How did UW Huskies deploy freshmen in Jedd Fisch’s first season?

Dec 21, 2024, 11:43 AM

Decker DeGraaf of the UW Huskies catches a pass against Eastern Michigan during a Sept. 7, 2024 game. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

(Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

BY CHRISTIAN CAPLE

UW Huskies Insider

How did the UW Huskies’ freshman class impact head coach Jedd Fisch’s team in 2024?

Some quick numbers:

• Six of UW’s 19 scholarship freshmen played enough to not redshirt and will enter 2025 as true sophomores.

• Of the six — four on offense, two on defense — three signed with UW under former coach Kalen DeBoer, and three originally signed with Arizona under Jedd Fisch.

• Of the 13 who redshirted, one appeared in three games, three appeared in a single game, and nine did not play — though that could change in the bowl game.

• True freshmen accounted for 570 passing yards, 426 rushing yards and 241 receiving yards — about 14.5 percent of UW’s total scrimmage yards.

• True freshmen (mostly Khmori House) accounted for 41 of UW’s 761 tackles and one of its eight interceptions.

Fisch is straightforward about his desire to play true freshmen, and while the Huskies didn’t rely on first-year players to a tremendous degree, they mixed in enough of them to give you a feel for who might help form the foundation of next year’s roster.

Why Jonah Coleman and Denzel Boston stuck with UW Huskies

Here’s a breakdown of how UW used — or didn’t use — its 19 scholarship freshmen during the regular season, with a bowl game pending (though postseason games do not count toward redshirt eligibility).

Snap counts via Pro Football Focus.

Non-redshirts

LB Khmori House

Defensive snaps: 317
Special-teams snaps: 24

(UPDATE: Reports surfaced not long after the original publication of this story on OnMontlake.com that House will enter the transfer portal. So … that changes his 2025 outlook just a bit, assuming he does transfer elsewhere.)

Unless something really strange happens in the Sun Bowl, House will finish the season as UW’s leader in snaps played by true freshmen. He played in every game and is tied for eighth on the team with 35 tackles and also has an interception. With Carson Bruener, Alphonzo Tuputala and Drew Fowler all moving on, House could have been among the Huskies’ most important defensive players next season, even if/when UW adds another linebacker or two from the portal.

QB Demond Williams Jr.

Offensive snaps: 226
Special-teams snaps: 0

It’s sort of amazing, in hindsight, how quickly Williams went from a change-of-pace option behind unquestioned starter Will Rogers, to pretty clearly the guy who gives the Huskies the best chance to win. Between the Oregon game and second halves against UCLA and Penn State, Williams played nearly the equivalent of two full games in a three-game span, and will make his second career start against Louisville in the Sun Bowl. He actually is the Huskies’ second-leading rusher, with 234 yards and a touchdown on 63 rushes; with 16 sacks filtered out, that figure becomes 321 yards on 47 attempts, an average of 6.8. Williams also has completed 56-of-73 passes for 570 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He appeared in every game and should enter his sophomore season with close to 300 snaps played.

Demond Williams Jr. and @UW_Football are closing the gap on No. 13 Indiana 💪#B1GFootball on BTN 📺 pic.twitter.com/deRvuyjwgs

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 26, 2024

TE Decker DeGraaf

Offensive snaps: 223
Special-teams snaps: 3

Senior Keleki Latu saw his workload increase following Quentin Moore’s injury, and that was also true for DeGraaf, who signed with DeBoer but was thrilled to stay and play for Fisch and Jordan Paopao. DeGraaf played in every game, caught a touchdown pass on his first college snap and wound up catching three total to go along with 14 receptions for 199 yards — enough to merit Freshman All-America honors from 247Sports.

First career catch for Decker DeGraaf and it goes for 6️⃣ #B1GFootball on @BigTenNetwork 📺 pic.twitter.com/UiwcEVbGKm

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 1, 2024

RB Adam Mohammed

Offensive snaps: 122
Special-teams snaps: 132

I’ll admit that Mohammed didn’t touch the ball quite as often as I assumed he would, based on camp usage. But he still played in every game on offense and special teams — he’s second on the team in special-teams snaps, in fact — and gained 188 yards on 37 carries. Mohammed should see more action next season as the No. 2 behind Jonah Coleman.

S Peyton Waters

Defensive snaps: 10
Special-teams snaps: 118

Another DeBoer recruit who stuck around, Waters appeared in every game on special teams but only in three games on defense, against Northwestern, Penn State and Oregon. With two of UW’s top safeties moving on, Waters, a four-star prospect and impressive athlete, should have a shot to play his way onto the depth chart as a sophomore.

WR Audric Harris

Offensive snaps: 41
Special-teams snaps: 5

Originally an Arizona signee, Harris wound up playing the sixth-most snaps among UW’s receivers, behind fellow reserves Rashid Williams and Keith Reynolds. Appearing in eight games on offense, Harris caught one pass for nine yards, against Iowa, on four total targets this season. I’d have identified Harris as one of a handful of training-camp standouts and figured he was in line for a slightly bigger role, but the Huskies kept their receiver rotation fairly tight. Nearly half of Harris’ offensive snaps (20) came in the Iowa game.

Redshirted but played some

OL Paki Finau

Offensive snaps: 9
Special-teams snaps: 2

The four-star signee appeared in two games on offense and a third on special teams, but hasn’t played since Week 3 against Washington State; coaches obviously intended to redshirt him. He’s among the Huskies’ most gifted young offensive linemen and should have an opportunity to earn playing time in 2025.

S Rahim Wright

Defensive snaps: 11
Special-teams snaps: 0

All of Wright’s snaps came in the fourth quarter against Weber State. He notched one tackle.

S Rahshawn Clark

Defensive snaps: 7
Special-teams snaps: 0

Like Wright, Clark got in only against Weber State. I’m curious to see how coaches use him as he develops within the defense. He seemed pretty versatile coming out of high school.

RB Jordan Washington

Offensive snaps: 1
Special-teams snaps: 0

The speedy, four-star prospect was injured in training camp and was staring up at a veteran depth chart, anyway, but did make his collegiate debut with a single, four-yard carry at Penn State. There might not be a ton of snaps to go around next season, either, with Coleman and Mohammed both returning. But maybe coaches can find a way to get Washington a few touches and put his speed to use.

Redshirted and did not play

OL Michael Levelle Watkins

Another former Arizona signee, Watkins arrived at UW in time for spring football as one of seven healthy O-linemen available. He practiced some at center and guard, and should compete for a spot on the depth chart in 2025 at one of the guard spots.

OL Justin Hylkema

Like Watkins, Hylkema signed with Arizona before switching. He didn’t arrive until the summer, though, and always seemed in line for a redshirt as a young tackle.

OL Davit Boyajyan

You could say the same about Boyajyan, who signed with DeBoer before sticking with Fisch. Like Hylkema, he’ll compete at tackle in 2025.

WR Justice Williams

We didn’t see Williams much during training camp, as he was apparently recovering from injury and not participating in practice. He’s an intriguing athlete, at 6-foot-4 and 203 pounds.

WR Jason Robinson Jr.

Like Williams, we didn’t get a look at Robinson in a game this season, though he did earn scout-team player of the year at the team’s postseason banquet.

TE Charlie Crowell

A season-ending injury knocked Crowell out during training camp. Would he have seen a few snaps behind DeGraaf otherwise? Next year, he’ll battle Quentin Moore, DeGraaf and presumably a transfer for playing time.

DL Omar Khan

Is Khan the player in this group most likely to make an impact in 2025? The Huskies have added one portal D-lineman and are recruiting others, but they don’t return much experience, and we don’t yet know what to expect from the Parker twins, who are each recovering from season-ending injuries. Khan was an underrated prospect who looked the part when he showed up for training camp. I’m eager to see his progress this spring.

CB Elias Johnson

There were few cornerback snaps available behind starters Thaddeus Dixon and Ephesians Prysock, and nearly all of those backup reps went to Elijah Jackson. So, there was no role for Johnson in his first season. The position could be pretty competitive again in 2025, with only Dixon running out of eligibility.

S Paul Mencke Jr.

There could be some opportunity for a young safety like Mencke to make a move next season, with Kam Fabiculanan and Cam Broussard each moving on. But the Huskies also could return Makell Esteen, Vincent Holmes, Waters, Wright and Clark, and surely will add a safety or two via the transfer portal.

This article was originally published at OnMontlake.com, the home for Christian Caple’s full UW Huskies football coverage. Subscribe to On Montlake for full access to in-depth UW Huskies coverage.