Pair of Key Washington Huskies Reserves to Miss Game Against Purdue Boilermakers

The Washington Huskies football team is still looking to find their first win in Big Ten play this season, but they'll be shorthanded in that goal when they take on the Purdue Boilermakers at 5 p.m. PT on Friday at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.

The Huskies will likely be without third-year quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who went down with a rib injury in the team's 41-24 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Oct. 9.

Washington will also be without fourth-year linebacker Xe'ree Alexander for several weeks after he suffered a high-ankle sprain, also against Iowa.

In addition to Williams and Alexander's absences, two key reserve players for the Huskies are also set to miss the game against Purdue.

According to the latest injury report posted on the Big Ten website, first-year running back Ansu Sanoe and third-year defensive tackle Kai McClendon are both listed as out for Friday's game.

Sanoe has been the third running back on Washington's depth chart since second year Quaid Carr and fourth-year Jayden Limar both went down with injuries in Week 1.

The first-year running back, listed at 6-foot, 240 pounds, has been limited to short-yardage and goal line situations. He's ran seven times for eight yards and two touchdowns this season.

With Sanoe out, the team's top three running backs on the depth chart will be first-year Brian Bonner Jr. as the starter, sixth-year Trey Cooley as the primary backup and second-year Ryken Moon as the third back on the depth chart. Fourth-year tight end Kade Eldridge has taken several hand-offs this season, and could see more snaps as a running back with the recent injury.

Sanoe is the fifth running back to miss games for UW this season. The assumptive starter going into the offseason, Jordan Washington, suffered a neck injury in spring practice. Another running back on the depth chart, Julian McMahan, is out for the season with a foot/ankle injury.

McClendon transferred to Washington from the Mississippi State Bulldogs this past offseason after missing all the 2024-25 season with an injury after an impressive true freshman season.

The junior defensive lineman missed most of offseason practice while recovering from the same injury that kept him out of action his sophomore year at Mississippi State, and started the season on a snap count that progressively increased with each game.

This season, McClendon has registered 11 total tackles (four solo), including 1.5 tackles for loss.