The Washington Huskies football team will enter the 2026 season with a healthy amount of expectations.

The Huskies are ranked in the top 25 in various polls from different publications ahead of the program's third season under head coach Jedd Fisch.

If Washington meets or exceeds those expectations, it would place the team right in the thick of the 12-team College Football Playoff race. If UW is able to make it to the CFP, it would be the program's third and first in the 12-team format. The Huskies' last two CFP appearances (2016, 2023) were under the old four-team format.

A large part of the expectations currently placed on Washington is the return of junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr.

Williams will be without his leading receiver (Denzel Boston) and leading rusher (Jonah Coleman) from last season, who both were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Despite Boston and Coleman both being gone, there is reason to be optimistic Williams can take a step forward and lead the Huskies to a successful season.

In his first full year as a starting quarterback last season, Williams led the Big Ten in total yardage.

In his true sophomore season, Williams completed 69.5% of his passes for 3,065 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran the ball 143 times for 611 yards and six touchdowns for a total of 3,676 yards.

The biggest point of weakness for Williams last year was a failure to perform in "big" games. Against No. 1 Ohio State on Sept. 27, he went 18-for-22 for 173 yards, no touchdowns and was sacked six times.

Against No. 6 Oregon on Nov. 29, Williams went 15-for-30 for 129 yards and threw two touchdowns and two interceptions and was sacked four times.

Williams and Fisch know that the former needs to step up in big games, and with a full year of experience under his belt, there's a chance that his natural progression will lead him to being more prepared for those moments next season.

One of the biggest points of strength for the offense in '26 is the offensive line.

Washington will be returning four-of-five starters from last year's offensive line, including 2025 All-Freshman guard John Mills.

The only player not returning is left tackle Carver Willis, who was selected in the draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

Willis will be replaced by the team's highest-ranked recruit in the 2026 class, Kodi Greene, who was ranked as the 25th-best overall player, third-best offensive tackle and third-best player in California in the class per the 247Sports composite. Greene started at left tackle for almost the entire spring.

The offensive line has lofty goals and has made it clear that it's chasing after the Joe Moore award, which is given to the best offensive line in the country.

The familiarity between the offensive line and Williams could lead to a level of comfortability for the junior signal-caller.

Despite Boston's departure, Williams was able to build a nice rapport with returning players, sophomore slot receiver Dezmen Roebuck and junior tight end Decker DeGraaf.

Roebuck had the most receiving yards on the team amidst players who were on the roster last season.

Both players were Williams' go-to targets this spring. He also started to grow more comfortable with junior outside receiver Rashid Williams, who reeled in a 47-yard touchdown catch from the quarterback in the spring game May 1. It was the longest play of the game for either the Purple or Gold team.

Between Rashid Williams, Roebuck and DeGraaf, Demond Williams has more than enough trust in his returning receivers. The additional outside spot is set to be taken over by senior Chris Lawson, sophomore Bodpegn Miller, true freshman Jordan Clay or senior Christian Moss.

Many of the candidates for the second outside receiving spot were out for parts or all of spring due to injuries. Williams will get an opportunity to grow more familiarity with that crop of pass-catchers during training camp.

A large part of Williams' success in '26 will be due to him growing more comfortable and gaining more trust in his weapons.

Looking at the roster, there's a very real chance Williams could take a next step forward as a quarterback next season.

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