Even with freshman Ramzak Fruean upgraded from out to questionable for Saturday night's game at Nebraska, fifth-year senior Isaiah Ward will replace him as a starting edge rusher playing opposite Jacob Lane, coach Jedd Fisch said.
This will mark the first starting assignment of the season for the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Ward, who previously opened 19 games for Arizona and the UW.
Fruean, who started the first seven games but injured a knee at Purdue, has made significant strides in his rehabilitation, his coach said, hence his more positive playing status report.
"It's trending to him having some ability to play, though I'm not sure what that will be," Fisch said.
Regardless, Ward will start for the first time since he opened against Rutgers at midseason in 2025 and it is hoped the veteran can give the Husky pass rush a boost coming from the outside.
Isaiah Ward ties to bring down Iowa running back Kamari Moulton. | Dave Sizer photo
Entering the Nebraska game, one of the issues regarding the UW defensive unit has been the lack of sacks from its starting edge rushers -- just 1.5 through seven games.
In his career, Ward has more college sacks than anyone else on the Husky roster with 10.
Next best is Russell Davis II, who has 8.5 sacks at Arizona and the UW, and Lane, who has 6 career sacks, though just one so far this season.
In 2023, Ward was an 11-game starter for Fisch in Tucson and considered an up-and-coming young player. Yet once he arrived in Seattle, the edge rusher has dealt with nagging injuries and then got beat out by the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Fruean in fall camp.
Ward, who is a nephew to former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, started six games for the UW in 2024 and just two last season.
Jayden Limar leaped over Washington State tacklers on his way to an 11-yard TD run in the Apple Cup. | Dave Sizer phot
Also, Fisch said running back Jayden Limar, out since dislocating his elbow in the season opener against Washington State, has been practicing and is expected to play against the Cornhuskers.
"I think that will be a really good spark for us in adding a running back," the coach said.
For the Purdue game, the Huskies were down five runnings backs to injury and illness and then had Trey Cooley re-injure a shoulder near the end of the 38-26 victory.
Cooley, who rushed eight times against the Boilermakers for a career-best 113 yards, which included a 53-yard scoring run, is expected to be available for the Nebraska game.
There was no new information on the quarterback situation, on whether Elijah Brown or Demond Williams Jr. would start.
Earlier in the week, Fisch jokingly said he would hold his Thursday news conference at 1 p.m. and then decide on his starting QB within the confines of the team by 2:15.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/washington as Ailing Fruean Now Likely to Play, But Won't Start at Nebraska .
