Warmer weather, cherry blossoms in the Quad, and post-8:00pm sunsets all indicate Spring returning to Seattle, but for you fine readers of UW Dawg Pound, it means it’s time for Spring Football. (If this sounds like a familiar intro, I did kind of copy it from my OL position breakdown. In Gabey Lucas fashion, I too dislike writing intros and will try to avoid them as possible).
On to the linebackers & EDGEs.
2025 Season Refresher
We’re grouping the linebackers with the EDGEs this Spring because there’s some positional fluidity
between those groups under defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. However, if we’re looking back at the 2025 season, these two groups had very different seasons.
At the outset of the 2025 season, linebacker seemed like a promising group with some short term questions. The top three LBs from the 2024 season, Carson Bruener, Alphonzo Tuputala, and Khmori House, had all departed, but Jacob Manu and Taariq “Buddah” al-Uqdah were incoming veteran transfers from Arizona and WSU respectively. Manu and Buddah weren’t just veterans, they were proven highly productive starters from Power 4 (or recently Power 4) programs. In addition to those two, we also had a promising in-house option in Deven Bryant, a highly-touted HS recruit in Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, and a multi-stop transfer in Xe’ree Alexander to round out the depth chart. The questions though revolved around how the rotation would shake out over the course of the season. Manu was coming off of a torn ACL and likely wouldn’t be available until mid-season, and with an available redshirt, it wasn’t a certainty that he would even play more than four games if healthy. ZRS was also coming off of a knee injury sustained during his HS senior season, so he was also largely written off as a redshirt candidate. That left Buddah and Bryant as the likeliest week 1 starters with Alexander providing depth. Not a terrible situation, but not as immediately promising as the on-paper additions would suggest.
On the flip side, EDGE seemed far more promising at the outset of the season. Zach Durfee, the long-hyped yet snake-bitten EDGE, finally seemed healthy enough to be a #1 pass rushing option. Opposite of Durfee, it appeared like the staff had a deep rotation to rotate through. Deshawn Lynch had been a decent part-time starter in 2024, Russell Davis II had blown up against UCLA in ‘24 with 3 sacks before getting injured, Isaiah Ward had shown flashes as a rotational player, and Jacob Lane had been a quietly productive role player for a couple seasons.
For both groups, the preseason outlooked got flipped upside down, and not in a necessarily negative way. At LB, Buddah and Bryant did start the season as the primary LBs, but Buddah suffered a season ending injury in September, and Bryant started to get picked on by opposing offenses. Fortunately, Alexander was a revelation as his he progressively gained traction over the course of the season as a stout run stuffer and blitzer, eventually earning a bowl game MVP nod. Additionally, Manu and ZRS were able to get healthy by midseason, and both lived up to their billing once on the field. At EDGE, Durfee did have his best season as a Husky, but he was hampered by nagging injuries throughout. Davis never actually recovered enough from his ‘24 injury to see the field, and Ward missed almost half the season to an injury as well. Unexpectedly though, Lynch had a breakout season in his final year, at one point leading the conference in pass breakups, as well as snagging a near pick-6 in the bowl game.
By the end of the ‘25 season, the general fan sentiment was that the LB room outperformed expectations by season end, and the EDGE group probably underachieved expectations while posting a comparatively average performance.
Roster Situation
Departures:
- Deven Bryant (LB, Transfer – USC)
- Jonathan Epperson Jr. (LB, Transfer – Portland State)
- Anthony Ward (LB, Exhausted Eligibility)
- Zach Durfee (EDGE, Exhausted Eligibility/NFL)
- Deshawn Lynch (EDGE, Exhausted Eligibility/NFL)
- Milton Hopkins Jr. (EDGE, Exhausted Eligibility)
Looking towards 2026 and Spring Practices, the departures somewhat align with the season ending sentiment for the respective positions. The LBs lose Deven Bryant and Jonathan Epperson Jr. to the Transfer Portal. Bryant likely didn’t figure into long term plans after being surpassed by Alexander and ZRS in ‘25, and Epperson likely saw himself buried on the depth chart for at least another year and decided to look elsewhere for playing time. Neither of them were projected to be in the 2-deep in ‘26 and likely represent more than a hit to the positional depth.
On the other hand, EDGE lost two of their top producers from ‘25 with both Durfee and Lynch running out of eligibility. These were anticipated losses, but with limited proven production behind them on the depth chart, they leave behind more questions than long-term answers.
Returning Linebackers: Taariq Al-Uqdah, Jacob Manu, Xe’ree Alexander, Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, Donovan Robinson Jr.
Returning EDGEs: Jacob Lane, Isaiah Ward, Russell Davis II, Devin Hyde, Victor Sanchez Hernandez, Hayden Moore
Moving on to the returners from the respective positions, it’s clear why the outlook for the two positions are heading in opposite directions. With basically every significant contributor returning from the ‘25 LB group, the only unproven returner that hasn’t seen extended playing time is RS freshman Donovan Robinson Jr., who coming out of HS was an extremely talented, multi-positional prospect who had played everywhere from safety to LB to WR and returner. His upside elevates the overall talent in the room, but as a relatively raw prospect at the LB position, he represents talented depth at this point as the hypothetical 5th option in a nominally 2-LB system. That’s a great spot to be in.
By comparison, EDGE is lacking returning star power and reliable depth. Jacob Lane probably figures to be a key member of the rotation as the steadiest and most durable upperclassman option from the returners. Devin Hyde, a rising sophomore, seems to be a player the staff also has high hopes for in his second year. He played in every game of his true freshman season, and even broke into the back end of a relatively deep EDGE rotation that liked to keep players fresh. Hyde may not get the “starter” nod, but I expect his role to grow in year 2. A big 2nd year leap would go a long way to settle down concerns with this group’s upside.
In my opinion, Davis and Ward slot in right behind Lane and Hyde in the EDGE rotation. When healthy, the two former Arizona transfers bring edge rushing juice that’s been lacking in the room for a few years, but much like Durfee, neither have been able to capitalize on their talents due to injuries. If both can stay healthy, I could see them playing a large role in sub packages.
Finally, Victor Sanchez Hernandez and Hayden Moore figure into the EDGE pictures as depth and developmental pieces. Sanchez Hernandez was an intriguing local developmental prospect that always figured to need some time growing into the role. As a former elite martial artist with limited football experience, there’s definitely some athletic upside but a very limited sample size to project his future production and role at this point. Moore on the other hand is likely no more than a depth player at this point in his career. The former Michigan transfer is heading into his 3rd year with UW and has seen sporadic playing time. I would not be surprised if his role is again limited to depth and special teams.
Spring Practice Arrivals (Position, Arrival From, Rating, Height, Weight):
- Ezaya Tokio (LB, HS, 3-star, 6-4, 230)
- Logan George (EDGE, Ohio State, 3-star, 6-4, 264)
- Ramzak Fruean (EDGE, HS, 4-star, 6-4, 226)
With Coach Walters’ most common personnel packages last year comprising 2 LBs and 2 EDGEs, the Huskies were in a pretty safe spot numbers and depth wise prior to any offseason additions. Most teams aim to stay three deep or better at every position, so with 5 returning LBs and 6 returning EDGEs, the additions can be viewed as a mix of upgrading talent and solidifying a long-term pipeline of talent.
Tokio is the sole LB addition, and as a HS recruit, he represents the staff’s long term plans to replace soon to be out-going seniors Manu and Alexander. Obviously we’re well stocked with ZRS already figuring to be a starter in his sophomore year, plus Buddah has eligibility through 2027, but Tokio is a talent that should keep the rotation stable after this season.
George on the other hand should be viewed more as a shot in the arm addition. Formerly of Utah State, Idaho State, and Ohio State, he seems to be the staff’s latest attempt at solving the pass rush (or lack of pass rush) problem. George’s circuitous journey is an interesting one. After walking on at Utah State all the way back in 2021, George took an LDS mission and ended up at Idaho State after he returned in 2023. In 2024 he was one of the top edge rushers in the Big Sky Conference at the FCS level, which landed him an opportunity to transfer to Ohio State. Injuries limited his availability in Columbus, which landed him back in the portal, and he eventually made his way to Montlake. Somehow through all of these moves, George will only be a junior this season despite being in his 6th year post-high school. We’ve done well picking up productive former Big Sky linemen under this staff, so the hope is that George can at least elevate the floor of the position.
Fruean, the final addition to these groups, is a ceiling raising addition. The late-rising blue chip local prospect was a priority recruit for the staff. At Bethel HS, Fruean played everywhere on defense (and even some offense), playing EDGE, LB, and safety at various times. He primarily played LB and safety, but his frame and projectable athleticism may make EDGE his highest upside position long term. I won’t be surprised if we saw him play some off-ball LB in certain packages though. Coach Walters even mentioned that possibility recently. Fruean’s an exciting one to keep an eye on.
Things to Keep an Eye On – Spring Practice
Does an EDGE Make the Leap?
One of the biggest questions the Huskies have on defense is how we’ll be generating a pass rush. A lot of UW fans expected incoming freshman Derek Colman-Brusa, a highly-touted local recruit, to come in and provide the instant impact jolt on the EDGE like ZRS and John Mills did last year. However, now that we’re into Spring Practices, it’s become clear that DCB has physically developed beyond his HS EDGE position and will likely be a day 1 starter at DT. If true, that’s a win for the defense as a whole, but that still leaves EDGE looking for a path towards improvement.
We’ve already gone through the returnees and additions, so folks should have a pretty good sense of the group that we’re working with. Crossing our fingers for health and durability is unfortunately not a good plan, so I’m hesitant to pin my hopes on a leap in production from Ward and Davis, and in my opinion, Lane is a solid player who’s production could grow with larger volume, but after multiple years of growing responsibilities, I’m not expecting a huge leap in production. Devin Hyde and Ramzak Fruean are the two players who I could reasonably expect to make a significant added contribution to the group. My hope for Hyde to make the leap is based on his consistent, albeit small presence on the field last year indicating faith from the staff that he’s a talent that could develop rapidly with playing time and experience. Similarly, while Fruean is a new addition, practice reports indicate similar opportunities for his early development working with the #1 and #2 defenses this Spring. Pair Lane, Hyde, and Fruean with George, yet another player coming off of injury who we won’t get a good read on until Summer, and it’d be reasonable to expect moderate improvement this season. If we are fortunate to get Ward and Davis healthy, then the ceiling does get a bit higher. Time will tell if that’ll be enough to elevate this defense to meet our playoff-caliber expectations.
Leveraging Strengths at Linebacker
We’re going to see a lot of personnel packages mixing and matching individual players’ strengths on defense this season, but I fully expect there to be a typical rotation that largely gets settled this Spring. Why this is important to keep an eye on is because it’ll be an indication of our defensive game plan next season. Walters is one of the best defensive minds in college these days, and it is in large part due to his ability and willingness to tailor the schemes and game plan to the personnel he has. Last season, we ran 4-2-5 personnel and Even fronts (4 on the line, usually 2 EDGEs & 2 DTs) at a higher clip than what many of us expected given his prominent use of 3-4 personnel and 5-man fronts at Illinois. This was because the roster that he inherited was better suited for Even fronts.
Even with this unexpected shift towards 4-2-5 personnel groupings, Walters still found ways to incorporate 5-man front looks and concepts. Similar to Tuputala’s multi-positional role at LB in 2024, Alexander proved in 2025 that he had the ability to be a playmaker as a hybrid LB/EDGE. While his role was primarily as an off-ball linebacker, where he was an above average run stuffer and capable coverage player, by also being able to rotate down to the EDGE spot in certain fronts Walters was able to play 4 and 5-man fronts without having to substitute personnel. In today’s world of tempo offenses that can trap the defense with mismatched personnel on the field, that schematic versatility is valuable, even if Alexander probably isn’t our best option at EDGE when he’s filling the role. It also gives the staff more options to sort out our EDGE rotation.
Knowing that we have at least three starting caliber LBs (TBD on Buddah’s recovery), the staff is working through different packages this Spring to figure out how to get Alexander, Manu, and ZRS on the field at the same time without having to completely restructure the defense. Alexander periodically playing at EDGE is definitely one option that’s getting repped. ZRS and Fruean are two other options at the LB/EDGE role who are getting some run. According to practice reports, ZRS is even getting looks at the slot nickel position (or to older folks, the old-school SAM position before nickel DBs were ubiquitous).
Regardless of what role the LBs end up playing in these packages, it’s clear that the staff would prefer to play at least three of them as often as possible. That means that some other position is getting subbed out. Total speculation, but knowing that Alexander is LB/EDGE versatile, ZRS may be LB/nickel versatile, we have questions at EDGE, and a solid DB rotation, here are some interesting base personnel groupings that we could see down the line:
4-3 Personnel
DT: Elinneus Davis, Darin Conley
EDGE: Jacob Lane, Derek Colman-Brusa
LB: Jacob Manu, Xe’ree Alexander, Zaydrius Rainey-Sale
This hypothetical grouping keeps the 3 LBs on the field and puts DCB in the Lynch role as a jumbo EDGE who can kick inside in 5-man fronts with Alexander rolling down to EDGE. It assumes that someone like Darin Conley is a better overall option than whoever would be the EDGE2 and assumes that DCB is versatile enough to play inside and outside on the line. The pros are that it maintains the basic defensive structures while getting the 3 LBs on the field while finding ways of keeping our best DL/EDGE options on the field as well. If ZRS can actually play in space well enough to take the slot nickel off the field (a huge IF), then this grouping could actually get run as a down-to-down look and not just a situational sub package.
3-3-5 Personnel
DT: Elinneus Davis, Derek Colman-Brusa
EDGE: Jacob Lane
LB: Jacob Manu, Xe’ree Alexander, Zaydrius Rainey-Sale
If ZRS can’t play in the slot well enough to warrant subbing out the slot nickel, then the next best option might be going to 3-3-5 personnel. Now, I’m talking about just the personnel grouping and not the 3-3-5 stack front defensive architecture which would be a major departure from what we typically run. I’m thinking more along the lines of 3-3-5 personnel arranged in a 4-man Even front where Alexander or ZRS rotates down to the EDGE spot opposite from Lane. You get almost all of the pros that you’d get from my hypothetical 4-3 personnel lineup, but now you have a slot nickel so the LBs can now focus more on the box instead of chasing slot receivers around the field. The downside with this grouping though is that I’m not sure if you’d be able to play as much 5-man looks. Lane is quite a bit smaller than your conventional DT, or a jumbo EDGE like Lynch was, so you may not want him playing inside all that much. If the staff trusts Lane there though, both Alexander and ZRS could both roll down to the EDGE spots and give a pretty stacked front 5.
4-2-5 Nickel Personnel
DT: Elinneus Davis, Derek Colman-Brusa
EDGE: Jacob Lane, Devin Hyde
LB: Xe’ree Alexander, Zaydrius Rainey-Sale
Tacking this one on at the end just to show what we might see if we go with similar position-by-position numbers in our defensive front as last year. I’m picking Alexander and ZRS as the 2 LBs that stay on the field just because they seem to be the most scheme versatile and are the incumbents from the end of last season. I’m also picking Hyde as the second EDGE based on his size being comparable to Lane and the general buzz surrounding his name from players and the staff. You could also slot Logan George or even Victor Sanchez Hernandez here as they are all in the 6-4+ and 250+ lb range where you might feel a bit better about them kicking inside the tackles on certain 5-man front calls. Now the obvious downside to this look is that you only have the 2 LBs instead of 3 in the other scenarios. The other downside is that, like the 3-3-5 option, one of the 3 potential inside DL in a 5-man front is going to be well under 300 lbs. Again, that was less of an issue last year when we used this grouping because Deshawn Lynch was a jumbo EDGE. You could sub Hyde out for another DT while sliding DCB to the jumbo EDGE role, but I still think I’d prefer a scenario that gets at least 3 LBs on the field.
I need to emphasize that this is totally speculative and more of a thought experiment than anything else, but I do think that it’ll be important to keep an eye on how the staff leverages the strength at LB since it’ll likely have ripple effects on how the rest of the defense’s 2-deeps shape up.
