The end of the Washington Huskies' regular season means it's time for their report card. Coming off a 6-7 season in 2024, which was the program's first in the Big Ten and Jedd Fisch's first as head coach, the Huskies had higher expectations for 2025.
With a deadly offensive trio of Demond Williams Jr., Denzel Boston, and Jonah Coleman returning, new defensive coordinator Ryan Walters coming in, and a full recruiting cycle for Fisch, Washington was thought to be a dark horse in a stacked Big Ten -- with an eight-to-10 win season being a realistic possibility.
The Huskies ultimately won eight games -- losing three to conference powerhouses Ohio State, Michigan, and Oregon, as well as another to a deplorable Wisconsin team -- yet the year still felt uneven, with too many moments suggesting they were capable of more despite the glimpses of progress.
As part of a multi-piece evaluation of the Huskies' 2025 season, we'll start with the man responsible for shaping the program’s direction: Fisch. Optimistic fans see this season as a foundational step for a young roster, while pessimistic fans believe it was a missed opportunity that showed Washington is still far from competing with college football’s top tier. Both sides may have valid arguments, but this series aims to find the middle ground as we grade each key figure and unit moving forward.
Head coach Jedd Fisch: B
Leading the charge of Washington's polarizing season, Fisch is rightfully the most polarizing figure in fan circles. Amid messy rumors that he wanted out of Washington and some questionable decisions as an offensive play caller, Fisch left a lot to be desired in year two.
The embarrassing loss to Wisconsin was the low point that underscored the belief that Fisch not only can't win the big game, but also often plays down to inferior opponents. Even in wins against Colorado State, Washington State, Maryland, and Rutgers, there were moments in those games where fans couldn’t help but think, “oh man, this is pretty ugly.”
Pair that with the fact that after beating No. 23 Illinois, Fisch is now just 2-5 against ranked opponents during his UW tenure, with his biggest victory coming against No. 10 Michigan a season ago. The ranked losses to No. 1 Ohio State and No. 6 Oregon this season hardly felt like games Washington had any chance in aside from brief moments, as the Huskies offense that seemed unstoppable against cupcake opponents was held to just 20 combined points with Fisch at the helm.
Yet still, an 8-4 season is nothing to scoff at. Sure, Washington has a storied history that has set a high standard for excellence, but a quick look around the college football landscape shows that other distinguished programs are in a far worse situation. They say comparison is the thief of joy, but for disappointed Husky fans, it should actually be a reminder to appreciate the program's current status.
Fisch is now 14-11 coaching the Huskies, and now year three becomes a new test with even higher expectations. Hopefully, with the drama behind him and another full offseason to develop the promising young talent returning to the roster, the Huskies will be in a poised position to again improve -- this time from an eight-win season.
If there's one thing no one can argue with when it comes to Fisch, it's that he's a master at recruiting. After flipping the commitment of four-star wide receiver Jordan Clay to UW, Fisch's 2026 class he's put together is officially the highest-rated class in program history.
Washington reels in two more 4-star WRs to round out its 2026 class this week.
— Kevin Cacabelos (@SeaTownKev) December 3, 2025
UW’s 2026 class is ranked No. 13 in the country. One 5-star, eleven 4-stars, twelve 3-stars.
Fisch and his staff can recruit.
Recruiting top talent doesn't matter if you can't develop them, but luckily, Fisch has proven he can do that too. Whether prompted by injuries or the lack of better alternatives, Fisch fielded far more underclassmen, especially true freshmen, than is typical for a team with competitive aspirations.
Of course, the sophomore Williams is the greatest example of this as the starting quarterback, but plenty of others made immediate impacts. The true freshman duo of Dezmen Roebuck and Raiden Vines-Bright were relied upon to be primary pass catchers at wide receiver. Offensive lineman John Mills played multiple O-line positions at a high level while still being just 17 years old for a good portion of the season.
Running back Adam Mohammed, still just a sophomore, proved that he can fill in Coleman's shoes without missing a beat, rushing for 100 yards in back-to-back games to end the season. Other underclassmen on offense such as Audric Harris, Paki Finau, Chris Lawson, Decker DeGraaf, and Jordan Washington all also had shining moments here and there.
On defense, true freshman Dylan Robinson stepped up admirably for a cornerback unit that was often hindered by injuries, while fellow true freshman Zaydrius Rainey-Sale was arguably the team's best linebacker once he debuted after missing most of the season recovering from an injury.
Fisch should have all these players, plus more, back and improved for next season, while also likely adding some more impact players from the transfer portal. Additionally, his willingness to play true freshman early will help fill in the holes next season for the senior starters who are leaving.
Fans have every right to remain skeptical. The in-game management issues, the carousel drama, and the lack of competitive fire against elite opponents are problems that can't simply be waved away. If Fisch wants to take the next step, and quiet the noise around him, some course correction is necessary.
One potential fix could be giving offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty more influence or control over the play-calling responsibilities to help streamline the offense against top-tier defenses. Perhaps eventually the program can evolve to where Fisch is primarily a talent recruiter and mentor of young men, with his coordinators handling most of the scheme duties/strategy side of the game.
Still, when stepping back and looking at the season as a whole, 2025 was objectively a positive step in the right direction. Washington won eight games, developed a core of high-upside young talent, and continued to recruit at a level the program hasn’t seen in decades. Ultimately, Washington’s success under Fisch is going to come down to the players he puts on the field -- and he has consistently found the right ones, whether through high school recruiting or the transfer portal.
So while Fisch remains a polarizing figure whose flaws are impossible to ignore, the foundation he’s building is undeniably stronger than the one he inherited. The growth is real, even if imperfect, and year three will provide the clearest picture yet of whether he can elevate Washington from “promising” to “proven.”