Throughout the offseason, Jedd Fisch has been touting the "Year Three jump" his program took in 2023 when he was at the helm at Arizona, when the Wildcats went from 5 wins to 10, and in 2026, he's expecting a similar step forward for the Washington Huskies.
After the Huskies put together a 9-4 record in 2025, Fisch's team has all the pieces to take that step forward, despite losing seven players to the NFL draft, headlined by wide receiver Denzel Boston and running back Jonah Coleman.
However, while the continued growth and maturation of quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is vital to the success of Fisch's team in 2026, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters' unit looks like the engine that could push the Huskies into the upper echelon of the Big Ten.
After finishing No. 12 in the nation in run defense, No. 15 in points per game allowed, and No. 21 in total defense last season, Walters is bringing back 11 players who made starts for him last season in a scheme that should have several more wrinkles and complexities added to it in 2026.
"It has been fun for me to kind of morph and evolve, and so now you feel like you've got really two or three different schemes that you can carry into every week, because we have a really savvy group that puts time and effort into the mental aspect of the game," Walters said during fall camp. "So we'll figure out, I don't know what they can do yet, because we haven't put pads on, we haven't played football yet."
"I'm excited to get through camp, and sort of have, you know, some long evaluation of maybe this guy is better in man than zone, or maybe this guy is better in zone than man, and who gives us the best opportunity to win, and that's kind of what we'll do. But to be able to have a wide variety of different answers to both of the, for our offense, or whoever we're playing, and for our players, is a luxury."
Headlined by one of the nation's best units of linebackers in Jacob Manu, Xe'ree Alexander, and Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, and a secondary with four returning starters, while the fifth, cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, started ten games at Virginia in 2025. With plenty of veteran experience aided by high-end young talent, Washington's defense has the potential to assert itself as one of the nation's best in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Defense can lead Washington football's step forward in 2026
