The Washington Huskies' 2023 season is what dreams are made of. Going undefeated with a chance to compete for a national title is what every fanbase yearns for. The Huskies had a plethora of stars who all made big plays and stepped up in big games to help them get that far. The destination may not have been what Washington fans wanted, but the journey was a thrilling ride nonetheless.
As great as last season was for Washington, everything is going to look drastically different in 2024. Literally everything. Their head coach, Kalen DeBoer, left for Alabama and took a few players with him. Michael Penix Jr. will get drafted into the NFL in a matter of days. Star receivers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja'Lynn Polk followed Penix Jr.'s footsteps. Even Washington's conference is changing. They're going to the Big Ten after the Pac-12's unfortunate collapse last year.
All is not barren in Seattle, however. Jedd Fisch is replacing DeBoer and is bringing a few Arizona Wildcats with him to the Pacific Northwest. Change is good, and will bring from it competition all across the Huskies' roster. It will be especially worth watching what happens at quarterback and wide receiver in Seattle as they are set to embark on Spring practices.
Quarterback
Penix Jr. and all the records he shattered are leaving Seattle. So, who will be filling his shoes? The Huskies have a few options. The leader in the clubhouse seems to be Will Rogers. Rogers has plenty of experience as a starting quarterback in college football at Mississippi State. He has played 43 games across four seasons. In those games, Rogers has completed 69% of his passes and averaged 6.56 yards per attempt. He has 12,315 yards and 94 touchdowns to his name already.
Rogers has the experience in Washington's quarterback room, but that doesn't mean the starting job is locked in his name. Demond Williams Jr. will have something to say about that as well. He was the ESPN's 227th-ranked prospect in the class 2024. Williams Jr. originally committed to Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss, but he later reopened his recruitment and chose to stay close to home with Fisch and Arizona. After Fisch took the Washington job, Williams Jr. followed him to Seattle.
It's likely that Fisch will opt for Rogers and his experience to begin the season, but this is what camp is for. Rogers transferred to Washington before their new coach arrived and stayed after. Fisch is more familiar with Williams Jr.'s game. It's possible he outperforms Rogers in camp and earns Washington's starting quarterback job. This will be a position battle certainly worth monitoring.
Wide Receiver
Odunze, McMillan, and Polk made up one of the best wide receiver trios in recent memory. All of those guys will be Day 2 NFL Draft picks at minimum. But it isn't just them who Washington lost. Germie Bernard followed DeBoer and transferred from Seattle to Tuscaloosa. The Huskies are down their top four wide receivers from last year. Who will catch passes for them?
Jeremiah Hunter is a name to know. So is Audric Harris. Hunter spent last season at Berkeley, where he caught 62 passes for 703 yards and seven touchdowns for the Golden Bears. Harris is an incoming freshman who Fisch recruited to Arizona. He's a three-star prospect out of high school football powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Nevada.
There is a lot to sort out at wide receiver for the Huskies during spring practices. Perhaps one of these guys can emerge and become a pro prospect the way Odunze, McMillan, and Polk did. These guys have big shoes to fill in 2024. How they do in the Spring will go a long way in determining if they can.
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