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When Alex McLaughlin first arrived at Washington after utilizing the transfer portal to move from Northern Arizona to the shores of Montlake, Huskies safeties coach Taylor Mays didn't get the strongest impression of the defensive back.
"When Alex first got here, I didn't think he could play," the three-time First Team All-American said on UW's Dawg Days video series on YouTube.
He wasn't the only member of Washington's coaching staff to feel that way, after Jedd Fisch admitted in the same video to only offering him a walk-on spot at Arizona while McLaughlin was an in-state target at Hamilton High School.
"Alex is a great recruiting miss by me," Fisch said. "We went to his high school and sat down with his mom and him, and I told him we'd give him a walk-on spot. He said, 'I'm going to prove you wrong.'"
And during his first year with the Huskies, McLaughlin did just that, earning a starting spot after battling with fellow transfer portal addition CJ Christian throughout spring and fall camp. He bulked up to 204 pounds and put together a stellar campaign, earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention after putting together 94 tackles, 3 for loss, with 2 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, and a fumble recovery.
He also scored a pair of touchdowns, returning one of his two interceptions against Washington State for a 47-yard pick-six, while he picked up a fumble on a botched trick play against UCLA and took it back 59 yards for a score. Now, heading into the 2026 season, he's widely considered one of the best safeties in the Big Ten and is looking to take another step forward in his game this fall.
"I think the next step for him is truly just being a student of the game," Mays said during Washington's pre-spring press conference in March. "Just taking his progressions in a game and his understanding of what the offense is trying to do and how to make plays within the defense, and take that to the next level. That'll be the next step in his progression."
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Alex McLaughlin made believers out of Washington football's staff
Continue reading...
"When Alex first got here, I didn't think he could play," the three-time First Team All-American said on UW's Dawg Days video series on YouTube.
He wasn't the only member of Washington's coaching staff to feel that way, after Jedd Fisch admitted in the same video to only offering him a walk-on spot at Arizona while McLaughlin was an in-state target at Hamilton High School.
"Alex is a great recruiting miss by me," Fisch said. "We went to his high school and sat down with his mom and him, and I told him we'd give him a walk-on spot. He said, 'I'm going to prove you wrong.'"
And during his first year with the Huskies, McLaughlin did just that, earning a starting spot after battling with fellow transfer portal addition CJ Christian throughout spring and fall camp. He bulked up to 204 pounds and put together a stellar campaign, earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention after putting together 94 tackles, 3 for loss, with 2 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, and a fumble recovery.
He also scored a pair of touchdowns, returning one of his two interceptions against Washington State for a 47-yard pick-six, while he picked up a fumble on a botched trick play against UCLA and took it back 59 yards for a score. Now, heading into the 2026 season, he's widely considered one of the best safeties in the Big Ten and is looking to take another step forward in his game this fall.
"I think the next step for him is truly just being a student of the game," Mays said during Washington's pre-spring press conference in March. "Just taking his progressions in a game and his understanding of what the offense is trying to do and how to make plays within the defense, and take that to the next level. That'll be the next step in his progression."
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Alex McLaughlin made believers out of Washington football's staff
Continue reading...
