Raiden Vines-Bright commits to ASU after one season with UW Huskies

1 of 3 | Washington wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright (7) catches the ball past Boise State defensive back Zion Washington (21) for a touchdown during the LA Bowl NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Skip Ad

By Andy Yamashita Seattle Times staff reporter

Raiden Vines-Bright is heading home.

After one season at Washington, Vines-Bright, a Tempe, Ariz., native, announced he will transfer to Arizona State in a series of posts on his social-media accounts. He’s the first former UW player to commit to a new school after entering the transfer portal.

Vines-Bright, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound wide receiver, played in 12 games and made seven starts during his lone season on Montlake, serving as UW’s primary slot receiver. He hauled in 24 catches for 238 yards receiving and caught his only touchdown of the season during UW’s 38-10 win against Boise State in the LA Bowl Dec. 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

He announced his intention to exit the program Dec. 17. Vines-Bright also posted a photo of himself as a child in an Arizona State uniform shortly after announcing his commitment to the Sun Devils.

Washington will have to replace two starting wide receivers after Vines-Bright’s departure and Denzel Boston’s decision to forgo his final season of eligibility and head to the NFL draft.

The transfer portal officially opened Jan. 2 and will remain open through Jan. 16. Players do not have to find a new school before the period ends, but must enter before the portal window ends. Entering Sunday, Washington had 13 portal entrants.

Former UW linebacker heads to Big Ten rival

Deven Bryant, a 5-11, 230-pound linebacker who started 10 games for Washington as a third-year sophomore in 2025, became the second UW portal entrant to find a new home Sunday evening. The Carson, Calif., native will also be playing closer to home in 2026 after announcing he will transfer to USC for the next season in a post on his social media accounts. 

Advertising Skip AdSkip AdSkip Ad

Bryant, a former Kalen DeBoer recruit who starred at Southern California powerhouse St. John Bosco High, entered the 2025 season as an important part of UW’s defense. He earned a starting linebacker spot next to junior Taariq “Buddah” Al-Uqdah during spring practices, and maintained it throughout fall camp. He made a career-high 62 tackles including two for a loss and two pass breakups during the first extensive playing time as a Husky. 

But his snaps began to decrease after UW’s 38-19 win against Rutgers Oct. 10. Junior Xe’ree Alexander’s late-season emergence and freshman Zaydrius Rainey-Sale’s return to full health began to limit Bryant’s opportunities, despite Al-Uqdah’s season-ending knee injury. 

Alexander and Rainey-Sale are expected to return to Washington in 2026. Fifth-year linebacker Jacob Manu will also have a year of eligibility after redshirting in 2025, while Al-Uqdah will also likely be available early in the season, limiting Bryant’s chances to see the field. 

Bryant did not play during UW’s 38-10 win against Boise State in the LA Bowl on Dec. 13, and Husky coach Jedd Fisch confirmed his intention to enter the transfer portal shortly after the game. Bryant played in 24 games during his three-year tenure on Montlake.

“Our goal is to let guys go play,” Fisch said Dec. 13. “I think he feels like there’s a great opportunity for him to do that elsewhere. We’re going to wish him the absolute best.”

Veteran defensive tackle officially declares for draft

Anterio Thompson implied this was going to be his lone season with the Huskies months ago. In a post on his social media accounts Nov. 23, the senior defensive tackle wrote he was “incredibly grateful to end my college career as a Husky next Saturday.” 

Advertising Skip Ad

Thompson clarified his status for next season Sunday evening. The 6-4, 310-pound Madison, Wis., native announced he will declare for the NFL draft in another post on his social media accounts. Thompson’s decision means he will forgo a potential final season of eligibility. 

“To the University of Washington,” he wrote,” I am forever grateful for my time as a Husky and the way it helped develop me into the player I am today. Playing in the greatest setting in college football is something I will always cherish and never forget.” 

Thompson’s eligibility situation wasn’t straightforward. The veteran defensive tackle played four seasons of college football at four different institutions: Washington (2025), Western Michigan (2024), Iowa (2023) and Iowa Western Community College (2022). Under old eligibility rules, Thompson’s college eligibility was set to expire after this season. 

But Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s class-action lawsuit changed Thompson’s situation. Pavia was granted a preliminary injunction to allow him to play for an extra season after arguing his seasons spent playing junior college football shouldn’t count against his NCAA eligibility. 

The NCAA immediately granted a blanket waiver to all college athletes with expiring eligibility who had spent time at the junior college level. This is how former UW cornerback Thaddeus Dixon gained an unexpected extra season of eligibility before transferring to North Carolina. 

Pavia’s lawsuit hasn’t received an official ruling as of Sunday, but Thompson and other players in his situation might be able to expect another year of eligibility because of the NCAA’s blanket waiver for 2025. Instead, Thompson will pursue the NFL draft and take the next step in his career.

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