Over the past month or two, Washington has been hard at work adding players to its roster in the transfer portal. During Spring Practice, there were a handful of areas across the roster with glaring holes. But now as we enter the early part of June, Washington’s roster is pretty much set for the 2024 season. Here’s a look at what Washington was able to do in the Spring Transfer Portal session on the defensive side of the football.
Washington’s Front Seven Transfer Portal Additions
Sacramento State transfer DeShawn Lynch brings hefty experience to the Washington front seven. He played over 500 snaps at rush end last season with six-and-a-half tackles for loss, four-and-a-half sacks, and 34 tackles. Pro Football Focus credited him with 26 quarterback pressures. He was a force on the edge for the Hornets in 2022 and 2023 and brings 21 games of experience to Washington.
The Huskies brought edge rusher Jayden Wayne back home this Spring. The former four-star in the class of 2023 is from Tacoma, Washington where he attended Lincoln High School. Wayne transferred to IMG Academy in Florida for his senior season. Following his high school career, he stayed in Florida, committing to play for Miami. There, Wayne played 135 snaps as a true freshman with two sacks.
Michigan linebacker Hayden Moore suited up against Washington in the National Championship Game in January. Now, he’ll wear purple and gold after transferring to Washington this Spring. The former three-star linebacker in the class of 2023 was the sixth-rated player out of Colorado from Regis Jesuit High School. As a senior, Moore had 197 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. The former Wolverine had over 300 career tackles at Regis Jesuit before redshirting his freshman season in Ann Arbor.
Transfer Defensive Backs
In the defensive backfield, Washington picked up a couple of safeties in the transfer portal. Justin Harrington transferred in from Oklahoma where he played in 19 games with two starts over four seasons for the Sooners. Harrington suffered a season-ending injury last season, but he had an interception with two pass breakups in 13 games played the year prior. He lined up in Brent Venables’ “cheetah” position. This likely translates to a safety/linebacker hybrid in the Washington defense.
Another player from Sacramento State, Washington picked up safety Cameron Broussard. Last season, Broussard was named to the First-Team All-Big Sky roster. He had two interceptions, 73 tackles, and seven pass breakups for the Hornets in 2023. Broussard played in 34 games and was one of the best tacklers in the FCS last season. His Pro Football Focus tackle rating of 91.3 was sixth-best in the Championship Subdivision. He’ll battle with Kamren Fabiculanan and Makell Esteen for a spot at safety this fall.
