During fall camp, Chris Lawson wasn't even sure if he'd have a starting spot in the Washington Huskies offense. After being part of a position battle with transfer wide receiver Christian Moss, the sophomore was originally listed below the former Kennesaw State standout entering Week One. Now, the former four-star has found himself as one of the staples of Jedd Fisch's pass-catching corps.
After playing in eight games during his freshman campaign, where the California native caught just 10 passes for 115 yards, with current Cleveland Browns rookie Denzel Boston leading the way, Lawson was crammed into a unit that included two other freshmen, Dezmen Roebuck and Raiden Vines-Bright. With Boston heading off to the pros and Vines-Bright transferring
to Arizona State, Lawson has thrived in his increased role.
Just five weeks into the 2026 season, Lawson has essentially doubled his production from last year, hauling in 18 receptions for 294 yards. In his last outing against USC, the rising playmaker posted a strong day in his home state, bringing in a career-high 5 receptions for 82 yards. The night was highlighted by a spectacular fourth-down catch on Washington's last drive, as the play was good for 43 yards and kept the Huskies' hopes alive.
While his sudden emergence may be a surprise to some, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. expressed the utmost confidence in the young wideout.
43 yards on 4th and 2!
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"He's a confident guy; he plays with confidence, celebrates making big plays, and a lot of things," Williams said on Tuesday. "Even when he came in last year, if anybody was here for spring practice in 25, we had really good chemistry then. So, I think it's just continuing to grow the more reps that we get together, and the more big plays that he's making in the game, it allows me to trust him in those big moments."
As defenses have built their game plan around Roebuck, whose 35 catches are top five in the Big Ten, opportunities have arisen for the sophomore to make big plays in man coverage, and he's done exactly that. With dangerous speed and strong hands, the deep ball threat has proven to be a tough cover for any defensive back.
While Lawson has been a bright spot in the offense, the unit as a whole has struggled to find consistency in conference play, scoring just 24 and 21 points in each of their first two Big Ten games, respectively. With his junior quarterback facing plenty of criticism, the dynamic playmaker will look to help out his captain by replicating last week's performance against an Iowa secondary that gave up 324 passing yards against No. 5 Ohio State in its last outing.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Chris Lawson Thriving in Bigger Role in Washington Football's Offense
