Since the transfer portal opened on December 4th, over two dozen Washington players have entered. Four of whom have re-committed to Washington, however, including quarterback Will Rogers. There are 13 undecided players at the time of this writing, and 12 have committed elsewhere. This list for Washington will remain dynamic in the coming weeks. But with all the recent attrition, let’s go through where the former Washington transfers are headed.
Seattle to Tuscaloosa Pipeline
Kalen DeBoer’s move to Alabama was a whirlwind. Taking over for the legendary head coach Nick Saban who retired caused a ripple effect through college football. Not only in the coaching circuit but with player transfers. A few of DeBoer’s former players entered the portal and followed him to Tuscaloosa.
This list includes Washington’s quarterback of the future, Austin Mack. The class of 2023 quarterback was a four-star and had prototypical size and arm strength for his position. Mack ended up following the coach who recruited him out of high school. He will suit up for the Crimson Tide next fall. Wide receiver Germie Bernard had two touchdowns in 2023 with over 400 yards in a very deep receiver room. The incoming junior transferred from Michigan State after his 2022 freshman season and made his second transfer after DeBoer left. Like Mack, Bernard is headed to Alabama.
The top center in the transfer portal was Washington’s Parker Brailsford. The sophomore started all 15 games for the Huskies last year, including the first two at guard. He gave up just one sack all season and was a very highly touted player in the portal. Brailsford announced he would be committing to DeBoer at Alabama on January 20th.
Other Washington Offense Transfers
Backup quarterback Dylan Morris was one of the first offensive players to enter the portal back in December. He remained with the team through its College Football Playoff push but headed out following the season. Morris will transfer to James Madison with new head coach Bob Chesney.
The Huskies lost the majority of their pass-catchers to the NFL. But including Bernard, a handful of the team’s backups have entered the portal and have found new homes. Freshman Taeshaun Lyons entered the portal in December and will transfer to Utah. This list also includes tight end Tre Watson, who committed to Washington in December after transferring in from Fresno State. He had four touchdowns and nearly 400 yards receiving last season. The coaching change prompted Watson to re-enter, and he’ll be headed to Texas A&M.
Julius Buelow played in 11 games this season for Washington at guard. He entered the transfer portal as a grad transfer after DeBoer left for Alabama. The incoming fifth-year offensive lineman will join Lane Kiffin in Oxford for what is becoming one of the top transfer portal classes in the nation. That Ole Miss class also includes Nate Kalepo who started all 15 games at guard for Washington this year. He was a high three-star transfer with a 90.54 grade according to On3.
Washington Defensive Departures
On the other side of the ball, four players have found new homes. Starting safety Asa Turner played five seasons at Washington dating back to 2019. He entered the transfer portal after DeBoer’s announcement and will be transferring to Florida. Will Harris is the secondary coach at Florida and he helped recruit Turner to Washington back in 2019. Harris was a big reason for Turner’s transfer across the country.
Mishael Powell was one of the first players to hit the portal following DeBoer’s announcement. The junior cornerback had three interceptions last year and six pass breakups. Powell will be transferring to Miami. The other cornerback to make his commitment is Jaivion Green. He played in nine games this year with nine tackles. Green’s portal entry came before DeBoer’s departure and he is heading to Stanford.
Ethan Barr was a linebacker transfer that Washington landed in December from Vanderbilt. DeBoer’s departure prompted Barr to re-enter, and he’s now heading to play for Gus Malzahn at UCF.
Washington’s Transfer Portal Departures
The Huskies have been hit hard by the transfer portal these past few weeks. This list of players includes only those who have committed or enrolled at new schools. There are still 13 players who have not made their decision, and that decision still includes the possibility of returning to Washington. Rogers was one of those players to recommit to Washington, and his decision was a huge domino for this new staff and program. True freshman quarterback Dermaricus Davis decided to stay in Seattle as well. Nickelback Dyson McCutcheon and class of 2024 linebacker Khmori House are two others to withdraw from the portal. As this situation continues to develop, we’ll have updates on how Jedd Fisch is reconstructing his roster in Seattle.
