The Washington Huskies have been a polarizing topic of discussion for college football analysts in the spring, with some placing them as high as No. 17 in their rankings, while others have left them completely off the list.
FOX Sports’ RJ Young fell right in the middle, placing Jedd Fisch’s team at No. 21 ahead of the head coach’s third year on Montlake. That ranking places the Huskies as the last of seven Big Ten teams on his list, behind the defending national champions and top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers, No. 4 Oregon Ducks, No. 14 USC Trojans, No. 15 Michigan Wolverines, No. 17 Penn State Nittany Lions, and No. 19 Iowa Hawkeyes.
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As Fisch’s young, yet talented roster looks to take another step forward after going 9-4 last season, including a win in the LA Bowl, Washington will have several opportunities to assert itself in big moments this fall. UW is set to take on five of the teams ahead of them in Young’s poll, with trips to Oregon and USC lined up, while Indiana, Penn State, and Iowa will all venture to Seattle.
In order to come out on top in those matchups, as the Huskies look to replace stars at wide receiver and running back with Denzel Boston and Jonah Coleman off to the NFL, they’re going to need junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to be at his best in the biggest moments.
“We say competitive greatness is being at your best when your best is needed,” Fisch said on the Big Ten Network in April.
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“It’s really something we heavily believe in, and we need D to be his best in the biggest games this year. He’s an elite player, I think he has a chance to do everything and anything you could ever possibly want, so we’ve got to make sure he does it at that highest level in the biggest games.”
If Williams can rise to the occasion, combined with a defense that coordinator Ryan Walters expects to be one of the best in the Big Ten after finishing among the nation’s best in rushing yards allowed (100.08, No. 12), points allowed (18.7, No. 15), and yards allowed per game (311.4, No. 21), the Huskies have a great opportunity to outplay their ranking.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: CFB analyst puts Washington Huskies at No. 21 in post-spring rankings
