There are some early players who have stood out from non-padded practices.
SEATTLE — The Washington Huskies wrapped up their second spring practice Thursday in Seattle.
It's too early for the Huskies to know for sure who will walk away with the as starters or primary backups for the open positions. Several potential starters, such as defensive back Rahshawn Clark and offensive lineman Kolt Dieterich, will also be out for most or all of spring.
Washington will get a better idea over who stands atop the rest of the pack in the first padded practice Saturday. But, there were several players who stood out in the second non-padded practice session Thursday.
Here's several notes and takeaways from the Huskies' second spring practice:
Rylon Dillard-Allen getting involved
Washington entered this offseason needing to replace both outside corners from last season: Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis, who will be attempting to make it to the NFL.
Senior Virginia transfer Emmanuel Karnley and sophomore Dylan Robinson are the front-runners to take over for the aforementioned pair, but the team is encouraging competition from its defensive back room, particularly for the nickelback/star position.
Clark, when he returns healthy, is the front runner to earn first-team reps at star. In his absence, sophomore safety Rylon Dillard-Allen has made an impact.
The Phoenix native, who registered time at safety and nickel Thursday, was one of the most involved players in early 11-on-11 drills. One particular play, he met sophomore running back Jordan Washington on a run to the outside. With it being a non-padded practice, all Dillard-Allen could do was wrap up, but he was loud and emphatic when he did.
"RDA's done a great job this offseason gaining weight and really filling out his body," Huskies defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said after the practice. "The recall that he has from last year has been awesome. ... He just flies around. He's a guy that has no fear of pulling the trigger, doesn't hesitate at all. That allows you to play fast and he's starting to get to the point where, he's anticipating what's gonna happen instead of reacting to it. Once you start playing in that realm, you start making a lot of plays."
Dillard-Allen played in all 13 games last season as a true freshman. He registered 40 total tackles (34 solo), including two tackles for loss.
Dezmen Roebuck continuing where he left off
The Huskies' leading receiver from last season, Denzel Boston, is another player who will be taking his talents to the NFL.
Washington added several big-bodied receivers in the transfer portal, including Christian Moss and Bodpegn Miller, to provide junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr. the tall downfield threat Boston was.
However, Dezmen Roebuck could emerge as the team's true No. 1 target.
Roebuck, a returning sophomore, had the most receiving yards on the team last year among players who returned to the roster. He had 42 catches for 560 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025.
Washington Huskies wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck celebrates after scoring a touchdown in a game against the UCLA Bruins on Nov. 22 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. -- Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images.Roebuck had several impressive grabs in seven-on-seven drills. He made a fall-back grab on a deep-over route and had a reception on an "in" route on a rollout from Williams.
From an observational view, Roebuck had the most crisp routes of the first-string wide receivers.
Roebuck, listed at 5-foot-11 and 184 pounds, doesn't have the height or size of Moss or Miller. But if practice was any indication, his speed and ability to create separation could make him the go-to target for Williams.
Defensive veterans looking to improve in second year of Big Ten play
Two transfer additions from last offseason, senior safety Alex McLaughlin and senior linebacker Xe'ree Alexander, made significant impacts in their first year of Big Ten play.
McLaughlin finished the year with 94 total tackles (62 solo), including three tackles for loss. He picked off two passes, was credited with eight passes defended and had a fumble recovery. He also scored two defensive touchdowns: a pick-six against Washington State and a fumble returned for a touchdown against UCLA.
Alexander finished the season with 70 total tackles (41 solo), including five tackles for loss. He also registered a sack, an interception and four passes defended. He ended the season being named the Los Angeles Bowl defensive MVP and, unexpectedly, returned a kick-off for 22 yards in the LA Bowl.
Both players are now entering their second respective seasons on the team and in the Big Ten and are assumptive starters. With that familiarity comes leadership, which they're embracing.
"I definitely want to elevate in the leadership," McLaughlin said after practice. "I feel like, in college, this is the (first) year where I've been the oldest guy in the room. So, I really want to elevate from the leadership side of the ball. I also want to work on my anticipation and anticipating what's coming before the snap so I can make more plays in the backfield."
Other notes/highlights
- Washington and redshirt freshman Quad Carr received the lion's share of the first team reps at running back, with the edge going to the former. Veteran portal additions Trey Cooley and Jayden Limar are both out for the spring.
- Sophomore wide receiver Chris Lawson had multiple highlight catches. He caught a five-yard goal line fade against tight coverage from Karnley and made a grab on a comeback route on a rollout from Williams. Both catches were in 11-on-11 drills.
- True freshman and four-star Class of 2026 wide receiver Jordan Clay was checked by trainers after limping off the practice field following a play in 11-on-11 drills. He returned from the trainer's room (still noticeably limping) but didn't rejoin drills.
- Moss (redshirt senior transfer from Kennesaw State) also was getting checked by trainers on the sideline in the latter half of practice. Trainers appeared to be looking at his quad or hamstring.
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