Jedd Fisch happy as Huskies emerge healthy from mock game, end of camp

By Andy Yamashita

Jedd Fisch’s main goal for Saturday’s mock game was simple. Stay healthy.

A year ago, with the Huskies preparing for Fisch’s first season in charge, wide receiver Kevin Green Jr. suffered a lower body injury during one of the final plays of the mock game. He was eventually ruled out for the entire season.

So Fisch simply wanted to make sure his trainers stayed on the sideline as much as possible during this year’s iteration of the mock game. He got his wish. Everything else remains a work in progress.

“Good opportunity for us to get better,” Fisch said.

Washington hosted a mock game Saturday at Husky Stadium, celebrating the end of fall camp with some light 11-on-11 scrimmaging in front of dozens of UW fans. In just two weeks, Washington will begin its second season under Fisch when it welcomes Colorado State to Montlake for an 8 p.m. kickoff Aug. 30.

“We’ve got a lot to work on,” Fisch said. “But I’m excited for where we are heading into these next two weeks.”

Here are three players who’ve enjoyed strong fall camp performances:

Honorable mentions: Freshman wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck, fifth-year edge rusher Zach Durfee, sophomore defensive back Leroy Bryant, freshman cornerback Dylan Robinson, senior defensive lineman Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, freshman edge rusher Devin Hyde, freshman safety Rylon Dillard-Allen

1. Tacario Davis, senior cornerback
   Tacario Davis has been everything he was advertised since stepping onto the field at fall camp. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound cornerback has been sticky in man coverage. Stingy when targeted by quarterbacks on a variety of routes. And used his frame to disrupt passes that appeared outside of his catch radius.

When he’s been on the field.

The Huskies have been cautious with Davis since the spring. They’ve been more than happy to let the Long Beach, California, native take some practices off to make sure he’s healthy for the upcoming season, allowing some of the younger players behind him to get opportunities. It’s similar to the team’s approach with senior running back Jonah Coleman.

But Davis has never even cracked the door open for any of them to potentially consider taking his starting spot. He punctuated his strong fall camp during Saturday’s mock game with an interception, diving to deny fifth-year quarterback Kai Horton a deep touchdown to senior wideout Omari Evans down the left sideline. Davis was immediately removed from the mock game but Fisch stated the cornerback is fully healthy.

“He should be fine,” Fisch said, “be ready to go.”

It’s a positive sign for Davis, who’s challenged himself to turn more of his pass breakups into interceptions during his final season of college football. The Arizona transfer has defended 23 passes during his three seasons with the Wildcats, but only has one interception.

“Just keep sharpening my tools,” Davis said on July 31. “Just trying to be the best player I can be.”

1. Rashid Williams, sophomore wide receiver
   The wide receiver competition remains extremely close. Position coach Kevin Cummings suggested there are still eight players in contention for two starting spots as recently as Tuesday.

Rashid Williams, however, has done just about everything asked of him this fall. The 6-1, 190-pound wide receiver understands the playbook better and has handled the challenge of competition well, Cummings said.

Williams has primarily played the Z-receiver spot occupied by Jeremiah Hunter a season ago, and said it’s required him to be better on his blocking assignments since he’s usually paired with the tight end and runs come toward them. Williams said he feels significantly stronger this season — he’s listed around 10 pounds heavier — and said he spent the offseason focused on improving his route running.

The work has clearly paid off because Williams has thrived no matter which quarterback is under center. He almost exclusively played with the top offense during the mock game. He didn’t haul in any of his three targets from sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr., but two of them weren’t catchable — including one throw that freshman cornerback Dylan Robinson intercepted during the first drive of the game.

Even his third target, a dig route where the pass was broken up by junior linebacker Xe’ree Alexander. wasn’t in a great spot as Demond Williams Jr. struggled with his accuracy throughout the mock game.

1. Alex McLaughlin, junior safety
   It seemed apparent that Washington had settled on a safety duo months ago. Sixth-year senior Makell Esteen and FIU transfer CJ Christian spent essentially the entire spring playing next to each other with the top defense, and with both healthy entering fall camp there was no reason to expect any changes.

But Alex McLaughlin flipped the script.

The junior safety, who transferred to UW from Northern Arizona during the winter portal period, spent the entire fall camp playing with the top defense partnering Esteen.

McLaughlin, a 6-2 Chandler, Ariz. native who earned some FCS All-American consideration in 2024 after recording 96 tackles, forced two fumbles, grabbed two interceptions and had 5.5 sacks, put on significant weight. He added around 15 pounds since enrolling as he prepares to transition from to FBS football, and has been defensive coordinator Ryan Walters’ first choice box safety during the fall.

“I feel very comfortable compared to the spring,” McLaughlin said Aug. 5. “I feel like I was just feeling it out.”

McLaughlin’s been particularly effective covering tight ends, matching up well with sophomore Decker DeGraaf during the past few weeks. He’s racked up several pass breakups against DeGraaf during the past several practices, particularly on quicker out routes and up the seam.

His coverage ability, coupled with his size, has allowed Walters to be flexible with his defensive personnel. The Huskies have experimented with some three-safety looks during the fall, almost exclusively coupled with five-player defensive lines. The scheme hinges on McLaughlin, who drops into the second level next to the linebacker — usually Taariq “Buddah” Al-Uqdah — while Esteen and either Dillard-Allen or sophomore Vincent Holmes join him.

“He’s a heck of a football player.” safeties coach Taylor Mays said Aug. 5. “He’s another guy that, for all the football he’s played, his ceiling is even still so much higher. He naturally understands football and has instincts. If we can just tie a little bit more technique and detail to his game, make him a little more polished, he’s a guy that could be a special player.”

McLaughlin was all over the field during Saturday’s scrimmage. He likely would’ve hammered Horton for a loss during a double-pass play if full contact was allowed, then got both hands after lurking under a Horton pass intended for freshman receiver Dezmen Roebuck but was unable to secure the interception during the very next play.

The NAU transfer almost came up with a pick later in the mock game, again versus Horton, when sophomore linebacker Deven Bryant dislodged Horton’s pass for Evans. McLaughlin, at full extension, was inches away from catching the ball, but was unable to secure the ball before it hit the ground.

“He’s able to kind of be in the right place at the right time,” Fisch said. “But he comes downhill, and he’ll hit you.”

Andy Yamashita.