Jedd Fisch’s Washington football program is abuzz with excitement this spring. They began their spring practices on April 1, and the practices were made public, providing fans with an actual behind-the-scenes glimpse of the team’s development. The team has been sweating for 11 practices with full pads. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. has been displaying some good chemistry with his receivers, particularly Rashid Williams, which is thrilling to behold as they construct their passing offense. The spring game, also known as “Dawgs After Dark,” will take place on May 2 at Husky Stadium and will be a big deal with aspirations of better attendance than it had last year.

Washington’s football team, under the leadership of Fisch, is taking shape quite differently this spring compared to last season. Last year, Fisch inherited a skeleton staff and had to piece things together on the fly. However, this season, the roster is significantly deeper and larger, especially on the defensive line, where the team has added notable size and talent. New additions like Carver Willis from Kansas State and Geirean Hatchett, who is returning from Oklahoma, are enhancing the competitiveness of the offensive line. Meanwhile, the defensive unit benefits from players like Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, who has proven to be a dominant force in practice and can effectively play across the line.

“Compare where you are as a program right now, Jed, to where you were at this time a year ago,” The B1G Today show asked Fisch about his insights. “We were in a really weird state last year at this time. We had 63 players on our roster, I believe it was for our spring game. Uh, this year we have 97 playing, you know, suiting up for the spring game,” Fisch replied. 

It’s something to think about how far the Washington football team has come since last year. Fisch was open about where things were last spring compared to now. Last season, they were effectively struggling, only having 63 players on the roster for the spring game and only seven scholarship offensive linemen. That’s hardly enough to even run a legitimate scrimmage, much less build depth for an entire season! Flash forward to today, and Fisch reported they’ve got 97 players wearing sweats for the spring game, and 17 scholarship O-linemen.

He also says, “60 of our 85 scholarships have only been coached, uh, by me, whether that be at Arizona or whether that be here at Washington.” So there’s a feeling of unity and rebirth. He’s also all about being open to fans and the media, explaining that it gets the players comfortable with the public eye and increases community support, particularly since NIL is such a big deal today. Fisch emphasized that this spring presents a whole new ballgame compared to last year, stating, “When you add that together, there’s a lot more consistency and a lot more balance than we had a year ago.” 

Washington to Tuscaloosa

The recent changes in college football have been significant, particularly with Kalen DeBoer’s move from Washington to Alabama. His departure for the Crimson Tide created a stir in both programs. Alabama fans were understandably concerned about who would take over for the legendary Nick Saban, but DeBoer arrived with a fresh perspective and a proven track record. Remarkably, he has quickly stabilized the situation in Tuscaloosa. This spring, he didn’t lose a single scholarship player to the transfer portal, which is quite unusual these days.

Why’d he do it? Well, first off, Alabama is the dream job in college football. When Nick Saban retired, that spot opened up, and every ambitious coach in the country had to at least think about it. For DeBoer, it was a chance to take over a program with insane resources: we’re talking top-tier facilities, a massive assistant salary pool, and a recruiting machine that’s always humming. The NIL game at Bama is top-shelf, making it far simpler to retain and bring in blue-chip talent. And then there’s the competitive aspect. DeBoer’s a builder, and climbing the highest mountain in college football had to be enticing.

It’s hard not to sympathize with Washington fans right now. They have experienced a shocking transition from the highest highs to the lowest lows in just a matter of days. One moment, they are contending for a national championship, and the next, their coach leaves, their most talented players either join the NFL or transfer, and suddenly everything feels unsettled. The Huskies have faced tough times before and managed to recover. With the switch to the Big Ten and a dedicated fan base, there is still much to be hopeful about.