Here are three positions Washington Huskies need to target in transfer portal

Washington coach Jedd Fisch walks on to the turf before a game against Wisconsin, Nov. 8, 2025, at Camp Randall Stadium, in Madison, Wis. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)

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By Andy Yamashita Seattle Times staff reporter

Jedd Fisch laid out his transfer portal philosophy during his first news conference as Washington’s coach back in January 2024. 

“We can find a way to build this team for sustainable success,” Fisch said. “And not feel like every year we need to find transfers to fill holes. We would love to be a team that can sign 20 high school players every year, 25 potentially, and then use what I call free agency — the transfer portal — to fill in the gaps.” 

Entering his third season at UW, Fisch and his staff have lived up to their promises. They signed 27 high school players during their first full recruiting cycle in 2025, then added a 25-player group in 2026 that currently ranks No. 12 nationally. It’s the highest-rated recruiting class in UW’s modern program history dating back to 1999 when recruiting websites began tracking the information. 

After bringing in a large group of transfer portal players before the 2024 season to supplement a massively depleted roster after former coach Kalen DeBoer’s departure, Fisch and his staff were more selective in 2025. They targeted impact transfers like sixth-year left tackle Carver Willis, senior cornerback Tacario Davis and senior defensive tackles Anterio Thompson and Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, who helped cover specific needs their roster was missing. 

Fisch and the Huskies will once again have a chance to add reinforcements when the transfer portal opens on Friday. Entering Tuesday, UW had 12 players who’ve announced they intend to depart, most notably sophomore running back Adam Mohammed, junior defensive tackle Bryce Butler and freshman wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright. But Washington also has some gaps where a transfer portal addition might be able to make an instant impact. 

So here are three positions where UW can use some transfer portal help before the 2026 season:

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3. Edge rusher 

Washington lost two of its top four options at edge rusher from the 2025 season. Zach Durfee, who totaled four sacks and five tackles for a loss, and Deshawn Lynch, who led the nation in batted passes, exhausted their eligibility after the LA Bowl. 

Jacob Lane, who led the Huskies with 8.5 tackles for a loss in 2025, and Isaiah Ward, who tallied a team-best six tackles for a loss in 2024, will both be seniors in 2026. UW will also get rising senior Russell Davis II back after he missed the entire past campaign because of a patellar tendon injury suffered during the offseason. 

Incoming freshman Derek Colman-Brusa, the state’s top-ranked high school player during the 2026 recruiting cycle, and sophomore Devin Hyde may also be able to contribute, too. Fisch said highly touted defensive lineman JD Hill may also play on the edge to start his career. 

But UW’s pass-rush ranked just 11th in the conference in sacks in 2025, and no defense can ever have enough productive edge rushers. 

Finding a player with a similar frame to Lynch might be a particular emphasis. The Sacramento State transfer was listed at 295 pounds in 2025. He was an important part of UW’s ability to set the edge, and Pro Football Focus graded Lynch as UW’s best edge rusher against the run. 

No other edge rusher on UW’s roster weighed more than 260 pounds in 2025. Ward and Davis, in particular, were listed at 235 pounds and 225 pounds, respectively, and rely more on their speed to create pressure in the backfield. So finding a player like Lynch in the transfer portal to bring another dynamic to UW’s edge rusher rotation will be important this winter. 

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2. Perimeter cornerback 

One of Washington’s cornerback spots is set. Barring unexpected attrition, rising sophomore Dylan Robinson will likely start in 2026 after serving as UW’s No. 3 perimeter cornerback as a true freshman in 2025 after Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis ran out of eligibility. 

But UW doesn’t have an obvious solution for its second cornerback spot. Leroy Bryant, who grabbed two interceptions against Boise State in the LA Bowl, announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 15. Elias Johnson, another DeBoer recruit, will be a third-year sophomore in 2026 but has played in just three games through two seasons. 

The rest of the traditional cornerbacks on UW’s roster are similarly inexperienced. D’Aryhian Clemons and Ramonz Adams Jr. redshirted as true freshmen in 2025. The Huskies also signed four incoming freshmen cornerbacks including blue-chip prospects Rahsjon Duncan and Jeron Jones and 2025 Washington Gatorade Football Player of the Year Elijah Durr out of Mount Tahoma High. 

But starting two young cornerbacks, no matter their talent level, seems risky for a team with legitimate College Football Playoff hopes. Robinson was a perfect example of the volatile nature of playing freshmen at the position this season. He thrived in a large role against Washington State during the 117th Apple Cup, forcing a fumble, and against UCLA, but gave up five catches, 147 yards receiving and a touchdown against Oregon. 

UW has had success with transfer portal cornerbacks in recent memory. Davis was effective when healthy in 2025 after joining from Arizona, and Washington leaned heavily on Jabbar Muhammad after he transferred to UW from Oklahoma State in 2023, only to watch him leave for Oregon a season later. 

1. Defensive tackle

Washington’s top need in the transfer portal is fairly obvious. UW is losing almost all of its interior defensive line production entering 2026. Uiagalelei exhausted his eligibility, while Thompson stated he expected to end his college career in 2025 in a post on his social media accounts on Nov. 23, forgoing a potential final season that depended on the status of the NCAA’s junior college waiver. 

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Bryce Butler, another important part of UW’s interior defensive line rotation in 2025, announced he intended to enter the transfer portal Dec. 16.

Entering Tuesday, UW’s interior defensive line consisted of just three players with more than one game of college experience: Elinneus Davis, Armon Parker and Jayvon Parker. 

Davis started 10 games in 2025. Armon Parker made his long awaited UW debut after three injury-riddled seasons, but suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury after playing in eight games in 2025. Jayvon Parker appeared just once during the past season after sustaining a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in 2024. 

The rest of UW’s defensive line unit has combined to appear in one game. Rising sophomore Omar Khan played once in 2025, while Caleb Smith and Dominic Macon redshirted during their true freshmen campaigns. The Huskies also signed four incoming freshmen who can play defensive tackle: Hill, Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais and local standouts Ta’a Malu and David Schwerzel. 

UW will likely need to add at least two defensive tackles to help replace some of its outgoing production. The Huskies have generally found impactful defensive tackles in the transfer portal under Fisch. Uiagalelei was one of the nation’s best pass-rushing interior linemen in 2025, while Thompson played a large part in helping fix UW’s run defense. Washington also successfully incorporated defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez from FCS Montana State before the 2024 season. 

Additionally, UW defensive coordinator Ryan Walters may look for a nose tackle. UW went away from five-player defensive fronts as the season went on because the defensive coordinator wanted to tailor the scheme to his personnel, but may decide he wants to return to them if he can find the right player to anchor the unit. 

The Huskies had less success finding nose tackles in the transfer portal. They added former Utah defensive tackle Simote Pepa before the 2025 season, and converted former Miami and Oregon offensive lineman Logan Sagapolu into a defensive tackle before the 2024 season. Neither made much of an impact in 2025, and both saw their snaps decrease as the campaign continued.

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