By Danny Williams Posted on

Washington youngsters stepping up at the right time

It’s no secret that the Washington Huskies (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) have one of the youngest rosters in the country, and through the first six weeks of the season, the growing pains were evident. However, after two-straight Big Ten road victories, it finally seems as though UW’s young underclassmen are starting to find their footing.

Three underclassmen specifically have made exponential leaps in the past couple of weeks: freshman defensive lineman Derek Coleman-Brusa, sophomore linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, and sophomore wide receiver Chris Lawson.

Derek Coleman-Brusa

Brusa could arguably be considered Washington’s best defensive lineman this season and he is only 18 years-old. In high school, Brusa played defensive end, now he’s moved inside in one of the biggest and toughest conferences in the country and has shown major flashes of what’s to come.

“I think [Derek’s] getting more comfortable, obviously he didn’t play interior d-line in high school, he was on the edge and that game is a lot different. Things move a lot faster, it’s more physical snap-in and snap-out,” defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said. “He does a great job in transition rush, does a great job getting vertical, using his hands, he’s violent with the way he gets off of blocks, so he’ll continue to improve every day, every week.”

The 6-foot-5, 295-pound Brusa recorded a crucial sack for UW in the win against Nebraska on Saturday. For the season Brusa has collected 12 tackles and three tackles for-loss. His stellar play has earned him midseason freshman All-American honors from 247sports and On3.

Zaydrius Rainey-Sale

Rainey-Sale entered his freshman with high expectations after coming out of high school ranked the No. 1 player in the state of Washington. An injury to Buddha Al-Uqdah opened the door for the freshman to step into legitimate playing time. Sale played well his freshman year, but has really turned the corner in his sophomore campaign.

According to Walters, Rainey-Sale played his best game of the season against Nebraska. Rainey-Sale racked up 10 tackles, a sack, and a pass-deflection in the victory. After the stellar performance, the key for Rainey-Sale is stacking up consistent performances.

“[It’s] definitely the most productive [game Rainey-Sale’s played],” Walters said. “He had a couple really, really good plays, like the empty draw, where if he doesn’t make that tackle, that’s an explosive run. It just shows how athletic he is and, again, another guy that’s a true sophomore that’s starting to play like a veteran.”

Chris Lawson

The most impressive of the bunch could be the sophomore receiver out of San Francisco. After the projected starting X-receiver Christian Moss sustained a season-ending injury on his first play of the season, Lawson took the spot and never looked back.

“[I’m] really impressed with what Chris is doing, back-to-back games of over 100 yards, a few yards away from back-to-back-to-back games,” head coach Jedd Fisch said. “He battles, he competes, he’s willing to do whatever we ask of him.”

Lawson’s introduction to the country came on Saturday: 12 receptions for 155 yards and the game-changing touchdown in the fourth quarter. In Big Ten play, only two receivers have averaged more yards per-game than Lawson: Indiana’s Charlie Becker and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, both presumed All-Americans.

What makes Lawson’s emergence so impressive is that the sophomore played just 89 plays all of last season, basically making this his first full season. Lawson leads the team in receiving yards ands is tied for the team-lead in touchdown receptions.

Couple Lawson with fellow sophomore receiver Dezmen Roebuck and Washington could have one of the best wide receiver duos in the country in 2027. Along with the aforementioned youngsters, sophomore offensive lineman John Mills, freshman offensive lineman Kodi Greene, freshman cornerback Jeron Jones, and freshman defensive end Ramzak Fruean have all played pivotal rolls this season as underclassmen.

Obviously staying at a school at year’s end is far less guaranteed now than before, but if Fisch is able to retain the young talent on the roster, Washington could come into 2027 with one of the best home-grown cores in the country.

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