The UW Huskies took a very big step back last season.
After reaching the national championship game following an unbeaten regular season and wins in the Pac-12 title game and College Football Playoff semifinals, the Huskies went 6-7 and just reached a bowl game last season. However, expectations weren’t all that high last year for the Huskies in the first year under head coach Jedd Fisch and playing in the Big Ten.
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“I mean, what Coach Fisch was thrown into last season was ridiculous,” longtime college football insider Phil Steele told Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Friday. “First of all, they had a team that lost almost everybody from the previous year, and then they played the toughest schedule in the Big Ten with a very inexperienced squad. I thought he did a good job just getting them to a bowl game last year.”
Steele, whose annual college football preview is revered by fans across the country, shared with Bump and Stacy why he has higher expectations for the Huskies in their second year under Fisch.
It starts with what’s returning on offense, an area the Huskies struggled last year.
“When you look at this year, they are in much better footing. Start off with the quarterback position,” Steele said. “I think Demond Williams (Jr.) is a player to watch. I like what he did at the end of last year. He’s bulked up to 197 pounds now, and he’s going to be exciting.”
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Williams took over as the starter late last season after being a change-of-pace option who came in to run option packages early on. The true freshman dazzled during UW’s loss to Louisville in the Sun Bowl, throwing for 374 yards and four touchdowns while adding 48 yards and another score on the ground.
Steele highlighted returning running back Jonah Coleman and wide receiver Denzel Boston as playmakers who can make a difference, as well an offensive line that goes from no returning starters in 2024 to two this season.
“They’re going to be better on offense than they were last year,” Steele said.
Steele also made note of what’s returning on the defensive side of the ball, an area UW excelled in for much of 2024. The group is returning seven starters this season as opposed to two last year. The secondary is what impresses Steele the most.
“Tacario Davis is going to be one of the top cornerbacks in the country, as well as Ephesians Prysock,” Steele said. “So the talent is there.”
The Huskies will face another tough schedule in their second season in the Big Ten. But Steele sees the 2025 slate as one that’s a bit less daunting than it was last year when UW played three teams that made it to the College Football Playoff on the road.
“The schedule still remains tough, but I think it’s a more manageable schedule,” Steele said. “They get Ohio State at home. I think that’s going to be a fun game for Washington fans. I still feel Husky Stadium is one of the more underrated stadiums in the country. It’s one of the loudest venues out there, and they’ll be pumped up for that game.
“(They face) Michigan on the road and Wisconsin on the road, but I think Washington definitely has a much better year.”
Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays form 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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