Jedd Fisch has been one of the least active coaches in the transfer portal this offseason for Washington. As of this writing, he's only added nine players from the portal and has lost 18. That's not ideal in terms of a sheer roster standpoint, but it seems as if Fisch has committed a ton to the incoming freshman class, which has 25 players.
This strategy isn't sitting well with many Husky fans, who are watching other Big Ten teams and National Championship contenders continue to load up via the transfer portal. Yet, Washington is basically sitting it out. They are ranked 15th in the Big Ten for portal additions according to 24/7 Sports. With their biggest additions being mostly special teams or depth.
Finally someone speaking the truth. https://t.co/q1TMcyLJQN
— Evan Feather (@evan_feather) January 13, 2026
Washington Huskies have 18 players leaving with only 9 players coming in the portal
Related: Jedd Fisch found the Adam Mohammed replacement UW needed from hated rival
A big problem, according to many Husky fans, is what happened with Demond Williams Jr. recently. He actively tried to leave, and now Fisch may be stuck trying to find players who are willing to come to a team with a quarterback who wants to leave.
Others have even pointed to the fact that Jedd Fisch has been in the rumors of trying to leave. None of that has been substantiated, but when Washington hired him, many knew with his history of bouncing around, that he may not be one of those long tenured coaches.
Another UW whiff. This may surprise you, but it appears that good players don’t want to transfer to your program when your QB just tried to leave and your HC is in the rumor mill every cycle. https://t.co/dQtNDPkHDX
— connor (Deathrow KP) (@keithpricetrut1) January 13, 2026
Why would any talented player transfer to UW when both the coach and quarterback want to be playing elsewhere?
— Lynn Doe (@LynnDoe47216) January 13, 2026
It’s difficult to sell a place when your star QB tries to leave and only returns for legal reasons.
— . (@HuskyFaithful2) January 13, 2026
There are basically two theories floating around. One is that Washington has worked hard to invest in the recruiting class, bringing in enormous talent, but the resources and even roster allocation aren't as high for the portal. That could be the true reality of Fisch's portal strategy.
The other theory is that Williams and Fisch themselves are making it hard to bring in talented players because of the uncertainty. It may even be a combo of both. Regardless, Fisch hasn't done much in this portal, and so Washington fans are frustrated, and rightfully so, as they look for an upgraded roster, not a downgraded one.