The Huskies added a former Jedd Fisch player and a position of need to their ranks
Amidst a hectic day Jan. 8 that included sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. returning the Washington Huskies, two days after he announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal and the university threatened legal action in response, the football team added another player to its ranks.
However, the Huskies lost a defensive player while adding one.
Washington received a commitment from redshirt sophomore cornerback Emmanuel Karnley while freshman defensive lineman Caleb Smith entered the transfer portal.
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Karnley was a three-star recruit in the class of the 2023 out of Walnut Creek, Calif.
Karnley originally committed to play with current Huskies coach Jedd Fisch while the latter the head coach at Arizona. He played in just one game his true freshman season. In his redshirt freshman year in '24, he played in 10 games and started six. He had 16 total tackles and five pass breakups.
Following the 2024 season, Karnley transferred to Miami and practiced in the offseason. He entered the spring transfer window (which has since been eliminated) and transferred to the Virginia Cavaliers before ever playing a game for the Hurricanes.
This season with Virginia, Karnley played all 14 games and started 10. He had 26 total tackles, including two for loss, eight pass breakups and one interception.
Karnley's only pick of his career to this point came in the Cavaliers' 13-7 win in the Gator Bowl against Missouri on Dec. 27.
The 6-foot-3, 184-pound defensive back is a front runner to be the team's second starting cornerback opposite to sophomore Dylan Robinson in 2026. This past season's starters, Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis, are both out of eligibility and cornerback Leroy Bryant entered the transfer portal.
Smith, listed at 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, was a three-star prospect out of Birmingham, Ala., in the class of '25. He did not receive any playing time this past year and redshirted.
It's unclear how much of a chance Smith would have had to earn significant playing time on the defensive line in 2026 but his odds were greatly reduced with recent UW additions.
Washington has added several defensive linemen in the portal: Ball State redshirt freshman Darin Conley and Sacramento State sophomore and first-team All-Big Sky selection DeSean Watts.
The Huskies also have reportedly extended offers for more defensive linemen: New Mexico State redshirt senior Ezra Christensen and Miami freshman Donta Simpson Jr.
The defensive line room will also be bolstered by 2026 freshmen, which include four-star interior lineman JD Hill and four-star edge Derek Colman-Brusa.
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