Welcome back to spring previews, where we preview the Husky roster at a particular position group and highlight storylines to watch for the season! Today, it’s the wide receivers and tight ends!
Performance in 2025
Although it was a step up in the passing game all around in year 2 of the Fisch era, the numbers don’t necessarily bear that out. Denzel Boston paced the room, with 881 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 62 catches compared to 834 yards last season. That’s a barometer of how the passing game was: similar
to last year in numbers, if not in target distribution. If you dig deeper, you find interesting nuggets of info, such as Dezmen Roebuck’s 42 catches for 560 yards and 7 touchdowns. Omari Evans was next among the receivers, with 17 catches for 254 yards and a 59 yard touchdown in the Apple Cup. Raiden Vines Bright had 24 catches for 238 yards and a touchdown. Chris Lawson had 10 catches for 115 yards, and Audric Harris had 5 catches for 99 yards and a touchdown against Purdue. Rashid Williams had 5 catches for 54 yards in 2 games, breaking his collarbone against UC Davis, and missing all of 2025.
For the tight ends, Decker Degraaf led the way, with 32 receptions for 360 yards and 3 touchdowns. Quentin Moore closed out his college career with 5 catches for 83 yards and a lone touchdown, coming in the LA Bowl.
Subtractions
Denzel Boston (Declared for Draft)
Denzel’s big play ability and sure handedness will be sorely missed this year, as the Huskies look to replace his production. He is projected in the mid-late first round range.
Raiden Vines Bright (Transferred to Arizona State)
RVB seemed like one of those guys that coach Fisch likes, a rangy receiver that can make any kind of play. I truly believe that had he stayed, he would’ve had a bright future here, as the next WR2. But with Williams back in the fold, there wasn’t much of a path to immediate playing time for him. I wish him the best in Tempe.
Audric Harris (Transferred to Hawaii)
Similarly to RVB, while Harris was a good receiving prospect, I don’t know if there was a spot for him after the landing of high profile prospects like Mason James. I wish him the best at Hawaii.
Kevin Green (In Portal)
With an injury costing him all of 2024, Green saw action in 7 games, recording no stats. He is currently still in the portal. I hope he lives up to the potential he showed at Arizona.
Marcus Harris (Transferred to UCLA)
Harris did not see any game action in 2025 outside of the LA Bowl and signed with UCLA. I hope he fulfills his potential under Bob Chesney.
Quentin Moore (Out of Eligibility)
Quentin might not have the stats to show for it, but he was a vitally important Husky, spending 4 years with the program. Mostly used as a blocking tight end, he did make a number of clutch catches in his tenure!
Additions
Bodpegn Miller (Previous School: Ohio State)
Miller comes to the Huskies from the Buckeyes after not suiting up in 2025. The draw with Miller is his raw athletic ability, being named all Ohio in the 200 meter dash and the 4×400 relay. He has no experience at receiver, having played quarterback and defensive back in high school, finishing with 36 total touchdowns his junior year. Coach Cummings was clearly drawn to this athleticism, and his remaining eligibility (4 to play 4) means he has plenty of time to learn the position.
Christian Moss (Previous Schools: Kennesaw State/Virginia Tech)
Moss played a big part in Kennesaw State’s CUSA title winning season last year. He caught 45 passes for 689 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also throwing a touchdown pass. His best game was against the FIU Panthers, in which he recorded 2 catches for 93 yards and a 70 yard touchdown. While not an elite receiver, Moss should provide more experience to a room that is still fairly young.
Storylines To Watch
Second Fiddle
According to an article published in the Seattle Times yesterday, Denzel Boston said that Rashid Williams is now the leader of the group, a fitting appointment for an experienced player like Williams. That leaves a stiff competition for the second in command, a role likely to be filled by one of the young standouts. If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Dezmen Roebuck, considering that Coach Fisch and Coach Cummings have already leaned heavily on him for an injection of offense in the past. However, Moss might be the guy because of his experience and numbers, or Mason James might be the guy because of his recruiting ranking and his production in high school. It’s still up in the air, and it’s a difficult job, but the Huskies have plenty of options for the second in command.
More Weight
One thing that I noticed when the spring rosters came out (aside from the number changes) was the weight changes. Some guys only went up a few pounds, like Decker Degraaf (245 in 2025 to 249 in 2026). Others, like Baron Naone went from 250 in 2025 to 263 in 2026. This added size will help in the run game, potentially springing runs that break the game wide open. With Naone and Kekua Aumua (who weighs in at 266), I see 2 guys with the potential to take Quentin Moore’s role as the blocking tight end, or potentially a fullback (though Cade Eldridge could continue to start in that role).
Breakout Year
I doubt many would’ve predicted the breakout of Roebuck last season. Granted, it was sort of out of necessity, as Williams’ injury was severe enough that it cost him his season. But I thought either RVB or Ajose would’ve been that guy last year. Given Coach Fisch’s propensity to play Freshman, it’s a source of intrigue to wonder: who will it be? Again, I am not a betting man, but I bet it’s somebody like Mason James, as stated above. I think, given his stats in high school, he could be that guy. Or it might be Ajose this year, my prediction could just be a year off! In any case, the difficulty of guessing who that breakout guy will be speaks volumes about Coach Cummings’ ability to identify and develop talent!
