 2025

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