September 1, 2026 • 34 mins
Listen to the Husky football preview podcast, presented by Colburn Law, founded by former Husky athlete Greg Colburn. Helping injury victims across Washington fight and win! Hosted by Dave Softy Mahler, check in as we look ahead to the upcoming 2026 Husky football season. Featuring comments from players, coaches, and media members that cover Husky football.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Well, in the words of the immortal legendary former Husky
Stadium public address announcer Lou Gellerman, hello, dog fans, and
thanks for tuning in for the Husky Football Preview podcast
brought to you by Coburn Law, founded by former Husky
athlete Greg Coburn, helping injury victims across Washington fight.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
My name is Dave Softy Mahler. It's great to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Just us talking Husky football, previewing what could be Jed
Fish's best year so far. Year three at UW after
a nine and three season last year, highlighted by a
38 to 10 win over Boise State in the L.A.
Bowl that gave UW nine wins just two years ago.
after the Huskies lost every single offensive starter in the
coaching transition from Kalen DeBoer to Jed Fish. Over 50
(00:49):
new players in year number one to now year three
with established stars like quarterback DeMond Williams, linebacker Jacob Madu
on defense, an offensive line that includes veteran leadership from
players like Drew as a party at right tackle. and
a potential future NFL first-round draft pick in left guard
John Mills. UW coming in at number 17 in the
preseason AP poll, and with games against Wazoo in the
(01:11):
Apple Cup to kick off 2026, Utah State, Eastern, and
Minnesota in the first month may be a chance to
position themselves for... A CFP run and start turning some
heads if they can steal a win against USC in
the Coliseum on the 3rd of October. UW will face,
as of now, five teams in the AP Top 25,
starting with that game against No.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
14 USC.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
A Friday night fight the next week at home versus No.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
22 Iowa. And for the first time since 1921, No.
18 Penn State will come to town.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
On November 7th before the Huskies wrap up the year
with back-to-back games against the defending national champions, No. 6 Indiana,
and a road game at No.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
2 Oregon.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Will UW be able to take that next step and
be a part of the 12-team CFP field, or will
they be left on the outside looking in? For that answer,
we turned to longtime Pac-12 network and now NBC analyst,
our friend Yogi Roth, with three questions the Huskies must
answer this year.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
You know, I think they got to answer three questions.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
I'm not, you know, breaking any news here, but, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Can the left side of this offensive line handle grown
men in the Big Ten?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
You know, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Cody Green's going to be a monster. John Mills might
be the best offensive lineman in the Big Ten. Can
they handle the horse they're going to come through that place?
Question two is, can their wideouts win a man-to-man coverage?
You know, like, if you're going to play DeMond Williams, like,
you got to give up something somewhere. So can guys separate?
We're going to find out because they're not really that
proven yet. And then I'm so curious for DeMond. What
(02:38):
does he do on the road against the real ones?
And those are my three questions. And I'd imagine those
are everybody's three questions to a large degree because those
are areas where they either struggled a year ago, playing
well on the road, especially quarterback, and then this is
an offensive line that is really talented. And next year, oh,
my God, they're going to be so good, I think,
if they can hold everything together like we might imagine.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
But this year, they'll be shot.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
That left side of the offensive line Yogi talked about
includes pure freshman, first-year player, 18-year-old Cody Green. Five-star recruit,
coveted by everybody, but chose to come back home to
Washington where he played for Eastside Catholic after spending two
years in California at Matter Day. I had a chance
to catch up with Cody this summer and asked him
who his mentors at UW are and who he likes
(03:23):
to model his game after at just the age of
18 years old.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
I feel like John Mills and Drew as a party.
John Mills because he was also a freshman last year,
and I feel like him being next to me, if
I have a question, he knows all the answers. And
then Drew, having one of the most experience on the team,
I feel like as also another tackle, I'm able to
ask him questions, ask him little things about my game,
(03:47):
and he always has an answer for me.
Speaker 6 (03:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Do you model your game after anybody?
Speaker 5 (03:53):
I would say I feel like Trent Williams.
Speaker 7 (03:55):
Okay. Okay. I feel like him.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
That'll work.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah, I'd say if Cody Green turns into Trent Williams,
that works for everybody, right? 12-time pro bowler and a
five-time All-Pro, that works.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
But you know what?
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Cody Green will have some help in the form of
another guy who knows what it's like to play at
a very young age, second-year player John Mills at right guard,
who talked about his first year and how they may
have turned UW's offensive line into a strength on this
football team.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
Well, I think it's definitely fair to call him the
Hatcher brothers and as a party, uh, a strength in
the O-line, they're, they're absolutely ballers. Um, the way they've
been working as well, just taking me under their wing, um,
they're leaders in this team and they're amazing offensive linemen. Um,
so I'm, I think so. I mean, this offensive line,
we've been working very hard this off season. And like
(04:43):
I said, coach Swift, coach Brew and the strength staff
has just taken us. Um, we're trying to just get
to the place where you can be the Joe Moore
award and we're trying to get there every day. So,
I'm really, really excited for this season and to showcase
our talent, how hard we've been working.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
That left side has so much promise, so much hype,
but can they come together fast as Yogi Roth wondered
and take on Big Ten defensive linemen in the most
physical conference in college football? Well, for that answer, here's
UW offensive line coach Michael Switzer on what he thinks
of the new hopefully star left tackle in Cody Green
and why he's being given a starting spot at such.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
A young age. Cody's very unique.
Speaker 8 (05:22):
He's driven in a way that you don't traditionally see
in a young man who's 18 years old. He put
something out on spring break before spring ball started. He's
going to Cleveland to train with Charles Bentley instead of
going on vacation.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Love it.
Speaker 8 (05:39):
This guy is wired in a very unique way. I'd
say kind of similarly to how John Mills was kind
of wired last year. They're very serious about– what they're doing.
They're very serious about becoming a great football player. They're
very serious about how they put themselves in position to
be able to do this because you don't just walk
(06:00):
in and you're the starting left tackle. Cody worked really,
really hard the first day he was on campus meeting
with myself and Coach Brewster and learning the offense and
having an understanding of how we communicate, how we talk football,
what's the defensive identification before we even talk about a play.
He took that very seriously and his mindset has put
him in a position to to play left tackle for us.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Star recruits are great. Big names are great.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
But for UW to truly take that next step this year,
it's all about finishing. For Jed Fish, it's the one
thing they must do in 2026 that they did not
do consistently in 2025. Here's the coach on taking that
next step in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 9 (06:41):
I think the biggest thing for us is to be
able to finish. And, you know, as we look through
where we are as a program, Going into year three,
we squandered some opportunities. And my hope is that this
year we have an opportunity to just finish. We're a
7-6 halftime game against Ohio State, 7-7 against Michigan, 10-3
(07:05):
against Wisconsin. So you're sitting there in these games and
you're right there in it. But depth is a factor.
And I'm excited to see where our guys can be.
I think the fact that we have such great continuity,
We'll add to it. But every game's a battle. We're
in a different world. So I don't look at this year.
I got to look at it differently than last year.
(07:27):
I got to say every year is its own year
now here in the Big Ten because there's so many
changes constantly with roster management and the dollars that are
invested in certain programs. So I'm just looking forward to
going out there and competing and seeing how many we
can win.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
The biggest difference, though, in Jed Fish's eyes as far
as the roster from 2025 to 2026, without question, the
big boys up front.
Speaker 9 (07:51):
We had seven offensive linemen when I showed up here,
and two of those seven were coming off of ACL injuries.
And now we're sitting here with 17 offensive linemen, and
I would argue that seven of them can start in
a Big Ten in about almost every team we have
out here. So it's a huge difference there. I think
(08:12):
that's where it starts. And then I would say our
defensive line and our linebacking core, you could see just
such a huge difference. So it's been fun, you know,
get to nine wins in our second year. You know,
only been done, I think, nine times in the last
30 years at UW. and obviously first time doing it
in the Big Ten. So pretty cool about where we're
at and excited about where we're going.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
New faces on offense, but how about on defense? This
is a UWD that finished last year 15th in the
country in scoring defense and never gave up more than
26 points. For UW defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, though, he's
also got some new young talent on the line of scrimmage,
including 18-year-old Derek Coleman-Brusaw from Kennedy, who turned down offers
(08:54):
from Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and USC to name just
a few to come play football in front of his
family on Montlake.
Speaker 7 (09:02):
When I first got here, you know, you're looking at
his junior tape, and, you know, I think he was
playing around 250, 260. Right.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (09:10):
And he jumps off the screen, you know, just the
way he, his motor off the edge, his get off.
You know, saw him in camp that summer. And, you know,
same thing, just his get off was unreal. And then
as you kind of go through the, I remember our
first in-home visit. And great family, by the way. Like,
his family is awesome.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Yep.
Speaker 7 (09:31):
And, you know, we sit down for this big meal.
And DCB's got, like, the biggest plate I've ever seen.
I'm like, okay, he's going to get big. He finishes
that plate and gets another plate the same size. I
remember calling Fish on the way back from the in-home
just to give him a recap. I'm like, this kid's
(09:53):
going to be 300 pounds before you know it. You
wouldn't believe the amount of food he just consumed at dinner.
It wasn't shocked just because of the way he is
the the frame he has but I think he'll be
special inside with his he already has that twitch the
skill set right now he's got the size to back that.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Up One question facing UW's defense, though, is the secondary.
After losing players like Takario Davis and Ephesians Prysock to
the NFL draft, what does UW's new-look secondary look like?
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Here again is D.C.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Ryan Walters on what the 2026 Husky secondary could.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Be all about.
Speaker 7 (10:31):
I'm really excited about our secondary room, specifically at corner.
You look at a guy like Dylan Robinson, who had
starts last season. He lined up. His first start was
against Jeremiah Smith playing against Ohio State.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
That's right.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
So that kind of tells you what type of mind
frame he has and the kind of competitive nature that
he's built with. And then we brought in Emmanuel Carnley
from Virginia who had prior relationships with the staff from
his Arizona days, and he is as advertised. You know,
it's a guy that has played on an ACC team
(11:05):
that had 11 wins and he started all those games,
and he's got a ton of experience, and that experience shows.
He understands splits and route trees and is sticky in coverage.
The young guy that stood out is Jaron Jones. He's
been able to play inside, play outside, and he's another
one that does not look like an 18-year-old, and he
(11:27):
can cover, plays man coverage very well. So we've got
a good group, man. I'm excited about those guys, and
I think we'll be primed to have a good secondary.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Will this be the team that beats Oregon? Will this
be the team that challenges for a big 10 championship,
a CFP birth more Christian Capo from onmontlake.com thinks this
might be Jed fish's best chance so far at UW yet.
Speaker 10 (11:51):
It looks like Jed fish's most talented team so far. They,
they look bigger. They look more athletic. They look more
like a big 10 team. Um, you can see the
team strengths pretty clearly. I mean, I think you could
have looked on paper and just looked at the roster
and said, the linebackers are going to be pretty good
just because of the experience and some of the names
they have back, but really watching that position group. And honestly,
(12:13):
the defense generally kind of, I think, you know, what
they ended up with a top 20 scoring defense last year.
And I think with what they had talent wise, probably
felt pretty good about how things went on that side
of the ball.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
I really think that.
Speaker 10 (12:25):
Could be the strength of their team this year. And,
and probably is, going to have to be to beat
some of the teams they got coming into Husky Stadium
this year.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
By the way, it's not just the local yokels in
the media who think UW is on the come. How
about a national take from Phil Steele, from Phil Steele's
college football preview on what he thinks UW may be
all about in 2026?
Speaker 11 (12:44):
Yeah, I think Washington is close. They're not one that
I named right at the beginning, but they are clearly
going to be a contender this year. They do lose
their top running back and the top receiver from last year.
But I think they filled in well. And when you've
got the quarterback and the offensive line, you're solid. You know,
you've got the top three in the Big Ten this year, Softie.
I think then you have four teams contending for that
(13:05):
number four spot. USC, Michigan, Penn State, and Washington are
all in contention for that number four spot and a
potential playoff spot. And, in fact, I think when you
look at Washington this year, they've got a top 20
offense and a top 20 defense. They do have to
play USC on the road and Nebraska on the road.
Speaker 9 (13:22):
Right.
Speaker 11 (13:23):
But this is a team that with two games to go,
they host Indiana and travel to Oregon with two games
to go. They're going to be in the playoff thing
and beat Indiana at home.
Speaker 9 (13:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (13:34):
Boom. You got a great shot of getting there. So
I think Jed Fish has done a good job.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Plenty of opportunities on this schedule for you, Dub, but
also plenty of questions. Who will shine at running back
after Jonah Coleman graduated for the NFL this Well, the
receiver core produced another high NFL draft pick like Denzel
Boston last year. UW fans already know names like Desmond
Roebuck at wide receiver, but this year you'll get to
know names like running back Quade Carr and Jaden Lamar.
(14:00):
The transfer from Oregon every year brings new faces. But
in this turnstile era of college football, there's usually more
than less. What do you say we take a short
break and come back and hear from former UW tight
end and Husky radio analyst Cam Cleland with his thoughts
on the 2026 Dogs as the Husky Football Preview podcast
presented by Corbin Law continues right after this.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Injuries are tough. I know firsthand.
Speaker 12 (14:24):
I'm Greg Colburn, former Husky athlete and injury survivor. I
built Colburn Law accident and injury lawyers to help people
get justice when life knocks them down. From car accidents
to job site injuries, we fight for injured Washingtonians with
the same grit I brought to the field. If you're
hurt and need help, call the team that's lived it.
Colburn Law, proud sponsor and partner of Husky football. Visit colburnlaw.com.
(14:48):
That's C-O-L-B-U-R-N law.com.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
All right, Dawg fans, we are back.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
The Husky Football Preview podcast presented by Coburn Law, founded
by former Husky athlete Greg Coburn, helping injury victims across
Washington fight and win. Speaking of ex-Huskies, maybe one of
the most famous ex-Huskies of all time. At least that's
what he'll tell you. Former UW tight end, former NFL veteran,
and now the color analyst for Husky Football Radio broadcasts
(15:21):
every single week throughout the Husky football season. My friend
and longtime dog, Cam Cleland, joining us right here on
the Husky Football Preview Podcast with some thoughts on 2026.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Cam, thanks for doing this. How are you, man?
Speaker 11 (15:35):
Yeah, man.
Speaker 13 (15:38):
The key question, I would say, is how are you doing?
Speaker 4 (15:41):
How are things for you?
Speaker 13 (15:43):
You know, we sit around and we wait for football season,
and I know you're fiending through this Mariner debacle, but
now it's football season and we can appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Yeah, I am. I am ready to rock, man, as
you are.
Speaker 11 (15:55):
I am.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I'm ready to go.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
It's funny how quickly these seasons come and go and
you sit around just tapping your fingers, right? You know,
twiddling your thumbs, waiting for September for the next year. But,
you know, we spoke and talked a lot in the
first segment about this team being more ready now than
ever to to compete in the Big Ten, right, especially
on the line of scrimmage. Give us your thoughts there.
(16:17):
As a guy who was asked to block every now
and then, as a former tight end, by the way,
on the transition and the progress that this program has
made from year one under Jed Fish to where they
are now with those big boys up front on both
sides of the ball.
Speaker 13 (16:33):
Well, if you listen to Coach Fish, at least this is–
about as clear as it gets with every coach. It's
his third year. It's all his guys. There's just a
few left over really on this roster from his, his
first year. And now he has his guys up front.
He's always made the comment of, we need to get
bigger because you have to win the conference. And, If
you're going to beat teams like Indiana, if you're going
(16:55):
to beat teams like Ohio State and Michigan and Oregon
that have been perennially, sorry, in those moments of needing
to win this conference, you had to get bigger. But
also the way this conference is built, it's built at the.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Line of scrimmage. You're going to have.
Speaker 13 (17:09):
To find a way to win in the running game
and protecting your quarterback. And so what did Coach Fish
go out and do? He got big guys. He got
Cody Green. He got guys like John Mills on the
offensive line. He signed big freshmen. like Derek Coleman-Bruscia. He
bought in big athletes and guys in the transfer portal
because everybody had to get bigger, faster, stronger.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
It's a cliche. It's just that's how it is. Everybody
says bigger, faster, stronger.
Speaker 13 (17:34):
But if you're going to win here in the end
and you've got to get to November and you're going
to make a push in the playoffs, you better have depth, physicality,
and size and find a way to beat teams at
the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Well, we talked a lot in the first segment about
those two young guys you mentioned there with Cody Green
and Derek Coleman-Bruce. John Mills obviously is a star right
cam in the making at left guard.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
He's got NFL written all over him.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Husky fans might want to, you know, hunker down and
get used to seeing him for two years max left
at UW because he might be a goddard after his
junior season. But what about the Hatchet brothers? What about
guys like Drew as a party, by the way? What
about the depth on the offensive line? Talk to us
about that.
Speaker 13 (18:16):
Well, it's, I mean, if you watched the mock game
that went on on Saturday and I was there going
to kind of looking at depth and looking at guys
that wanted to see, you didn't get.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
A chance to see Landon Hatchett. They're still holding him out.
Speaker 13 (18:28):
So you got a lot of Colt Dietrich who ran
at center position, big transfer athlete, really good looking guy. Now,
whatever the situation here is with Landon Hatchett, we don't
know yet, but I'm sure they're just protecting him moving in.
And then Gary is the guy that's been there.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
A long time.
Speaker 13 (18:42):
And he's a seasoned, when I say seasoned veteran, veteran,
He's a seasoned veteran, a guy that's had that kind
of physicality. And then Champ needs to get healthy. So
your depth and your size is there in that group.
My only thing is, I know you talked a little
about Cody Green, his youth on the outside. Talk about
experience in Indiana, experience in Miami in the national championship game.
(19:03):
You watch, we're talking 16 to 18 fourth or fifth
year players on those rosters. If we want to see
young players, got to get them reps and got to
get them experience early because you know you could ask
all right let's have them have four years of experience
but we don't have that luxury this year so there's
got to be a lot of reps and you have
to get these young guys in that line of scrimmage
(19:25):
and up against great talent early in the season because
this stretch run for our program late through november it's
just it's going to be a gauntlet man it's going
to be so you up front youth in size, protecting,
running the football.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
It's cliche over and over again, but these guys.
Speaker 13 (19:42):
Now, this most experienced line, Dave, we've seen since that
2023 season, and that's something you have to lean on.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
No, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Well, Cam Cleveland's with us here, former Husky tight end,
UW color radio analyst with us on the air, and
all brought to you by our friends at Coburn Law.
By the way, you mentioned the running game. You know,
Jordan Coleman gone to the NFL. Jordan Washington right now
banged up. Adam Muhammad's at Cal, so he's not a
part of the program anymore. And you look at the
(20:11):
depth chart, and you really do see, at least from
kind of a public-facing perspective, Tons of new names, right?
Jaden Lamar, the transfer from Oregon. Trey Cooley, the transfer.
Quade Carr, the transfer. Brian Bonner is a freshman. Is
there anybody who's kind of caught your eye as spring ball,
fall camp that you think will eventually emerge as the
bell cow for that group? Or do you truly see
(20:33):
a running back by committee all year long?
Speaker 13 (20:36):
I think it's the latter. I think, like you said,
I think there's a little bit. You're going to wait
and see what Jaden Lamar and how he turns out, certainly.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
He has the most.
Speaker 13 (20:44):
We were talking about those two with Trey Cooley. You're
talking about guys that are veteran running backs. Here I
go again with that same comment about a redshirt senior
and a senior transfer, both transfers.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
You know, Brian Bonner looked really good. Quade Carr also
looked good.
Speaker 13 (20:58):
These are younger guys, and this is– Now, you're going
to win with some older players, certainly, but I think
Coach Fish loves playing freshmen. He likes getting those guys,
and I think you mentioned it early about getting used
to seeing these young guys or appreciate them now because
they could be gone very quickly. I think he understands
that and how valuable it is to get younger players
(21:20):
early and get them developed early. So I think we're
going to get these first four games and plus in
this Apple cup game, I think we're seeing a lot
of guys still fighting to see who's going to be
that guy.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Who's going to be the one that's going to carry.
Speaker 13 (21:32):
If we get somebody with 20 to 25 carries by
the end of the season, that's the guy I want
to see come week five, when you got to go
on the road and you got to go play USC.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Well, Cam, let's stay on the offense and just kind
of keep moving to the outside, but we can't skip
over your favorite position tight end. And I mean, obviously
Decker to graph is the most recognizable name, right at
that position, but some new faces there, some guys that
we think may be able to step up and surprise
some people, Kate Eldridge, Baron Naomi, Austin Simmons, give us
(22:04):
your take on as a former tight end, man, concerns, strengths,
what do you make of the group in 2026?
Speaker 13 (22:12):
Well, I'm really happy to have Cade Eldridge back, certainly
coming off his injury. Right now, you're going to see
him all over the place at true H-back. So he'll
play in the I formation. He'll be behind when quarterback's
under center. He'll be in the slot. He'll be in offset.
He's a bunch of– he's super versatile, really good athlete.
The three guys you mentioned, Becker, Cade, and Barron, are
(22:34):
the three that you're going to be a lot of focus.
You'll probably get some Austin also, Simmons, but those three
and the one– That wears number 85 and he happens
to be a little ginger also. Now when he comes
out of Westland down here in Oregon. So I watched
him in high school, got to see him grow up
to be a great athlete. He's put on weight. He's
put on size. He's physical at the line of scrimmage.
(22:56):
And if you're replacing a Quinton Moore like last year,
it is in the edge. It's the outside control. It's
the outside linebackers. It's the nine technique blocking from wide zone.
And the number one run in the Husky offense is
wide zone. So if you're on have a tight end
that can control the outside line of scrimmage, it's going
to be Barron's job this year to have his hand
in the ground and do a great job. And he's
(23:17):
physical and enough size to be vertical and fast and
the guy that has to have 30, 40 catches this
year in a vertical threat, seven routes, corner routes over
the balls. It's all Decker to graph this year. He's
a big target other than having a big wide receiver
with Christian Moss and the group.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Right.
Speaker 13 (23:36):
Demond has to have a tight end over the middle.
That's a big, easy target to throw to because you're
replacing a Denzel Boston. So that's a guy that has
to be a vertical threat.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
And that's Decker.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Well, you mentioned Christian Moss on the outside as the
ex-receiver of Virginia Tech transfer, right? Kennesaw State. Redshirt senior,
been around for a long time at 6'3, but, I mean,
Desmond Roebuck is back, and there's a lot of new, right?
Rasheed Williams obviously is back as well, but a lot
of talk about Jordan Clay over spring ball and fall camp.
(24:07):
A lot of talk about Christian Moss as well, so...
We're kind of getting used to Cam and getting spoiled
around here with these first and second round draft picks,
a wide receiver, including Denzel Boston to the Browns a
year ago.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Do we have another one in this bunch? You think?
Speaker 13 (24:23):
Yeah, I mean, I'm going to take a lot. This
is another committee, a great talent. We haven't seen that
guy pop. We certainly know that Dez is going to be,
in my opinion, right now Dez is number one. It's
the most comfortable. I'm on feels. I mean, these guys
have been together since they're kids. They have the connection.
They look alike.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
They throw each other. So there's that.
Speaker 13 (24:43):
I mean, Dez is going to be all over the
field from inside and out.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
My question is, who's going to be the Z or
the wide X player?
Speaker 13 (24:51):
That takes a little bit of top that takes the
skinny posts and goes the deep tread on the outside. Big,
easy targets. I mean, when you're a quarterback, you love
throwing the guys that have a wide angle, arm length
and extension right now. Metrics is Christian Moss, Rasheed Williams. Also,
these guys are going to have to step up. What
personnels are available? Are Coach Fish going to call? Is
(25:14):
he going to call a lot of 11 personnel, which
is one back and two and three wide receivers? Are
we going to see some 12 with two tight ends
mixing it up? But I think the wide receiver might be,
along with running back, we're in a little bit of
wait and see. Who's going to be those second and
three guys that we depend on?
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Yeah, well, Cam Cleveland's with us right here on the
Husky Football Preview podcast presented by our friends at Coburn Lawn.
Cam talked to both Ryan Walters and Jed Fish at
separate times over the offseason and asked them both, what's
the strength of the defense? And before I could even
get done asking the questions, they mentioned linebacker, right? With
a ton of guys back, including... Jacob Manu, Buda Alukda,
(25:54):
X-Ray Alexander, Zedrius.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Rainey Saleh looks like a man.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
I saw him last week, and my God, it's been
a long time since we've had a guy that looks
like him. Do you agree with the assessment from the
coaches that that linebacker might be the strength of that defense?
Speaker 13 (26:11):
No, I think there are three NFL to four NFL
guys right there, easily.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
I think this is the deepest room. on the team.
Speaker 13 (26:18):
I think it's the, I think it's the, one of
the best groups, if not the best group in the
country with depth. Now that you have extra, you have
Jacob and you said everybody there with Buddha coming back
off his, off his injury and how good did he
look on Saturday?
Speaker 4 (26:31):
He looked great. He was bouncing.
Speaker 13 (26:34):
Didn't see a lot of the Darius Randy Saleh because
he was still recovering. They kept a few guys out
strategically on the defense, like Dylan Robinson also, but going
back to the linebackers, he hit the nail on the head, man,
to have that depth, to be able to have run
support and to be able to create a rotation.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
I mean, that's one thing you see in defenses.
Speaker 13 (26:53):
You don't see an O-line rotation in progression of a series,
but boy, do you see linebacker rotation, D-line rotation in
and out, depending on how teams go defensively. So this
is it's it's a great bunch of riches to be
able to have that talent at the linebacker room.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I remember being down at USC for a Husky game, man,
darn near about 20 years ago and walking down the
sideline after the game and seeing Ray Malauga and Brian Cushing,
guys like that thinking, man, our guys look nothing like
those guys. And you're starting to get kind of feel
like maybe they do look like those guys now. So
great job out of Ryan Walters and Jed Fish of
restocking that linebacker group. But they're going to have to
(27:31):
restock the secondary man. A couple of guys are gone
in the NFL. Ephesians Price sock to Cario Davis. There
are some familiar names, but I guess the question is,
who is the leader? Who is the lockdown corner? Who
is the captain of that back end, you think, for
the defense?
Speaker 13 (27:45):
Well, at corner, I mean, the most experienced coming back
and the guy that we look at certainly is Dylan Robinson.
But the leader of the secondary, and it's not even close.
It's not even close at all. And this has zero bias.
In fact, it's AMAC. It's Alex McLaughlin. He will be
an all Big Ten player at the end of the year.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
He will be, no question. He is the best open
field tackler. He plays in space. the outside if he
needed to.
Speaker 13 (28:15):
His communication, his ball hawk awareness, knows.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
For the football.
Speaker 13 (28:19):
I mean, I can go after superlatives and just keep going.
He is that leader back there. So with that being said,
that means that everything's going to funnel off what defenses
try to attack. They're not going to try to attack middle.
you're going to go after corners. They're going to go
after edges, and then it is run support. So tackling
in the secondary and bringing that pressure up front, I
(28:40):
like our secondary a lot. Although you lose quite a
bit of talent, you're replacing it with some good players.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Well, Cam, before I let you go, and again, Cam
Cleland with us on the Husky Football Preview Podcast presented
by Colburn Law. We've been talking here for about 15 minutes,
and we haven't mentioned the quarterback yet, right?
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Number one.
Speaker 7 (28:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Was number two, now he's wearing Warren Moon's old number one.
And year three in the program, there was so much
hype after that Louisville game and the Sun Bowl maybe
met the hype for some, but I know he did
not meet the hype for himself or Jed because Jed
talked about finishing, finishing games like Michigan, finishing games like Wisconsin.
What is going to be, you think, the biggest difference, hopefully,
(29:20):
in the DeMond Williams that we saw a year ago
versus the one that we see this season?
Speaker 13 (29:25):
Well, I think that what I've watched so far a
little bit in practice, and I think his maturity and
his evolution is winning from the pocket. And look, there
are going to be moments when DeMond needs to make
extension of plays and plays.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
With his feet.
Speaker 13 (29:40):
But every great quarterback in college football, when they know
they have talent on the outside with a good run game,
they have to win.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
They have to have vision.
Speaker 13 (29:47):
They have to find those gaps and win from the
pocket and distribute the football. If we get into great
football games, which they will be, and we used last
year as a test in the losses of not having
the offensive production because teams found a way to make
sure they didn't let DeMond beat us with his feet,
beat them with their feet, Ohio State, in losses in
(30:10):
those games. He has to distribute the football with great accuracy.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
Accuracy.
Speaker 13 (30:16):
Okay, high percentage. We need to be in the 70%
completion rate. At that rate, that.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Gives you a high level. Now, does that mean you have.
Speaker 13 (30:24):
To have 70% at 18 yards and 20-yard chunk plays? No,
that means the 7-yard throws, the 5-yard throws, the ones
that extend the drive, those high completions move chains, and
he doesn't have to take big hits down the field.
So all those things means maturity and intelligence back there.
And that's one thing you could see that they're working.
(30:45):
And at least when I'm noticing him in practices and
noticing him in these mock games, he's more comfortable in
understanding where to win in the pocket.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
All right, Cam, last one for you. We'll let you go.
Appreciate you doing this, man. You and I will be
spending a lot of time together, so I don't want
to annoy you too much before the season starts. There
are some landmines for this team starting maybe October 3rd
at USC. Number 22, Iowa, comes here on a Friday.
Penn State, for the first time since 1921, is coming
(31:14):
to town. And then you end with maybe just about
the two biggest teams in your way for the CFP possibility,
Indiana and Oregon. What do you think about the schedule
and where are the question marks for you in your opinion?
Speaker 13 (31:30):
Well, I think the schedule sets up to be a
college football playoff team if you can handle your home games.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Right.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
And then your road game situations are.
Are as follows.
Speaker 13 (31:41):
You get to week from this is not looking past Minnesota.
It also is going to be a chest test at home.
I mean, that's a big 10, big 10 opener. And
that's that's not a walk in the park either. So
you're getting down to USC. That's your first major road test.
And you're looking at a coach and a player and
a program that are fighting to try to keep his job.
And that's a program that they're in that same situation.
(32:04):
They have a high expectation. So they know that's the
game that USC has circled for them to be a
college football playoff team.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
So they know how.
Speaker 13 (32:13):
Important that game is. We know how important that is.
You win that football game. I have to have that
as my litmus test, man. That's the mark that I
look at. Handle your business at home, Minnesota. You go
on the road. Not only is that confidence, and now
you're going to have your home set up. Knowing that
you're going to face Iowa at home, that's a heck
of a lot better going on the road there. You've
(32:33):
got to go on the road on another Friday night
to Purdue. But then you're back home, and those games
at home matter a lot. That's a long flight for
Penn State. That's a long flight and a big deal
for Indiana. Tell me the last time Indiana's been to
Husky Stadium.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
Yeah, forever.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Before our time.
Speaker 6 (32:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
Not in our time. You know, we weren't breathing. So
this is, it sets up.
Speaker 13 (32:56):
And I don't feel like project that what game matters
the most right now. It's you got to win on
the road in those big games and handle your business
at home.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
No doubt.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
You go three and two on the road and handle
your business at home. As you said, you're a 10
and two football team and likely in the CFP.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
So Cam, great stuff, man.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
This was a great way to kick off the 2026 season.
Looking forward to it. And we will see you at
the Apple cup very soon, my friend.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
Awesome. Appreciate it, brother.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
You bet.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Cam Cleveland again with us on the Husky Football Preview
podcast presented by our friends at Colburn Law, founded by
former Husky athlete Greg Colburn, helping injury victims across Washington
fight and win.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
That's it for us.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Hope you enjoyed the Husky Football Preview podcast. We have
a lot more to get to throughout the year. Every
single home game, every single road game on the Husky
Football Radio Network, of course, locally in Seattle. 93.3 KJR FM.
My name is Dave Safia Mahler.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Go Dawgs. We will talk very soon down the road.
Well, in the words of the immortal legendary former Husky
Stadium public address announcer Lou Gellerman, hello, dog fans, and
thanks for tuning in for the Husky Football Preview podcast
brought to you by Coburn Law, founded by former Husky
athlete Greg Coburn, helping injury victims across Washington fight.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
My name is Dave Softy Mahler. It's great to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Just us talking Husky football, previewing what could be Jed
Fish's best year so far. Year three at UW after
a nine and three season last year, highlighted by a
38 to 10 win over Boise State in the L.A.
Bowl that gave UW nine wins just two years ago.
after the Huskies lost every single offensive starter in the
coaching transition from Kalen DeBoer to Jed Fish. Over 50
(00:49):
new players in year number one to now year three
with established stars like quarterback DeMond Williams, linebacker Jacob Madu
on defense, an offensive line that includes veteran leadership from
players like Drew as a party at right tackle. and
a potential future NFL first-round draft pick in left guard
John Mills. UW coming in at number 17 in the
preseason AP poll, and with games against Wazoo in the
(01:11):
Apple Cup to kick off 2026, Utah State, Eastern, and
Minnesota in the first month may be a chance to
position themselves for... A CFP run and start turning some
heads if they can steal a win against USC in
the Coliseum on the 3rd of October. UW will face,
as of now, five teams in the AP Top 25,
starting with that game against No.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
14 USC.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
A Friday night fight the next week at home versus No.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
22 Iowa. And for the first time since 1921, No.
18 Penn State will come to town.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
On November 7th before the Huskies wrap up the year
with back-to-back games against the defending national champions, No. 6 Indiana,
and a road game at No.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
2 Oregon.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Will UW be able to take that next step and
be a part of the 12-team CFP field, or will
they be left on the outside looking in? For that answer,
we turned to longtime Pac-12 network and now NBC analyst,
our friend Yogi Roth, with three questions the Huskies must
answer this year.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
You know, I think they got to answer three questions.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
I'm not, you know, breaking any news here, but, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Can the left side of this offensive line handle grown
men in the Big Ten?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
You know, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Cody Green's going to be a monster. John Mills might
be the best offensive lineman in the Big Ten. Can
they handle the horse they're going to come through that place?
Question two is, can their wideouts win a man-to-man coverage?
You know, like, if you're going to play DeMond Williams, like,
you got to give up something somewhere. So can guys separate?
We're going to find out because they're not really that
proven yet. And then I'm so curious for DeMond. What
(02:38):
does he do on the road against the real ones?
And those are my three questions. And I'd imagine those
are everybody's three questions to a large degree because those
are areas where they either struggled a year ago, playing
well on the road, especially quarterback, and then this is
an offensive line that is really talented. And next year, oh,
my God, they're going to be so good, I think,
if they can hold everything together like we might imagine.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
But this year, they'll be shot.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
That left side of the offensive line Yogi talked about
includes pure freshman, first-year player, 18-year-old Cody Green. Five-star recruit,
coveted by everybody, but chose to come back home to
Washington where he played for Eastside Catholic after spending two
years in California at Matter Day. I had a chance
to catch up with Cody this summer and asked him
who his mentors at UW are and who he likes
(03:23):
to model his game after at just the age of
18 years old.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
I feel like John Mills and Drew as a party.
John Mills because he was also a freshman last year,
and I feel like him being next to me, if
I have a question, he knows all the answers. And
then Drew, having one of the most experience on the team,
I feel like as also another tackle, I'm able to
ask him questions, ask him little things about my game,
(03:47):
and he always has an answer for me.
Speaker 6 (03:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Do you model your game after anybody?
Speaker 5 (03:53):
I would say I feel like Trent Williams.
Speaker 7 (03:55):
Okay. Okay. I feel like him.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
That'll work.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah, I'd say if Cody Green turns into Trent Williams,
that works for everybody, right? 12-time pro bowler and a
five-time All-Pro, that works.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
But you know what?
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Cody Green will have some help in the form of
another guy who knows what it's like to play at
a very young age, second-year player John Mills at right guard,
who talked about his first year and how they may
have turned UW's offensive line into a strength on this
football team.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
Well, I think it's definitely fair to call him the
Hatcher brothers and as a party, uh, a strength in
the O-line, they're, they're absolutely ballers. Um, the way they've
been working as well, just taking me under their wing, um,
they're leaders in this team and they're amazing offensive linemen. Um,
so I'm, I think so. I mean, this offensive line,
we've been working very hard this off season. And like
(04:43):
I said, coach Swift, coach Brew and the strength staff
has just taken us. Um, we're trying to just get
to the place where you can be the Joe Moore
award and we're trying to get there every day. So,
I'm really, really excited for this season and to showcase
our talent, how hard we've been working.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
That left side has so much promise, so much hype,
but can they come together fast as Yogi Roth wondered
and take on Big Ten defensive linemen in the most
physical conference in college football? Well, for that answer, here's
UW offensive line coach Michael Switzer on what he thinks
of the new hopefully star left tackle in Cody Green
and why he's being given a starting spot at such.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
A young age. Cody's very unique.
Speaker 8 (05:22):
He's driven in a way that you don't traditionally see
in a young man who's 18 years old. He put
something out on spring break before spring ball started. He's
going to Cleveland to train with Charles Bentley instead of
going on vacation.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Love it.
Speaker 8 (05:39):
This guy is wired in a very unique way. I'd
say kind of similarly to how John Mills was kind
of wired last year. They're very serious about– what they're doing.
They're very serious about becoming a great football player. They're
very serious about how they put themselves in position to
be able to do this because you don't just walk
(06:00):
in and you're the starting left tackle. Cody worked really,
really hard the first day he was on campus meeting
with myself and Coach Brewster and learning the offense and
having an understanding of how we communicate, how we talk football,
what's the defensive identification before we even talk about a play.
He took that very seriously and his mindset has put
him in a position to to play left tackle for us.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Star recruits are great. Big names are great.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
But for UW to truly take that next step this year,
it's all about finishing. For Jed Fish, it's the one
thing they must do in 2026 that they did not
do consistently in 2025. Here's the coach on taking that
next step in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 9 (06:41):
I think the biggest thing for us is to be
able to finish. And, you know, as we look through
where we are as a program, Going into year three,
we squandered some opportunities. And my hope is that this
year we have an opportunity to just finish. We're a
7-6 halftime game against Ohio State, 7-7 against Michigan, 10-3
(07:05):
against Wisconsin. So you're sitting there in these games and
you're right there in it. But depth is a factor.
And I'm excited to see where our guys can be.
I think the fact that we have such great continuity,
We'll add to it. But every game's a battle. We're
in a different world. So I don't look at this year.
I got to look at it differently than last year.
(07:27):
I got to say every year is its own year
now here in the Big Ten because there's so many
changes constantly with roster management and the dollars that are
invested in certain programs. So I'm just looking forward to
going out there and competing and seeing how many we
can win.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
The biggest difference, though, in Jed Fish's eyes as far
as the roster from 2025 to 2026, without question, the
big boys up front.
Speaker 9 (07:51):
We had seven offensive linemen when I showed up here,
and two of those seven were coming off of ACL injuries.
And now we're sitting here with 17 offensive linemen, and
I would argue that seven of them can start in
a Big Ten in about almost every team we have
out here. So it's a huge difference there. I think
(08:12):
that's where it starts. And then I would say our
defensive line and our linebacking core, you could see just
such a huge difference. So it's been fun, you know,
get to nine wins in our second year. You know,
only been done, I think, nine times in the last
30 years at UW. and obviously first time doing it
in the Big Ten. So pretty cool about where we're
at and excited about where we're going.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
New faces on offense, but how about on defense? This
is a UWD that finished last year 15th in the
country in scoring defense and never gave up more than
26 points. For UW defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, though, he's
also got some new young talent on the line of scrimmage,
including 18-year-old Derek Coleman-Brusaw from Kennedy, who turned down offers
(08:54):
from Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and USC to name just
a few to come play football in front of his
family on Montlake.
Speaker 7 (09:02):
When I first got here, you know, you're looking at
his junior tape, and, you know, I think he was
playing around 250, 260. Right.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (09:10):
And he jumps off the screen, you know, just the
way he, his motor off the edge, his get off.
You know, saw him in camp that summer. And, you know,
same thing, just his get off was unreal. And then
as you kind of go through the, I remember our
first in-home visit. And great family, by the way. Like,
his family is awesome.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Yep.
Speaker 7 (09:31):
And, you know, we sit down for this big meal.
And DCB's got, like, the biggest plate I've ever seen.
I'm like, okay, he's going to get big. He finishes
that plate and gets another plate the same size. I
remember calling Fish on the way back from the in-home
just to give him a recap. I'm like, this kid's
(09:53):
going to be 300 pounds before you know it. You
wouldn't believe the amount of food he just consumed at dinner.
It wasn't shocked just because of the way he is
the the frame he has but I think he'll be
special inside with his he already has that twitch the
skill set right now he's got the size to back that.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Up One question facing UW's defense, though, is the secondary.
After losing players like Takario Davis and Ephesians Prysock to
the NFL draft, what does UW's new-look secondary look like?
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Here again is D.C.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Ryan Walters on what the 2026 Husky secondary could.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Be all about.
Speaker 7 (10:31):
I'm really excited about our secondary room, specifically at corner.
You look at a guy like Dylan Robinson, who had
starts last season. He lined up. His first start was
against Jeremiah Smith playing against Ohio State.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
That's right.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
So that kind of tells you what type of mind
frame he has and the kind of competitive nature that
he's built with. And then we brought in Emmanuel Carnley
from Virginia who had prior relationships with the staff from
his Arizona days, and he is as advertised. You know,
it's a guy that has played on an ACC team
(11:05):
that had 11 wins and he started all those games,
and he's got a ton of experience, and that experience shows.
He understands splits and route trees and is sticky in coverage.
The young guy that stood out is Jaron Jones. He's
been able to play inside, play outside, and he's another
one that does not look like an 18-year-old, and he
(11:27):
can cover, plays man coverage very well. So we've got
a good group, man. I'm excited about those guys, and
I think we'll be primed to have a good secondary.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Will this be the team that beats Oregon? Will this
be the team that challenges for a big 10 championship,
a CFP birth more Christian Capo from onmontlake.com thinks this
might be Jed fish's best chance so far at UW yet.
Speaker 10 (11:51):
It looks like Jed fish's most talented team so far. They,
they look bigger. They look more athletic. They look more
like a big 10 team. Um, you can see the
team strengths pretty clearly. I mean, I think you could
have looked on paper and just looked at the roster
and said, the linebackers are going to be pretty good
just because of the experience and some of the names
they have back, but really watching that position group. And honestly,
(12:13):
the defense generally kind of, I think, you know, what
they ended up with a top 20 scoring defense last year.
And I think with what they had talent wise, probably
felt pretty good about how things went on that side
of the ball.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
I really think that.
Speaker 10 (12:25):
Could be the strength of their team this year. And,
and probably is, going to have to be to beat
some of the teams they got coming into Husky Stadium
this year.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
By the way, it's not just the local yokels in
the media who think UW is on the come. How
about a national take from Phil Steele, from Phil Steele's
college football preview on what he thinks UW may be
all about in 2026?
Speaker 11 (12:44):
Yeah, I think Washington is close. They're not one that
I named right at the beginning, but they are clearly
going to be a contender this year. They do lose
their top running back and the top receiver from last year.
But I think they filled in well. And when you've
got the quarterback and the offensive line, you're solid. You know,
you've got the top three in the Big Ten this year, Softie.
I think then you have four teams contending for that
(13:05):
number four spot. USC, Michigan, Penn State, and Washington are
all in contention for that number four spot and a
potential playoff spot. And, in fact, I think when you
look at Washington this year, they've got a top 20
offense and a top 20 defense. They do have to
play USC on the road and Nebraska on the road.
Speaker 9 (13:22):
Right.
Speaker 11 (13:23):
But this is a team that with two games to go,
they host Indiana and travel to Oregon with two games
to go. They're going to be in the playoff thing
and beat Indiana at home.
Speaker 9 (13:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (13:34):
Boom. You got a great shot of getting there. So
I think Jed Fish has done a good job.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Plenty of opportunities on this schedule for you, Dub, but
also plenty of questions. Who will shine at running back
after Jonah Coleman graduated for the NFL this Well, the
receiver core produced another high NFL draft pick like Denzel
Boston last year. UW fans already know names like Desmond
Roebuck at wide receiver, but this year you'll get to
know names like running back Quade Carr and Jaden Lamar.
(14:00):
The transfer from Oregon every year brings new faces. But
in this turnstile era of college football, there's usually more
than less. What do you say we take a short
break and come back and hear from former UW tight
end and Husky radio analyst Cam Cleland with his thoughts
on the 2026 Dogs as the Husky Football Preview podcast
presented by Corbin Law continues right after this.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Injuries are tough. I know firsthand.
Speaker 12 (14:24):
I'm Greg Colburn, former Husky athlete and injury survivor. I
built Colburn Law accident and injury lawyers to help people
get justice when life knocks them down. From car accidents
to job site injuries, we fight for injured Washingtonians with
the same grit I brought to the field. If you're
hurt and need help, call the team that's lived it.
Colburn Law, proud sponsor and partner of Husky football. Visit colburnlaw.com.
(14:48):
That's C-O-L-B-U-R-N law.com.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
All right, Dawg fans, we are back.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
The Husky Football Preview podcast presented by Coburn Law, founded
by former Husky athlete Greg Coburn, helping injury victims across
Washington fight and win. Speaking of ex-Huskies, maybe one of
the most famous ex-Huskies of all time. At least that's
what he'll tell you. Former UW tight end, former NFL veteran,
and now the color analyst for Husky Football Radio broadcasts
(15:21):
every single week throughout the Husky football season. My friend
and longtime dog, Cam Cleland, joining us right here on
the Husky Football Preview Podcast with some thoughts on 2026.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Cam, thanks for doing this. How are you, man?
Speaker 11 (15:35):
Yeah, man.
Speaker 13 (15:38):
The key question, I would say, is how are you doing?
Speaker 4 (15:41):
How are things for you?
Speaker 13 (15:43):
You know, we sit around and we wait for football season,
and I know you're fiending through this Mariner debacle, but
now it's football season and we can appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Yeah, I am. I am ready to rock, man, as
you are.
Speaker 11 (15:55):
I am.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I'm ready to go.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
It's funny how quickly these seasons come and go and
you sit around just tapping your fingers, right? You know,
twiddling your thumbs, waiting for September for the next year. But,
you know, we spoke and talked a lot in the
first segment about this team being more ready now than
ever to to compete in the Big Ten, right, especially
on the line of scrimmage. Give us your thoughts there.
(16:17):
As a guy who was asked to block every now
and then, as a former tight end, by the way,
on the transition and the progress that this program has
made from year one under Jed Fish to where they
are now with those big boys up front on both
sides of the ball.
Speaker 13 (16:33):
Well, if you listen to Coach Fish, at least this is–
about as clear as it gets with every coach. It's
his third year. It's all his guys. There's just a
few left over really on this roster from his, his
first year. And now he has his guys up front.
He's always made the comment of, we need to get
bigger because you have to win the conference. And, If
you're going to beat teams like Indiana, if you're going
(16:55):
to beat teams like Ohio State and Michigan and Oregon
that have been perennially, sorry, in those moments of needing
to win this conference, you had to get bigger. But
also the way this conference is built, it's built at the.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Line of scrimmage. You're going to have.
Speaker 13 (17:09):
To find a way to win in the running game
and protecting your quarterback. And so what did Coach Fish
go out and do? He got big guys. He got
Cody Green. He got guys like John Mills on the
offensive line. He signed big freshmen. like Derek Coleman-Bruscia. He
bought in big athletes and guys in the transfer portal
because everybody had to get bigger, faster, stronger.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
It's a cliche. It's just that's how it is. Everybody
says bigger, faster, stronger.
Speaker 13 (17:34):
But if you're going to win here in the end
and you've got to get to November and you're going
to make a push in the playoffs, you better have depth, physicality,
and size and find a way to beat teams at
the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Well, we talked a lot in the first segment about
those two young guys you mentioned there with Cody Green
and Derek Coleman-Bruce. John Mills obviously is a star right
cam in the making at left guard.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
He's got NFL written all over him.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Husky fans might want to, you know, hunker down and
get used to seeing him for two years max left
at UW because he might be a goddard after his
junior season. But what about the Hatchet brothers? What about
guys like Drew as a party, by the way? What
about the depth on the offensive line? Talk to us
about that.
Speaker 13 (18:16):
Well, it's, I mean, if you watched the mock game
that went on on Saturday and I was there going
to kind of looking at depth and looking at guys
that wanted to see, you didn't get.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
A chance to see Landon Hatchett. They're still holding him out.
Speaker 13 (18:28):
So you got a lot of Colt Dietrich who ran
at center position, big transfer athlete, really good looking guy. Now,
whatever the situation here is with Landon Hatchett, we don't
know yet, but I'm sure they're just protecting him moving in.
And then Gary is the guy that's been there.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
A long time.
Speaker 13 (18:42):
And he's a seasoned, when I say seasoned veteran, veteran,
He's a seasoned veteran, a guy that's had that kind
of physicality. And then Champ needs to get healthy. So
your depth and your size is there in that group.
My only thing is, I know you talked a little
about Cody Green, his youth on the outside. Talk about
experience in Indiana, experience in Miami in the national championship game.
(19:03):
You watch, we're talking 16 to 18 fourth or fifth
year players on those rosters. If we want to see
young players, got to get them reps and got to
get them experience early because you know you could ask
all right let's have them have four years of experience
but we don't have that luxury this year so there's
got to be a lot of reps and you have
to get these young guys in that line of scrimmage
(19:25):
and up against great talent early in the season because
this stretch run for our program late through november it's
just it's going to be a gauntlet man it's going
to be so you up front youth in size, protecting,
running the football.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
It's cliche over and over again, but these guys.
Speaker 13 (19:42):
Now, this most experienced line, Dave, we've seen since that
2023 season, and that's something you have to lean on.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
No, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Well, Cam Cleveland's with us here, former Husky tight end,
UW color radio analyst with us on the air, and
all brought to you by our friends at Coburn Law.
By the way, you mentioned the running game. You know,
Jordan Coleman gone to the NFL. Jordan Washington right now
banged up. Adam Muhammad's at Cal, so he's not a
part of the program anymore. And you look at the
(20:11):
depth chart, and you really do see, at least from
kind of a public-facing perspective, Tons of new names, right?
Jaden Lamar, the transfer from Oregon. Trey Cooley, the transfer.
Quade Carr, the transfer. Brian Bonner is a freshman. Is
there anybody who's kind of caught your eye as spring ball,
fall camp that you think will eventually emerge as the
bell cow for that group? Or do you truly see
(20:33):
a running back by committee all year long?
Speaker 13 (20:36):
I think it's the latter. I think, like you said,
I think there's a little bit. You're going to wait
and see what Jaden Lamar and how he turns out, certainly.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
He has the most.
Speaker 13 (20:44):
We were talking about those two with Trey Cooley. You're
talking about guys that are veteran running backs. Here I
go again with that same comment about a redshirt senior
and a senior transfer, both transfers.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
You know, Brian Bonner looked really good. Quade Carr also
looked good.
Speaker 13 (20:58):
These are younger guys, and this is– Now, you're going
to win with some older players, certainly, but I think
Coach Fish loves playing freshmen. He likes getting those guys,
and I think you mentioned it early about getting used
to seeing these young guys or appreciate them now because
they could be gone very quickly. I think he understands
that and how valuable it is to get younger players
(21:20):
early and get them developed early. So I think we're
going to get these first four games and plus in
this Apple cup game, I think we're seeing a lot
of guys still fighting to see who's going to be
that guy.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Who's going to be the one that's going to carry.
Speaker 13 (21:32):
If we get somebody with 20 to 25 carries by
the end of the season, that's the guy I want
to see come week five, when you got to go
on the road and you got to go play USC.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Well, Cam, let's stay on the offense and just kind
of keep moving to the outside, but we can't skip
over your favorite position tight end. And I mean, obviously
Decker to graph is the most recognizable name, right at
that position, but some new faces there, some guys that
we think may be able to step up and surprise
some people, Kate Eldridge, Baron Naomi, Austin Simmons, give us
(22:04):
your take on as a former tight end, man, concerns, strengths,
what do you make of the group in 2026?
Speaker 13 (22:12):
Well, I'm really happy to have Cade Eldridge back, certainly
coming off his injury. Right now, you're going to see
him all over the place at true H-back. So he'll
play in the I formation. He'll be behind when quarterback's
under center. He'll be in the slot. He'll be in offset.
He's a bunch of– he's super versatile, really good athlete.
The three guys you mentioned, Becker, Cade, and Barron, are
(22:34):
the three that you're going to be a lot of focus.
You'll probably get some Austin also, Simmons, but those three
and the one– That wears number 85 and he happens
to be a little ginger also. Now when he comes
out of Westland down here in Oregon. So I watched
him in high school, got to see him grow up
to be a great athlete. He's put on weight. He's
put on size. He's physical at the line of scrimmage.
(22:56):
And if you're replacing a Quinton Moore like last year,
it is in the edge. It's the outside control. It's
the outside linebackers. It's the nine technique blocking from wide zone.
And the number one run in the Husky offense is
wide zone. So if you're on have a tight end
that can control the outside line of scrimmage, it's going
to be Barron's job this year to have his hand
in the ground and do a great job. And he's
(23:17):
physical and enough size to be vertical and fast and
the guy that has to have 30, 40 catches this
year in a vertical threat, seven routes, corner routes over
the balls. It's all Decker to graph this year. He's
a big target other than having a big wide receiver
with Christian Moss and the group.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Right.
Speaker 13 (23:36):
Demond has to have a tight end over the middle.
That's a big, easy target to throw to because you're
replacing a Denzel Boston. So that's a guy that has
to be a vertical threat.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
And that's Decker.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Well, you mentioned Christian Moss on the outside as the
ex-receiver of Virginia Tech transfer, right? Kennesaw State. Redshirt senior,
been around for a long time at 6'3, but, I mean,
Desmond Roebuck is back, and there's a lot of new, right?
Rasheed Williams obviously is back as well, but a lot
of talk about Jordan Clay over spring ball and fall camp.
(24:07):
A lot of talk about Christian Moss as well, so...
We're kind of getting used to Cam and getting spoiled
around here with these first and second round draft picks,
a wide receiver, including Denzel Boston to the Browns a
year ago.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Do we have another one in this bunch? You think?
Speaker 13 (24:23):
Yeah, I mean, I'm going to take a lot. This
is another committee, a great talent. We haven't seen that
guy pop. We certainly know that Dez is going to be,
in my opinion, right now Dez is number one. It's
the most comfortable. I'm on feels. I mean, these guys
have been together since they're kids. They have the connection.
They look alike.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
They throw each other. So there's that.
Speaker 13 (24:43):
I mean, Dez is going to be all over the
field from inside and out.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
My question is, who's going to be the Z or
the wide X player?
Speaker 13 (24:51):
That takes a little bit of top that takes the
skinny posts and goes the deep tread on the outside. Big,
easy targets. I mean, when you're a quarterback, you love
throwing the guys that have a wide angle, arm length
and extension right now. Metrics is Christian Moss, Rasheed Williams. Also,
these guys are going to have to step up. What
personnels are available? Are Coach Fish going to call? Is
(25:14):
he going to call a lot of 11 personnel, which
is one back and two and three wide receivers? Are
we going to see some 12 with two tight ends
mixing it up? But I think the wide receiver might be,
along with running back, we're in a little bit of
wait and see. Who's going to be those second and
three guys that we depend on?
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Yeah, well, Cam Cleveland's with us right here on the
Husky Football Preview podcast presented by our friends at Coburn Lawn.
Cam talked to both Ryan Walters and Jed Fish at
separate times over the offseason and asked them both, what's
the strength of the defense? And before I could even
get done asking the questions, they mentioned linebacker, right? With
a ton of guys back, including... Jacob Manu, Buda Alukda,
(25:54):
X-Ray Alexander, Zedrius.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Rainey Saleh looks like a man.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
I saw him last week, and my God, it's been
a long time since we've had a guy that looks
like him. Do you agree with the assessment from the
coaches that that linebacker might be the strength of that defense?
Speaker 13 (26:11):
No, I think there are three NFL to four NFL
guys right there, easily.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
I think this is the deepest room. on the team.
Speaker 13 (26:18):
I think it's the, I think it's the, one of
the best groups, if not the best group in the
country with depth. Now that you have extra, you have
Jacob and you said everybody there with Buddha coming back
off his, off his injury and how good did he
look on Saturday?
Speaker 4 (26:31):
He looked great. He was bouncing.
Speaker 13 (26:34):
Didn't see a lot of the Darius Randy Saleh because
he was still recovering. They kept a few guys out
strategically on the defense, like Dylan Robinson also, but going
back to the linebackers, he hit the nail on the head, man,
to have that depth, to be able to have run
support and to be able to create a rotation.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
I mean, that's one thing you see in defenses.
Speaker 13 (26:53):
You don't see an O-line rotation in progression of a series,
but boy, do you see linebacker rotation, D-line rotation in
and out, depending on how teams go defensively. So this
is it's it's a great bunch of riches to be
able to have that talent at the linebacker room.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I remember being down at USC for a Husky game, man,
darn near about 20 years ago and walking down the
sideline after the game and seeing Ray Malauga and Brian Cushing,
guys like that thinking, man, our guys look nothing like
those guys. And you're starting to get kind of feel
like maybe they do look like those guys now. So
great job out of Ryan Walters and Jed Fish of
restocking that linebacker group. But they're going to have to
(27:31):
restock the secondary man. A couple of guys are gone
in the NFL. Ephesians Price sock to Cario Davis. There
are some familiar names, but I guess the question is,
who is the leader? Who is the lockdown corner? Who
is the captain of that back end, you think, for
the defense?
Speaker 13 (27:45):
Well, at corner, I mean, the most experienced coming back
and the guy that we look at certainly is Dylan Robinson.
But the leader of the secondary, and it's not even close.
It's not even close at all. And this has zero bias.
In fact, it's AMAC. It's Alex McLaughlin. He will be
an all Big Ten player at the end of the year.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
He will be, no question. He is the best open
field tackler. He plays in space. the outside if he
needed to.
Speaker 13 (28:15):
His communication, his ball hawk awareness, knows.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
For the football.
Speaker 13 (28:19):
I mean, I can go after superlatives and just keep going.
He is that leader back there. So with that being said,
that means that everything's going to funnel off what defenses
try to attack. They're not going to try to attack middle.
you're going to go after corners. They're going to go
after edges, and then it is run support. So tackling
in the secondary and bringing that pressure up front, I
(28:40):
like our secondary a lot. Although you lose quite a
bit of talent, you're replacing it with some good players.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Well, Cam, before I let you go, and again, Cam
Cleland with us on the Husky Football Preview Podcast presented
by Colburn Law. We've been talking here for about 15 minutes,
and we haven't mentioned the quarterback yet, right?
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Number one.
Speaker 7 (28:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Was number two, now he's wearing Warren Moon's old number one.
And year three in the program, there was so much
hype after that Louisville game and the Sun Bowl maybe
met the hype for some, but I know he did
not meet the hype for himself or Jed because Jed
talked about finishing, finishing games like Michigan, finishing games like Wisconsin.
What is going to be, you think, the biggest difference, hopefully,
(29:20):
in the DeMond Williams that we saw a year ago
versus the one that we see this season?
Speaker 13 (29:25):
Well, I think that what I've watched so far a
little bit in practice, and I think his maturity and
his evolution is winning from the pocket. And look, there
are going to be moments when DeMond needs to make
extension of plays and plays.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
With his feet.
Speaker 13 (29:40):
But every great quarterback in college football, when they know
they have talent on the outside with a good run game,
they have to win.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
They have to have vision.
Speaker 13 (29:47):
They have to find those gaps and win from the
pocket and distribute the football. If we get into great
football games, which they will be, and we used last
year as a test in the losses of not having
the offensive production because teams found a way to make
sure they didn't let DeMond beat us with his feet,
beat them with their feet, Ohio State, in losses in
(30:10):
those games. He has to distribute the football with great accuracy.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
Accuracy.
Speaker 13 (30:16):
Okay, high percentage. We need to be in the 70%
completion rate. At that rate, that.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Gives you a high level. Now, does that mean you have.
Speaker 13 (30:24):
To have 70% at 18 yards and 20-yard chunk plays? No,
that means the 7-yard throws, the 5-yard throws, the ones
that extend the drive, those high completions move chains, and
he doesn't have to take big hits down the field.
So all those things means maturity and intelligence back there.
And that's one thing you could see that they're working.
(30:45):
And at least when I'm noticing him in practices and
noticing him in these mock games, he's more comfortable in
understanding where to win in the pocket.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
All right, Cam, last one for you. We'll let you go.
Appreciate you doing this, man. You and I will be
spending a lot of time together, so I don't want
to annoy you too much before the season starts. There
are some landmines for this team starting maybe October 3rd
at USC. Number 22, Iowa, comes here on a Friday.
Penn State, for the first time since 1921, is coming
(31:14):
to town. And then you end with maybe just about
the two biggest teams in your way for the CFP possibility,
Indiana and Oregon. What do you think about the schedule
and where are the question marks for you in your opinion?
Speaker 13 (31:30):
Well, I think the schedule sets up to be a
college football playoff team if you can handle your home games.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Right.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
And then your road game situations are.
Are as follows.
Speaker 13 (31:41):
You get to week from this is not looking past Minnesota.
It also is going to be a chest test at home.
I mean, that's a big 10, big 10 opener. And
that's that's not a walk in the park either. So
you're getting down to USC. That's your first major road test.
And you're looking at a coach and a player and
a program that are fighting to try to keep his job.
And that's a program that they're in that same situation.
(32:04):
They have a high expectation. So they know that's the
game that USC has circled for them to be a
college football playoff team.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
So they know how.
Speaker 13 (32:13):
Important that game is. We know how important that is.
You win that football game. I have to have that
as my litmus test, man. That's the mark that I
look at. Handle your business at home, Minnesota. You go
on the road. Not only is that confidence, and now
you're going to have your home set up. Knowing that
you're going to face Iowa at home, that's a heck
of a lot better going on the road there. You've
(32:33):
got to go on the road on another Friday night
to Purdue. But then you're back home, and those games
at home matter a lot. That's a long flight for
Penn State. That's a long flight and a big deal
for Indiana. Tell me the last time Indiana's been to
Husky Stadium.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
Yeah, forever.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Before our time.
Speaker 6 (32:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
Not in our time. You know, we weren't breathing. So
this is, it sets up.
Speaker 13 (32:56):
And I don't feel like project that what game matters
the most right now. It's you got to win on
the road in those big games and handle your business
at home.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
No doubt.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
You go three and two on the road and handle
your business at home. As you said, you're a 10
and two football team and likely in the CFP.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
So Cam, great stuff, man.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
This was a great way to kick off the 2026 season.
Looking forward to it. And we will see you at
the Apple cup very soon, my friend.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
Awesome. Appreciate it, brother.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
You bet.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Cam Cleveland again with us on the Husky Football Preview
podcast presented by our friends at Colburn Law, founded by
former Husky athlete Greg Colburn, helping injury victims across Washington
fight and win.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
That's it for us.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Hope you enjoyed the Husky Football Preview podcast. We have
a lot more to get to throughout the year. Every
single home game, every single road game on the Husky
Football Radio Network, of course, locally in Seattle. 93.3 KJR FM.
My name is Dave Safia Mahler.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Go Dawgs. We will talk very soon down the road.
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