How have UW Huskies’ outgoing transfers fared with new teams

Oct 31, 2024, 2:52 PM

UW Huskies CFP Pac-12 Championship Jabbar Muhammad...

UW Huskies DB Jabbar Muhammad after breaking up a pass against Oregon. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)

(Ian Maule/Getty Images)

UW Huskies Insider

Such is the nature of college football that each season, multiple former UW Huskies will be making plays for other programs.

Preview: Struggling UW Huskies set for first battle vs. USC in Big Ten

There might never be another exodus quite like last offseason, though, in the wake of the transition from Kalen DeBoer to Jedd Fisch. Not only did the Huskies lose several seniors and early NFL Draft entrants from their 2023 roster, but they also lost potential starters — on both sides of the ball — to Power 4 foes.

Some have started every game at their new school. A couple are playing for undefeated teams. A few have been injured. Some do not appear to have resurfaced anywhere else, and others have yet to play a down for their new program.

Some wouldn’t have played on this UW team; others could have starred.

All told, I count 4,181 offensive and defensive snaps played so far in 2024 by recent, scholarship UW transfers — players either on UW’s roster last season, or who joined the program in January before jumping back in the portal — at FBS or FCS schools.

This accounting includes only scholarship transfers who played college football in 2023, and not any 2024 high-school signees. Players are listed in order of snaps played, per Pro Football Focus. Snap counts refer only to offense and defense.

• OL Nate Kalepo

Transferred to: Mississippi
2024 snaps: 533

How it’s going: He’s started every game and played more offensive snaps than every offensive player except starting center Reece McIntyre and quarterback Jaxson Dart. PFF gives Kalepo an offensive grade of 58.9, a pass-blocking grade of 69.2 and a run-blocking grade of 55.8. Losses to Kentucky and LSU have jeopardized the Rebels’ CFP chances, with a Nov. 9 game against Georgia still looming.

• OL Parker Brailsford

Transferred to: Alabama
2024 snaps: 474

How it’s going: A preseason first-team All-America selection by the AP, Brailsford has played the third-most snaps of any Alabama offensive player this season, and second-most on the offensive line. PFF thinks far more highly of his pass blocking (82.9) than his run blocking (56.5). Like Mississippi, Alabama’s margin for error has been zapped by two early losses, to Vanderbilt and Tennessee.

• DB Mishael Powell

Transferred to: Miami
2024 snaps: 465

How it’s going: Powell leads Miami’s defense in snaps played. His three interceptions are most on the team, too. He’s a candidate for best performer among UW’s post-2023 transfers, and his team is undefeated.

No Fly Zone 🔒

Mishael Powell picks off South Florida to secure No. 8 Miami's win to improve to 4-0 on the season @CanesFootball | @MiamiHurricanes | @cpisecurity | #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/M2OtFgyCXb

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) September 22, 2024

• WR Germie Bernard

Transferred to: Alabama
2024 snaps: 448

How it’s going: After spending last season as UW’s No. 4 receiver, Bernard has become one of Alabama’s most important offensive players in DeBoer’s first year. He’s second on the team with 30 catches for 463 yards and two touchdowns, and also has four rushes for 37 yards and a score. There likely was no world in which Bernard stuck around to play for the new staff, but it would have been fun to see him form a 1-2 duo with Denzel Boston, as was the plan.

5️⃣🏠 @oti_germie https://t.co/eJVRFMeyKw pic.twitter.com/2eEGzYvplD

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) September 29, 2024

• OL Julius Buelow

Transferred to: Mississippi
2024 snaps: 428

How it’s going: After coming off the bench in the Rebels’ opener, Buelow has started every game since, with an offensive grade of 56.9 from PFF and a slightly better pass-blocking grade (60.5) than run blocking (56.1).

• CB Jabbar Muhammad

Transferred to: Oregon
2024 snaps: 403

How it’s going: He’s started every game and played the third-most defensive snaps on the team. Muhammad hasn’t snagged an interception yet, but does lead the team with seven pass breakups and owns a solid 75.6 coverage grade from PFF.

• LB Ethan Barr

Transferred to: UCF
2024 snaps: 384

How it’s going: Barr was one of two transfers who enrolled at UW in January, attended the national championship game, then re-entered the portal and went elsewhere following the coaching change. Originally a Vanderbilt transfer, Barr is third on UCF’s defense with 37 tackles, plus 1.5 tackles for loss.

• TE Tre Watson

Transferred to: Texas A&M
2024 snaps: 337

How it’s going: Like Barr, Watson committed to transfer to UW when DeBoer was still coach — he played for him at Fresno State — and enrolled in January before he re-entered the portal after the coach’s departure. Watson has started all eight games for the Aggies this season with seven catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. At present, Texas A&M is the only team unbeaten in SEC play.

• CB Davon Banks

Transferred to: Boise State
2024 snaps: 202

How it’s going: Banks has yet to start a game for the Broncos but has still been a regular contributor. He has two pass breakups and 15 tackles. Coincidentally enough, Banks played the best game of his career against Boise State last season, tallying four pass breakups in UW’s season opener before sustaining a season-ending injury against Tulsa the following week. He stuck around for a few spring practices, but a crowded cornerback room ultimately led him into the portal.

• DB Jay (Jaivion) Green

Transferred to: Stanford
2024 snaps: 156

How it’s going: Green started Stanford’s first four games at nickel before sustaining an injury that has kept him out since. A 2022 signee at UW, he had an interception and a forced fumble before the injury.

• TE Josh Cuevas

Transferred to: Alabama
2024 snaps: 128

How it’s going: Another tight end the Huskies could have really used, Cuevas has appeared in every game for the Tide this season and has caught eight passes for 96 yards — good for fifth on the team, at present — and a touchdown. Cuevas, who came to UW as a transfer from Cal Poly, played a season-high 24 snaps in Alabama’s win over Georgia.

Jalen Milroe 🎯 to Josh Cuevas @AlabamaFTBL extends the lead in Madison 🐘 pic.twitter.com/N2SByiqNRR

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 14, 2024

• QB William Haskell

Transferred to: Portland State
2024 snaps: 56

How it’s going: A late addition to UW’s 2023 roster, Haskell, who transferred to UW from San Diego State, never appeared in a game and entered the portal shortly after the season ended. He’s appeared in five games at quarterback for the Vikings, and has completed 12 of 19 passes for 80 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

• RB Will Nixon

Transferred to: Syracuse
2024 snaps: 54

How it’s going: Nixon transferred to play for his father, Jeff, Syracuse’s offensive coordinator, but he sustained a Lisfranc injury in the Orange’s fourth game and is out for the season. Nixon carried 19 times for 75 yards before he got hurt.

• OL Geirean Hatchett

Transferred to: Oklahoma
2024 snaps: 51

How it’s going: Hatchett started at left guard in the Sooners’ opener against Temple, moved to center after an injury to starter Branson Hickman, but was subsequently lost for the season to a biceps injury. Hatchett has one year of eligibility remaining, but presumably could get this year back in 2026, if he were of a mind to. Oklahoma’s offensive line has struggled with injuries this year, and the Sooners are 4-4 and 1-4 in SEC play.

• S Asa Turner

Transferred to: Florida
2024 snaps: 35

How it’s going: He started the Gators’ season-opening loss to Miami, but sustained a non-contact leg injury in that game and hasn’t played since. Turner wound up utilizing his redshirt last season because injuries limited him to four regular-season games. If he misses the rest of the season and wants to play another year of college football, I’d imagine he’ll have the opportunity.

• QB Dylan Morris

Transferred to: James Madison
2024 snaps: 19

How it’s going: After backing up Michael Penix Jr. for two seasons, Morris left UW in search of a starting job in his final year of eligibility. He wound up the backup, though, to Alonza Barnett III, who has helped lead the Dukes to a 6-2 record (and has thrown 18 touchdown passes with two interceptions). Morris has attempted, and completed, a single pass for six yards.

• WR Taeshaun Lyons

Transferred to: Utah
2024 snaps: 8

How it’s going: A four-star receiver signee in the 2023 class, Lyons entered the portal in December. He’s caught one pass for four yards in one game this season on offense, and has appeared in three other games for the Utes on special teams.

• S Diesel Gordon

Transferred to: Butler Community College (El Dorado, Kan.)
2024 snaps: Not available

How it’s going: Gordon entered the transfer portal this spring following a suspension stemming from an arrest on an assault charge, and is attempting to take the JUCO route back to major college football. He’s appeared in all seven games for Butler (5-2) this season and has 23 tackles and two pass breakups.

• OL Jalen Klemm

Transferred to: Arizona State
2024 snaps: 0

How it’s going: Klemm was thought to be in line for potential starting duty for the Sun Devils this season, but was ruled out indefinitely in August due to a “health-related issue.” The son of longtime o-line coach Adrian Klemm, Jalen came to UW as a transfer from Kansas State.

• QB Austin Mack

Transferred to: Alabama
2024 snaps: 0

How it’s going: There is an alternate timeline in which Mack, a four-star signee in the 2023 class, would be the backup quarterback to Will Rogers this season at Washington, preparing to become the undisputed starter as a third-year sophomore in 2025. Instead, he’s sitting behind Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson this season, and should compete with Simpson and five-star 2025 commitment Keelon Russell for the starting job next year.

• DL Anthony James

Transferred to: Eastern Washington
2024 snaps: 0

How it’s going: A redshirt freshman, James appears on EWU’s roster but has not appeared in a game.

• DB Vincent Nunley

Transferred to: N/A
2024 snaps: N/A

How it’s going: Like Lyons, Nunley left the program before the 2023 season was over. I haven’t seen him land anywhere else. He was a three-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class.

• LB Jordan Whitney

Transferred to: N/A
2024 snaps: N/A

How it’s going: I haven’t seen Whitney connected with a new landing spot. A 2023 signee, he entered the portal after spring practices.

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.