Washington is getting some early love ahead of the 2026 season and popping up in many (but not all) of the "Way-Too-Early" rankings that sports sites love to do. There is good reason for optimism as the Huskies went from 6-7 to 9-4 this season and return some crucial pieces heading into next year's campaign.
The Huskies didn't end the year in the final AP Top 25 rankings, but they are part of the top 25 going into next year. Here's where Washington falls in all of the major, "Way-Too-Early" Rankings:
ESPN - No. 19
There's a lot of excitement from ESPN about Washington, including about a step forward for Demond Williams Jr. ESPN recognizes that Williams needs to fix what he broke with his transfer but return, but "If Williams plays as well as he did in 2025, when he passed for 3,065 yards with 25 touchdowns, they'll probably forgive him quickly."
FanSided - No. 25
The writers for FanSided said that they wanted the Huskies higher than 25, but because of the extra chaos added by Demond Williams Jr., it's hard to trust a much higher ranking. "The talented QB is heading back to Seattle, nonetheless, and that gives this team tremendous upside..."
CBS Sports - No. 19
We see another top-20 ranking from a major outlet. This time it's CBS Sports. They call Washington a popular pick for the upcoming season, saying, "Jedd Fisch gets the most out of every team he coaches, and this might be one of his best yet in a career spanning from Arizona to the Huskies." It's another good ranking for the Huskies.
PFF College - Unranked
Here's the first "Way-Too-Early" ranking that doesn't feature the Washington Huskies. However, this one is hard to trust as they have Oregon as the No. 1 team. Then again, no program can raise fake "we won the offseason" banners quite like the Ducks.
On3.com - No. 18
On3.com gives Washington the highest ranking from a major outlet, as they have the Dawgs all the way up to No. 18. It offsets whatever nonsense PFF College was just putting out. Brett McMurphy wrote the blurb and said, "With Williams and 13 other returning starters, the Huskies could continue their momentum from last season when they closed 5-2 with all five wins by at least 17 points."
Yahoo Sports - No. 23
Finally, let's wrap it up with what Yahoo Sports pundits have to say about the Washington Huskies. Huskies once again find themselves inside the top 25, but towards the bottom. Yahoo's rationale is, "Williams can enter the season as a sleeper Heisman candidate and is the reason why we have Washington ranked."