As Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies offense prepare to enter Big Ten play, one position group in particular has shown more depth than expected. Full of underclassmen who have shown they're more than capable of being reliable targets for Demond Williams Jr., the receiving corps has emerged as one of the most exciting parts of the offense.
Coming into Week One's Apple Cup matchup, the starting trio of pass catchers consisted of sophomore Dezmen Roebuck, fifth-year transfer Christian Moss, and fourth-year Husky Rashid Williams. Roebuck was the only returning starter of the bunch, after Moss transferred from Kennesaw State, and Williams missed most of last season with injury. Unfortunately, it only took one play for all that to change, as Moss went
down with a soft tissue injury on Washington's first offensive play.
Since Moss's absence, the door has opened for a new rotation of young guys to earn significant playing time. Sophomore Chris Lawson has excelled as a speed threat on the outside, and freshmen Jordan Clay and Trez Davis have already shown flashes of being important playmakers, both scoring their first touchdown against Eastern Washington.
While his offense has typically run through two primary targets, Fisch complimented the position group's depth during Monday's press conference.
"We are playing more wide receivers than we've ever played," Fisch said. "We've traditionally been a team that has three wideouts, plays three wideouts, and then has a backup. This year we feel like our depth has gotten to a point that there's not much separation between our wide receiver group, so it enables us to play six and be able to keep guys fresh and different guys make plays. I'm sure Dez is probably up there in the country with 23 catches, but the rest of the group were able to get guys in and get guys out.
The standout performances thus far have come as a pleasant surprise for an offense riddled with injuries. Joining Moss on the list of injured offensive players are transfer running back Jayden Limar and sophomore Quaid Carr, both of whom were supposed to be the featured backs in the backfield. Third-year back Jordan Washington is also out due to an injury suffered during spring practice. While the running game is still a work in progress due to the circumstances, the receiver room has responded in a promising manner.
Position coach Kevin Cummings and his group will now have a new challenge ahead of them with Big Ten play. It's one thing to make plays against Group of 6 and FCS opponents, but upcoming secondaries will pose a much tougher test for a group of pass catchers that lack experience.
However, the Huskies have the strength in numbers to throw different looks throughout the course of a game.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Jedd Fisch Highlights Washington Football's Depth at Wide Receiver
