SEATTLE — The Washington Huskies football team already knew going into this season that they would have to replace several starters on both sides of the ball.

That makes it all the more important for the Huskies' returning veterans and starters to step into more leadership roles on the team for 2026.

And it seems like senior linebacker Xe'ree Alexander has grown accustomed into being a leader.

Alexander transferred to Washington ahead of last season. It marked the third different college team for the 6-foot-1, 238-pound linebacker, who grew up just over 30 miles away from the Huskies' campus in Auburn, Wash.

Before joining the Huskies, Alexander spent one year in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conference, the Big Sky, with Idaho. He transferred to Big 12 school, Central Florida (UCF) in 2024.

Alexander made an impression in his first year with his "hometown" school. He finished the 2025 season with 70 total tackles (41 solo), including five tackles for loss, one sack, an interception and four passes defended.

Alexander capped off his first year with Washington by winning the Los Angeles Bowl defensive MVP in UW's 38-10 win against Boise State on Dec. 13.

Now, with an added year of familiarity, Alexander's ready for 2026 to be a perfect accumulation of everything he's learned in his multi-stop career.

"I love reminding myself where I started," Alexander said after a practice on Thursday at Husky Stadium in Seattle. "It really motivates me, where I can be. Every day I think about it like 'OK, I started off here, now I'm ending up here.' And I can just keep going further and further. I'm just gonna elevate every single year, every single day."

In addition to the defensive side of the ball, Alexander also made unexpected contributions on special teams.

In addition to his MVP-winning performance in the L.A. Bowl, Alexander also returned a 22-yard kickoff.

Alexander might not be making any house calls this season (he said he'd like to return kicks but placed the over/under at two) but he's impacting the roster in other ways.

Part of growing into his role as a leader this offseason has involved taking other players under his wing. One of those players is four-star Class of 2026 recruit Ramzak Fruean.

The 6-foot-4, 226-pound edge rusher was a late commit for the Huskies. He decommitted from the UCLA Bruins on Sept. 14. before announcing his intention to join UW on Dec. 1.

Fruean grew up just under 50 miles away from Husky Stadium in Spanaway, Wash.

The true freshman has been a highlight through the team's first two practices, particularly for his speed. It's not guaranteed Fruean, despite his speed and size, will carve out consistent reps this season. But the potential has been evident.

Alexander has seen that potential in not just him, but several other players

"(Fruean), (freshman linebacker Ezaya Tokio), (redshirt freshman linebacker Dylan Robinson), I would say those guys I've been really trying to work with," Alexander said. " ... Ramzak, and 'EZ' and Donovan, just trying to catch them up. ... How to make things easier for them. ... I can really see Donovan and Ramzak play, same with 'EZ.' They're really developing really well."

In his first year in Montlake, Alexander was just getting his feet wet being back in the Pacific Northwest and still found a way to make an impact.

This year, there's a good chance that Alexander could play a big role in a season filled with expectations. And if his mentorship reaches the young players, his impact could be felt in the future of the program, as well.

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