Transfers often dominate the conversation in college football, and with good reason. However, the top teams tend to depend more on returning players who have already proven their worth as key contributors to their current programs.
**Report: Penn State WR Transfers to UW Huskies**
The Washington Huskies will be adding over 40 new players to their roster for the 2025 season, including high school recruits and incoming transfers. At the same time, they’ll have several returning players who have already demonstrated star potential.
Here are the five most important returners for Washington in 2025:
**QB Demond Williams Jr.**
Having a known starting quarterback heading into the season is always valuable, and the Huskies are particularly eager about Williams. After throwing for 374 yards, four touchdowns, and rushing for another in a close Sun Bowl loss to Louisville, Williams, who played in every game as a true freshman and started the final two, is seen as one of their most dynamic players. Coach Jedd Fisch believes Williams could be the Huskies’ most promising dual-threat quarterback since Jake Locker.
**RB Jonah Coleman**
Coleman rushed for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior and opted to return for his senior season. After earning third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024, he has the opportunity to establish himself as one of the nation’s top running backs, potentially forming a powerful duo with Williams in the backfield.
**WR Denzel Boston**
With Giles Jackson and Jeremiah Hunter moving on, Boston, a fourth-year junior, will become the Huskies’ top receiver. He caught 63 passes for 834 yards and led the team with nine touchdowns in 2024. Standing at 6-foot-4, Boston’s ability to stretch the field and make contested catches will make him a key target for Williams. His next challenge will be to become more dangerous after the catch.
**OL Landen Hatchett**
Despite recovering from a torn ACL in December 2023, Hatchett managed to play in every game, mostly at guard, though he started at center in the Sun Bowl. Coach Fisch sees him as the team’s starting center for 2025. With several new additions to the offensive line, including Hatchett’s brother Geirean and Kansas State transfer Carver Willis, the O-line will look different, but Hatchett will be a consistent anchor once fully recovered. As a former four-star recruit, he’s expected to be a key part of the line.
**EDGE Zach Durfee**
While much of this list focuses on offense, the defense has undergone significant changes with six starters graduating and two transferring out. Many of last season’s top contributors will be absent in 2025, so the Huskies have brought in transfers to fill these gaps. One returning player who could still make a big impact is Durfee. After starting last season as an edge rusher and recording 2.5 sacks before injuries limited him to just six games, he has the potential to boost the pass rush. Coach Fisch expects Durfee to be a difference-maker if he returns to full health, potentially upgrading a pass rush that only managed 20 sacks in 13 games last season.
Leave a Reply