Spring practice is underway at Washington, and on the offensive side of the ball, we already saw glimpses of the potential in this unit. The Husky receiver room looks different this season with a few players departing from last year’s roster. With Denzel Boston sidelined for Spring, a few other receivers began making impressions. After practice, Jedd Fisch detailed the quarterback competition behind Demond Williams Jr. With day one complete, we empty the notebook on what we saw from the Husky offense.
Washington Opens Spring Practice
Omari Evans Turns Heads
It didn’t take long for former Penn State wide receiver Omari Evans to make a statement for himself at Washington. Inside Dempsey Indoor, the new Husky ended practice with three consecutive head-turning catches along the sideline. For the final period of practice, Washington ran its two-minute offense. With the second team, Evans lined up on the near side of the field with the offense moving from right to left. Shea Kuykendall delivered a 35-yard pass down the near sideline to a diving Evans, who pulled down the pass as he fell to the turf. He beat both the safety and cornerback to the ball, and the offensive sideline erupted.
On the very next play, Tulane transfer quarterback Kai Horton entered the situation and again targeted Evans. From about 25 yards out, and again on the near sideline, Horton delivered a pass to the corner of the end zone where the streaking Evans had a step on the cornerback. Evans leaped up, pulled down the pass over the defender, and fell to the turf in the end zone to another roar from the sideline.
He wasn’t done. The offense set up a situational red zone play from about 15 yards out on the ensuing play. With Horton remaining at quarterback, the offense targeted Evans for a third time. This one was the most impressive of the three. The cornerback maintained tight coverage as he and Evans fought for the 50-50 ball in the corner of the end zone. Evans elevated above the defender and pulled down another contested catch in nearly the exact same spot as the prior catch. This time rotating his body as he grabbed the ball and fell to the turf. The sideline swarmed him, and three horns sounded to end the practice.
Jedd Fisch Reacts to Evans
“I was excited, especially the way practice ended,” Jedd Fisch said after practice. “Omari looks like he can give us a lot out there with his speed, his ability to catch the ball in traffic, he caught some contested balls today.”
Evans is a true senior with 782 career snaps, 30 career receptions, and 564 receiving yards. During his three seasons at Penn State, he hauled in seven touchdown receptions and was the fastest player on the Nittany Lion roster. Offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty is emphasizing explosiveness this season, and Evans is already showing how he can provide that.
Quarterback Competition Behind Williams
At Washington’s first Spring practice, Williams showed that he was a step above the rest of the Husky quarterback room. He’s going to be the starter this Fall, and his leadership is clear after just one practice. The zip on his football, the confidence in throws, and his command and energy with the team sets him apart. With a year of the offense under his belt, Fisch stated how much he’s progressed in the film room and how he expects it to translate to the field this Spring.
But behind Williams, the competition appears to be open. During the team’s two-minute offense at the end of practice, two quarterbacks ran with the second team. The drive started with Kuykedall who delivered one of the impressive completions to Evans. But Horton worked with the second team as well, connecting for two touchdown passes with Evans.
“I see it being really with all four guys right now,” Fisch said afterward regarding the competition for backup. “I thought that Dash and Kini, for their first day on a college football field, did a really good job in some of their periods,” Fisch said that he expects the two-minute offense to feature Dash Beierly and Kini McMillan during Thursday’s session. But for the first practice, they went with experience for the mini, two-minute drill scrimmage.
Emptying the Notebook
A quick observation from Washington’s first Spring practice is the vastly different-looking offensive line room. There were 18 offensive linemen dressed and participating in practice on Tuesday. The group looks visibly larger than a season ago, and it’s creating several more opportunities for the team to develop. Five offensive linemen were working on center-quarterback exchanges with the five quarterbacks, and there were several rotations during the team periods. Carver Willis was featured at left tackle with Drew Azzopardi at right tackle for much of the evening.
In addition to Evans at receiver, Rashid Williams looks like a leader in the group. Williams was the featured receiver with Boston out, taking first-team reps and running through drills first. He certainly looks bigger than last season as the coaches described on Monday. Williams and Audric Harris were on the field with the starters along with Evans. Redshirt freshman Justice Williams also made an impression. At 6’-4”, he’s the tallest in the receiver room with Boston sidelined, and moves fluidly at the position.
The running back room is strong, both in-depth and in literal strength. Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammed are punishing backs, but behind them, there are some more intriguing athletes. Jordan Washington brings the speed element to the room, and true freshman Julian McMahan is every bit of his 6’-2” and 230-pound listing. He is an imposing figure for his age at running back. “To be able to have the size but also the speed, to be able to have different guys that can do different things is always a benefit,” Fisch said after practice. He then singled out Mohammed, praising the true sophomore’s development after one season at Washington. “We love the way that Adam has continued to grow into his body,” Fisch said. “Adam Mohammed is going to be a really special running back.”
Main Photo: Nick Lemkau / Last Word on College Football 2025
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