Evaluating UW Huskies’ secondary after mixed results against Ohio State

By Andy YamashitaSeattle Times staff reporter

Ryan Walters admitted he’d like to have at least one playcall back from Washington’s 24-6 loss against No. 1 Ohio State. 

With 1:14 remaining in the first half and the Huskies leading 3-0, the Buckeyes faced third-and-11 from UW’s 18-yard line. So Walters, UW’s defensive coordinator, sent the house. The idea, he said, was to force OSU quarterback Julian Sayin to get the ball out quickly instead of allowing him to throw a pass toward the end zone or come up with a sack to make the ensuing field goal more difficult. Perhaps grab some momentum before heading into halftime. 

Walters’ plan, in theory, worked. Sixth-year UW safety Makell Esteen had a free run at Sayin. However, the OSU quarterback flipped a short pass to sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who caught the ball before slicing up the left seam. Smith picked up a couple blockers and breezed into the end zone untouched to give Ohio State a lead it never relinquished. Walters said it was a perfect call to counter the blitz he sent. 

“In hindsight, we would’ve called something else,” he said Tuesday, “but it’s something to learn from and we’ll keep it moving.”

UW’s secondary — missing injured senior cornerback Tacario Davis and redshirt freshman defensive back Rahshawn Clark — had a mixed day. The Huskies allowed Sayin to complete 22 of his 28 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. But Walters said he was pleased with the improvement his depleted secondary showed against the nation’s top-ranked team.

“I was proud of the guys just for executing the game plan on Saturday,” he said. “Especially in the pass game.”

Walters, in particular, noted the secondary’s ability to limit Ohio State’s ability to create explosive plays. Washington allowed 9.5 yards per catch, fewer than the 9.7 yards per catch OSU registered against No. 9 Texas during its season-opening 14-7 win Aug. 30.

The Huskies (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) surrendered three explosive plays — passing plays that gain 15 yards or more — against the Buckeyes, including Smith’s 18-yard touchdown late in the second quarter. Yet all three were short passes by Sayin that became explosive plays after Ohio State’s skill-position players racked yards after the catch. 

Sayin’s longest pass-play of the day went 19 yards for the Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0). Two of the three OSU explosive passing plays occurred during the fourth quarter when UW was already trailing by two scores. 

Against Texas, Sayin connected with senior wide receiver Carnell Tate for a 40-yard touchdown on a deep throw down the left sideline. Against UW, Tate was held to a season-low 33 yards receiving on three catches. It was his first game without a touchdown in 2025. 

Walters said the defense focused extensively on keeping OSU’s receivers in front of them leading up to the Ohio State game. He commended Sayin for taking the short passes UW’s secondary was willing to concede and never trying to force the ball downfield. Sayin did not commit a single turnover-worthy throw against Washington, according to Pro Football Focus. 

The Huskies defensive coordinator also said he was encouraged by his secondary’s play considering how many young players UW had to rely upon against one of the nation’s top wide receiver duos in Smith and Tate.  

Freshman cornerback Dylan Robinson played 61 of the 64 defensive snaps in Davis’ place, according to PFF. Fellow freshman Rylon Dillard-Allen added a career-high 43 snaps because Washington played lots of three-safety formations. 

“They didn’t have any mental errors, which was huge,” Walters said. “Especially with the amount of install we put in last week.”

Add in Clark, who’s played 85 snaps during UW’s first three games, and Walters said he’s never relied on so many first or second-year players during one season. 

“To be able to have as many guys in the rotation as we do in their first or second year,” Walters said, “just speaks highly of the way Coach (Jedd) Fisch’s recruiting department and evaluation department has evaluated guys that are the right fit here. And it bodes well for the future.”

Senior cornerback Ephesians Prysock surrendered four catches on six targets for 34 yards including just 3 yards after the catch, according to PFF. Esteen and junior safety Alex McLaughlin allowed 19 and 24 yards receiving, respectively.  

Sophomore nickel Leroy Bryant, somewhat unfairly, was credited with allowing the touchdown to Smith despite the OSU wide receiver starting the play lined up against Robinson and Bryant happening to be the closest defender in the area when Smith scored. Bryant played just 23 snaps against the Buckeyes, allowing five catches for a team-high 45 yards. He was also charged with two missed tackles. 

Robinson, who finished the game with three tackles, allowed three catches for 42 yards, according to PFF. It’s been a rapid ascent for the true freshman, who said he’d initially expected to spend his freshman season learning behind Prysock and Davis while contributing on special teams. 

“The biggest thing I’ve learned has been mentally,” said Robinson, who forced a fumble during UW’s 59-24 win against WSU in the 117th Apple Cup. “Being a DB is a game of losing. You’re going to get balls caught on you. You’re going to have plays caught against you. So you have to learn how to get over that and stay out of my head.” 

A former four-star signee during the 2025 recruiting cycle, Robinson earned his first career start against Ohio State. He admitted he felt some “butterflies” before the game, but said it was a feeling closer to excitement than nervousness. Prysock said he’d been impressed by Robinson’s preparation and willingness to learn since arriving on campus during the summer. Walters agreed, and said Robinson graded well when they went over film after the game. 

“I thought Dylan played confident,” Walters said. “Showed up with some physicality which was awesome to see.” 

Washington may need to rely on Robinson against Maryland, too. While Clark is expected to be available against the Terrapins (4-0, 1-0), Davis’ status remains questionable for a third consecutive week since suffering a rib injury Sept. 6. 

Robinson, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound cornerback, has six tackles including 0.5 for a loss and a forced fumble in four games this season, said he still has a lot to learn as he continues to get more opportunities. But Prysock and Walters said they’re confident in him going forward. 

“It’s next-man-up mentality,” Prysock said. “When he got in, he did his thing. Can’t take nothing away from him.”

Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes .com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.