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Washington Huskies Defensive Line in Good Shape
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- Washington Huskies Defensive Line in Good Shape
(Jamie Sabau/Imagn Images)
Washington Huskies defensive lineman speaks to the media after a practice Monday at Husky Stadium in Seattle. | Teren Kowatsch/Roundtable Sports
SEATTLE — The Washington Huskies football team has heavy expectations for itself this season, particularly on the defense.
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Several players and coaches on the defensive side of the ball have reiterated the belief that the unit can be one of the best in the country .
With those macro expectations comes more micro ones, as well.
The linebacker room is expected to lead this defense in 2026, but there's a healthy amount of anticipation for what the defensive line can do, as well.
The front of the defense hasn't been at full strength for the majority of the offseason due to players being injured or their eligibility status still being to-be-determined.
However, the team entered this fall mostly healthy, with the lone exception being third-year Mississippi State transfer Kai McClendon. Fifth-year defensive tackle Tai'ita'i Uiagalelei also returned to the team after being granted a fifth year of eligibility from a recent court ruling against the NCAA.
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Ohio State transfer and fourth-year edge rusher Logan George is also healthy after missing the entire spring due to a lingering injury he suffered while with the Buckeyes last season.
"Obviously, in spring, we didn't really have everybody consistently," Fourth-year defensive lineman Elinneus Davis said after a practice Monday at Husky Stadium. "But now, just to see the depth — It's truly awesome to know that we have guys that can just step up and be able to take reps. It's for sure a little comforting, but we're all still just trying to get better, for sure."
Davis was the de facto veteran leader of the defensive line group after being the lone returner from last season to record a consistent amount of playing time. Other veteran leaders, such as Zach Durfee and Anterio Thompson, were both drafted into the NFL and Uiagalelei's status was still unknown.
Davis played like the leader he was in the spring and made several notable plays in the backfield during 11-on-11 periods against the starting offense.
In addition to Davis' contributions, Sacramento State transfer DeSean Watts was also making an impact and is continuing to do so in the fall. Two class of 2026 players, Derek Colman-Brusa and edge Ramzak Fruean, received a healthy amount of first-team reps and performed well.
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The return of Uiagalelei, Fruean and Colman-Brusa's ahead-of-schedule development, Watts' immediate contributions, Davis' veteran presence, George's return and McClendon's pending return could result in a healthy and capable depth for the defense.
A healthy talented defensive line room will likely help Washington as it goes into the thick of its Big Ten schedule.
"Being able to move those guys and move those pieces around, I think is beneficial to us," Defensive coordinator Jason Kaufusi said after practice Monday. "But at the same time, it's early in camp. Let's see what these guys can do, let's see how much they can handle, and then we'll go from there once we get closer to gameday."
