Week after week, Washington Huskies freshman defensive tackle Derek Colman-Brusa continues to get better every week.
In the Huskies' 17-10 comeback win at Nebraska on Saturday, the former four-star recruit from nearby Kennedy Catholic High School, who was recently named a Midseason Freshman All-American by 247Sports and On3, had the best game of his young career. Although he was credited with just one tackle, a sack of Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea, the 6-foot-5, 295-pounder, who has started all eight games for the Huskies along the interior, was at his best.
He tied a career-high with 4 pressures in the win and continued to look more comfortable at the Big Ten level, combating double teams and holding the point of attack against the run
as Washington's run defense buckled down in the second half, giving defensive coordinator Ryan Walters' unit a massive boost.
Derek Colman-Brusa last night (thanks @coker_UDub for the pressure stats, check out @LockedOnHuskies for more on his day)
— Roman Tomashoff (@rtomashoff34) November 1, 2026
-4 pressures
-1 sack
-looked excellent combatting double-teams in run defense
Lived up to the Midseason Freshman All-American billing and then some pic.twitter.com/1wXf4Wa48P
"I think he's getting more comfortable," Walters said on Tuesday. "Obviously, he didn't play interior d-line in high school, and that game is a lot different; things move a lot faster. It's more physical snap in and snap out, I think he does a great job in transition rush. He does a great job getting vertical, using his hands; he's violent with the way he gets off of blocks."
"He'll continue to improve every day, every week, because he's got that mindset and I think (defensive line coach Jason) Kaufusi and (quality control coach Korey) Rush have done a great job of holding him to a high standard, and he's continued to improve. I'm very happy with his performance."
Colman-Brusa's sack, the second of his young career, also came at a key time. As Washington's defense pitched a second-half shutout, it allowed a 31-yard catch-and-run early in the fourth quarter as the Cornhuskers moved into the red zone for the first (and only) time in the contest. However, after a pair of incompletions, Colman-Brusa dropped Colandrea for an 8-yard loss, which was just enough breathing room to force a missed field goal from kicker Kyle Cunanan.
That kept Nebraska's lead at 7-3 at around the 10:00 mark of the fourth quarter and was a key reason the Huskies were able to mount their late comeback, as wide receiver Chris Lawson and safety Alex McLaughlin sealed the victory with a pair of touchdowns over three plays in the final 90 seconds of the contest.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Derek Colman-Brusa continues ascension in Washington football comeback
