NFL Draft: UW, WSU players and locals who received combine invites

With the NFL and college football seasons over, much of the attention now switches to the NFL Draft.

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The NFL on Thursday announced its invitees to this year’s scouting combine, which takes place Feb. 27-March 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Out of 329 players invited, just one apiece are from the UW Huskies and WSU Cougars. A handful of others with ties to the Seattle area or local colleges got the invite, as well.

Here’s a look at all of the combine invitees who have ties to local colleges or the Seattle area.

• LB Carson Bruener: After having a modern-era program-record 10 players selected in last year’s draft, Bruener is the lone UW player heading to the combine and likely the only Husky with a chance to be drafted in April. The Redmond High School product amassed 305 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five interceptions and four forced fumbles during a highly productive four-year career at UW. He led the defense with 104 tackles and had three interceptions in 2024. Bruener is the No. 16 inside linebacker in Walter Football’s draft rankings.

• OL Josh Conerly Jr.: Conerly, a multi-sport standout at Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School, was the top-ranked recruit in the state for the class of 2022 and went on two be a two-year starter at left tackle for powerhouse Oregon. He was the seventh-ranked Big Ten offensive tackle in Pro Football Focus grading this past season. Conerly is the No. 4 tackle in ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper’s rankings.

• WR Emeka Egbuka: Egbuka was a three-year starter at Ohio State and helped the Buckeyes win the national championship last season. He leaves Ohio State as the decorated program’s all-time leader with 205 career receptions. The former Steilacoom High School star hauled 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024. Egbuka is the No. 22 player on Kiper’s Big Board and his fourth-ranked receiver. NFL.com’s player comparison for Egbuka is Seattle Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a former teammate at Ohio State.

• CB Jabbar Muhammed: Muhammed played a key role in UW’s run to the national championship game before transferring to rival Oregon last season. Muhammad had 41 tackles and 12 passes defended for the Ducks. Prior to his time at UW, he spent three seasons at Oklahoma State. Walter Football ranks Muhammed 12th among cornerbacks in the 2025 class.

• DL JT Tuimoloau : Tuimoloau, the state’s top recruit coming out of Sammamish’s Eastside Catholic High School in 2021, was a three-year starter at Ohio State and helped the Buckeyes secure the national title this past season. The Edgewood native piled up 144 tackles, 45 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions in four years at Ohio State, including a Big Ten-leading 12.5 sacks in 2024. Tuimoloau, who was also recruited as a basketball player out high school, is the fourth-ranked defensive end on Kiper’s Big Board.

• QB Cam Ward: After starting his college career at Incarnate Word, Ward developed into a star while spending two years as the starter at WSU. In his two seasons on the Palouse, Ward completed 65.5% for 6,968 yards, 48 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He transferred to Miami before last season and won the Davy O’Brien and Manning awards and was named ACC Player of the Year with the Hurricanes. Ward is the No. 5 player on Kiper’s Big Board and his second-ranked quarterback. He could potentially be the the No. 1 pick in the draft.

• WR Kyle Williams: Williams spent his first three college seasons at UNLV before transferring to WSU and becoming a standout wide receiver. He hauled in 70 receptions for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final college season, the latter of which was fourth in the country. His receiving touchdown and yardage totals were second-best and fourth-best single-season marks, respectively, in program history. Williams is the No. 6 receiver in Kiper’s position rankings.

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