Rutgers Football: Washington Team Preview

Washington is coming off a 2023 season where they made it all the way to the National Championship game but fell short to Michigan. The reigning Pac-12 Champs are now conference-mates with Rutgers, and have had to replace almost their entire production from last season. Although they just narrowly lost to in-state rival Washington State, they are coming off of a dominant first Big Ten win over Northwestern. The Huskies are led by Head Coach Jedd Fisch in his 1st season in Seattle, after moving on from Arizona, where he served as the Wildcats’ Head Coach for 3 seasons. Fisch, a New Jersey native, has done an excellent job so far replacing what was lost after the departure of Kalen DeBoer. Despite losing all but 2 starters, he has given Washington a brand new solid team through the transfer portal, which isn’t easy to do. The defense is led by former Rutgers walk-on Long Snapper Steve Belichick, who has also done an excellent job, as the defense is a huge strength of the team overall. Here are some key players to watch out for on the other sideline come Friday night’s black out game: 

Seasoned Veteran at QB: QB Will Rogers  

Will Rogers, grad transfer from Mississippi State, takes over at Washington following the departure of Michael Penix. Rogers is one of the most prolific passers in the conference, already surpassing 1,000 passing yards on the year through 4 games, and has not thrown an interception yet. He is the SEC’s 2nd all time leading passer, after a great five year run in Starkville. . Big task for Rutgers to stop. 

Breakout Star: RB Jonah Coleman 

Arizona transfer Jonah Coleman, who followed Jedd Fisch to Seattle, has given the Huskies a powerful rushing attack and athleticism through the first third of the season. He has rushed 56 times for 373 yards and 4 touchdowns, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. 

Welcome Back to the Big Ten: WR Giles Jackson

Giles Jackson, who started his career at Michigan, has become a big time play maker for Washington in his 4th season there. So far this season, he has 27 catches for 342 yards and a touchdown. Will absolutely be a big play threat, as Will Rogers loves to throw the deep ball, and he does accurately. 

Returning From Injury: LB Zach Durfee   

Zach Durfee, who leads the Huskies in TFLs and Sacks despite missing the Northwestern game, is expected to return against Rutgers. He currently has 2.5 sacks, 3.5 TFLs, and 1 pass deflection. 

Lockdown Defender: CB Thaddeus Dixon 

Thaddeus Dixon has been a force in the secondary for the Huskies this season, leading the team in pass deflections with 5. He also had a big interception in the Washington State game. 

Leading Tackler: LB Carson Bruener 

Alongside Durfee, Linebacker Carson Bruener has led the Washington defense in tackles so far, with 21 total, and 14 solo. He also has 2 TFLs and had an interception last game against Northwestern.