Washington Huskies rise two spots in ESPN's way-too-early rankings

As spring practice rolls on for the Washington Huskies , national outlets are starting to take notice of the promising team Jedd Fisch's coaching staff is putting together.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Mark Schlabach updated the outlet's way-too-early top 25 ahead of the 2026 season, and he bumped the Huskies up two spots from No. 19 to No. 17. That makes them the sixth-highest ranked team in the Big Ten behind No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon, No. 6 Indiana, No. 14 Michigan and No. 15 Penn State.

Throughout the early portion of practice, the Huskies have shown promising depth at positions of need as Fisch builds around quarterback Demond Williams Jr.

"Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. spent the spring mending relationships with his teammates and fans after nearly bolting for another school," Schlabach wrote. "If Williams plays as well as he did in 2025, when he passed for 3,065 yards with 25 touchdowns, they'll probably forgive him quickly. The Huskies will have to replace Coleman, their leading rusher, and Boston, their leading receiver, but coach Jedd Fisch has been building to the 2026 season."

Although there are questions about who will step up and replace the top-end NFL talent that departed, the Huskies brought in promising young pieces in the 2026 class that have stood out early. Wide receivers Jordan Clay and Trez Davis look like early contributors, while offensive lineman Kodi Greene is the early favorite to start at left tackle. Brian Bonner is expected to have a role in the rotation in the backfield.

"Dezmen Roebuck looks like the next big thing at receiver, and there will be good competition at tailback after Adam Mohammed surprisingly transferred to Cal," he continued. "There will be new faces in the secondary, and the Huskies will be loaded at linebacker."

On defense, the Huskies have high-end building blocks to lean on: cornerbacks Emmanuel Karnley and Dylan Robinson, safeties Alex McLaughlin and Rylon Dillard-Allen and an elite linebacker corps with Jacob Manu, Xe'ree Alexander and Zaydrius Rainey-Sale. If defensive coordinator Ryan Walters can unlock a pass rush, Washington should have one of the best defenses in the Big Ten.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies rise two spots in ESPN's way-too-early rankings