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No matter which preseason rankings you look at ahead of the 2026 college football season, the Washington Huskies have become a staple somewhere in the back half of the top 25.
In college football analyst Phil Steele's rankings, the Huskies barely snuck inside his list at No. 25, which also places Jedd Fisch's squad as the No. 7 team in the Big Ten behind No. 3 Ohio State, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Oregon, No. 11 USC, No. 15 Michigan, and No. 19 Penn State.
Washington will have to face three of those teams, with a road trip to USC in early October, before closing the year at home against the defending national champion Hoosiers and on the road against the Ducks. Along with those top 25 challenges, the Huskies will also host the No. 26 team in Steele's rankings, the Iowa Hawkeyes, at home in October before they close the month with a difficult road trip to Nebraska.
With a talented defense at the forefront, led by an impressive trio of linebackers in Xe'ree Alexander, Jacob Manu, and Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, coordinator Ryan Walters is expecting his unit to take a big step forward after finishing No. 12 in the nation in rushing defense, No. 15 in points per game allowed, and No. 21 yards per game allowed in 2025.
"With the guys coming back and having another year in the system, you only get better," Walters said in December.
"You look at my resumé as a coordinator, there's always been a big jump from year one to year two. I was a history major, and usually history repeats itself, so I'm looking forward to that next step, especially dealing with situational ball and fine-tuning the expectations and the intensity level and the focus that's required in those make-or-break moments in games. I think that's an area where we'll grow next year. The future's bright."
Combined with a strong offensive line that boasts Preseason All-American John Mills and one of the Big Ten's best tackles in Drew Azzopardi at the forefront, the Huskies have plenty of talent ahead of the 2026 season. The biggest questions that loom surround quarterback Demond Williams Jr.'s ability to elevate his game in big moments, and which skill players will step up around him following the graduation of running back Jonah Coleman and wide receiver Denzel Boston.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Phil Steele ranks Washington football inside preseason top 25
Continue reading...
In college football analyst Phil Steele's rankings, the Huskies barely snuck inside his list at No. 25, which also places Jedd Fisch's squad as the No. 7 team in the Big Ten behind No. 3 Ohio State, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Oregon, No. 11 USC, No. 15 Michigan, and No. 19 Penn State.
Washington will have to face three of those teams, with a road trip to USC in early October, before closing the year at home against the defending national champion Hoosiers and on the road against the Ducks. Along with those top 25 challenges, the Huskies will also host the No. 26 team in Steele's rankings, the Iowa Hawkeyes, at home in October before they close the month with a difficult road trip to Nebraska.
With a talented defense at the forefront, led by an impressive trio of linebackers in Xe'ree Alexander, Jacob Manu, and Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, coordinator Ryan Walters is expecting his unit to take a big step forward after finishing No. 12 in the nation in rushing defense, No. 15 in points per game allowed, and No. 21 yards per game allowed in 2025.
"With the guys coming back and having another year in the system, you only get better," Walters said in December.
"You look at my resumé as a coordinator, there's always been a big jump from year one to year two. I was a history major, and usually history repeats itself, so I'm looking forward to that next step, especially dealing with situational ball and fine-tuning the expectations and the intensity level and the focus that's required in those make-or-break moments in games. I think that's an area where we'll grow next year. The future's bright."
Combined with a strong offensive line that boasts Preseason All-American John Mills and one of the Big Ten's best tackles in Drew Azzopardi at the forefront, the Huskies have plenty of talent ahead of the 2026 season. The biggest questions that loom surround quarterback Demond Williams Jr.'s ability to elevate his game in big moments, and which skill players will step up around him following the graduation of running back Jonah Coleman and wide receiver Denzel Boston.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Phil Steele ranks Washington football inside preseason top 25
Continue reading...
