The Washington Huskies have seven captains ahead of the start of the 2026 season, with two returners for third-year coach Jedd Fisch.
As voted on by the players, third-year quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and fourth-year center Landen Hatchett represent the two returning Husky captains, along with five first-timers: safety Alex McLaughlin, linebacker Jacob Manu, defensive lineman Elinneus Davis, and offensive linemen Drew Azzopardi and John Mills.
The Huskies will have one more than 2025, with three defensive players and four on offense, which in a quiet but definitive way speaks to the balance Fisch has with his program on both sides of the ball going into his third year at the helm of the program.
The 2026 University of Washington Football Team
Captains. pic.twitter.com/20hyyz4zwm
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) August 26, 2026
Manu, a 5-foot-10, 225-pound fifth-year linebacker, was also a captain for Fisch in his final season at Arizona in 2023 and turned in his best season. The former Servite High School product put up a Pac-12-high 116 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and his only career interception to help lead the Wildcats to a 10-3 record and an Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma.
Both fourth-year defenders Davis, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound interior defensive lineman, and McLaughlin, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound safety, return as veteran starters for second-year defensive coordinator Ryan Walters with 23 total starts in 2025 between the two newly minted leaders.
Mills, entering his second year as the Huskies' starting left guard, has become a vocal leader this off-season along with Hatchett and fifth-year starting right tackle Drew Azzopardi up front.
Though there aren't any skill position players on offense holding the captain title in 2026, several could become the next version of Mills, with players like second-year wide receivers Chris Lawson and Dezmen Roebuck, along with third-year tight end Decker DeGraaf, who could vault up their roles this coming fall and be in line to fill the void of starters who leave after this coming fall.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Football Reveals 7 Captains For 2026 Season
