Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
9 6 A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M It sometimes seems as though there are no rules anymore governing player movement in college football. But when Washington quarterback Demond Wil- liams Jr. pushed the legal envelope this past winter by entering the transfer por- tal just days after signing a lucrative NIL contract to stay in Seattle, the Huskies pushed back. Williams was reportedly being wooed by LSU, and you can understand why Lane Kiffin wanted him in Baton Rouge; as a sophomore last year, Williams com- pleted 69.5 percent of his passing at- tempts for 3,065 yards and 25 touch- downs (against 8 interceptions) while also rushing for 611 yards and 6 scores. What's harder to understand is why Williams and his advisors thought they could just walk away from a signed con- tract said to be worth $4 million. The university's lawyers wondered about that, too, and when the school threat- ened to take legal action, Williams back- tracked, claiming he'd gotten bad advice. Six months have since passed, and it's impossible to say whether any of their portal drama has affected the Huskies' team chemistry. What can be said is that they'll have one of the best quarterbacks in the country running their offense this year. Williams has turned out to be a worthy successor to Michael Penix Jr. His pass- ing yardage last season ranks seventh in program history, and his completion per- centage ranks second. If there are any questions about Wash- ington's offense, they involve the sup- porting cast. Last year's leading receiver, Denzel Boston, is in Cleveland after be- ing chosen in the second round of the NFL Draft this past April. The Huskies do return Dezmen Roebuck, who started 10 games as a true freshman and finished second on the team with 42 catches for 560 yards and 7 touchdowns. Junior tight end Decker DeGraaf is also a reliable tar- get, with 32 receptions for 360 yards and 2 scores last year, and the Huskies will bring back junior Rashid Williams, who showed potential in 2024 but played in only two games last fall due to an injury. The running back corps will miss Jo- nah Coleman, who was drafted by Den- ver in the fourth round. Sophomore re- turnee Jordan Washington was slowed by an injury this spring, as was Oregon transfer Jayden Limar. Washington got only 27 carries last year, but he made the most of them, gaining 233 yards for an average of 8.6 yards per attempt. The highlight was a 68-yard touchdown burst against Purdue. Up front, the Huskies bring back three starters on the offensive line and have welcomed a promising freshman in Kodi Greene, who's expected to take over at left tackle. On the opposite side of the ball, Wash- ington returns only three full-time start- ers, but it also brings back a number of experienced players who were in and out of the starting lineup. The boldface names are senior safety Alex McLaugh- lin and senior linebacker Xe'ree Alexan- der. McLaughlin led the Huskies with 94 tackles and added a pair of interceptions, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten notice in his first season after transfer- ring from Northern Arizona. Alexander, who previously played for Central Flor- ida and Idaho, was second on the team with 70 stops, including 5 for loss. With five of their first six games tak- ing place in Seattle, the Huskies have a chance for a fast start. They had better take advantage of it, because in addition to Penn State, the November slate serves up a senior-day clash with Indiana and a regular-season finale at Oregon. — Matt Herb N O V . 7 | T I M E T B D | T V T B D | H U S K Y S T A D I U M | S E A T T L E , W A S H . GAME 9 WASHINGTON RISING STAR KODI GREENE | OT Green was a four-star prospect in the 2026 cycle coming out of Mater Dei High in Chula Vista, Calif. The 6-foot-6, 321-pound freshman was originally committed to Oregon but flipped to Washington and now appears set to start at left tackle this fall. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Penn State leads, 4-0 Head Coach: Jedd Fisch (15-11 in two seasons at Washington; career coaching record: 32-33) 2025 Record: 9-4, 5-4 Big Ten Returning Starters: 9 (6 offense, 3 de- fense) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: QB Demond Williams Jr. (611 yards, 6 TD) Passing: QB Demond Williams Jr. (3,065 yards, 25 TD) Receiving: WR Dezmen Roebuck (560 yards, 7 TD) Tackles: S Alex McLaughlin (94) Sacks: DE Jacob Lane (4) Interceptions: S Rahshawn Clark, S Alex McLaughlin (2) In his first season as the Huskies' full-time starter, quar- terback Demond Williams Jr. threw for 3,065 yards. PHOTO COURTESY WASHINGTON ATHLETICS 2026 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2025 Result Sept. 6 Washington State W, 59-24 Sept. 12 Utah State — Sept. 19 Eastern Washington — Sept. 26 Minnesota — Oct. 3 at USC — Oct. 9 Iowa — Oct. 16 at Purdue W, 49-13 Oct. 31 at Nebraska — Nov. 7 Penn State — Nov. 14 at Michigan State — Nov. 21 Indiana — Nov. 28 at Oregon L, 26-14