Brock: UW Huskies player who will quickly become fan favorite

Aug 2, 2024, 3:39 PM

New UW Huskies RB Jonah Coleman while playing for Arizona during a 2023 game. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

(Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

BY ZAC HERETH

Seattle Sports

The 2023 edition of the UW Huskies was chalked full of players fans could gravitate towards.

Jedd Fisch hints imminent surge for UW Huskies’ 2025 recruiting class

Whether it was quarterback Michael Penix Jr., one of the talented trio of receivers or a long-tenured defensive leader like Bralen Trice, the Huskies featured no shortage of recognizable names and faces during their run to the national title game.

That all changed seemingly in the blink of an eye after the championship game. A number of key players moved on to the NFL, and many others left the program after ex-head coach Kalen DeBoer bolted for Alabama.

With new head coach Jedd Fisch now leading the charge, a new era of Huskies football gets underway this fall, which brings an opportunity for new fan favorites to emerge on Montlake.

College football analyst and former UW Huskies quarterback Brock Huard is excited about one player in particular. He shared why new running back Jonah Coleman is a player football fans in the Pacific Northwest will quickly gravitate to during Blue 88 on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

Fitting a familiar mold

Coleman was the first player to follow Fisch to Seattle from Arizona. The Stockton, Calif, native rushed for over 1,200 yards in his two seasons with the Wildcats, including 871 yards and five TDs while averaging 6.6 yards per carry last season.

Coleman has quickly established himself as a key player and leader for the Huskies since his arrival on campus in the spring and was the lone offensive representative for the Huskies at their first-ever Big Ten media day.

Huard highlighted Coleman’s stout frame at 5-foot-9 and 229 pounds, punishing running style and likened him a couple of popular former Seahawks ballcarriers.

“There is something about big backs,” Huard said. “People gravitate towards big running backs. … Certainly (former Seattle Seahawks head coach) Pete Carroll has indoctrinated a lot of us in this market from Marshawn (Lynch) to Chris Carson.”

“(Coleman) is a load and Husky football fans (and) football fans in this market are going to appreciate it much like we did Marshawn,” Huard continued. “… You are a bowling ball with knives. Good luck trying to tackle that thing. I think we’re gonna have a lot of fun watching Jonah Coleman.”

Listen to former NFL quarterback Brock Huard break down three football questions during Blue 88 at this link or in the audio player near the top of the story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m.