Husky RBs Compete as Injuries Sideline Transfers

With top running back recruits out, young players get chance to shine in spring practice

Apr. 10, 2026 at 11:06pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a football practice scene, with players and equipment broken down into sharp, angular geometric shapes in a palette of deep greens, navy blues, and crimson reds.Injuries to key running backs open the door for young Huskies to compete for playing time in spring practice.San Ramon Today

The University of Washington football team is dealing with a rash of injuries to its running back corps, with top transfers Jayden Limar and Trey Cooley sidelined by ankle and knee surgeries, and sophomore Jordan Washington out indefinitely after suffering a neck injury in practice. This has opened the door for a group of young, unproven running backs to compete for playing time, including redshirt freshman Quaid Carr, freshman Brian Bonner Jr., and others.

Why it matters

Running back was expected to be a position of strength for the Huskies this season, but the injuries have forced the coaching staff to accelerate the development of their younger players. How these young backs perform in spring practice could determine the team's backfield depth heading into the fall.

The details

With Limar, Cooley and Washington all out, the Huskies are left with five running backs competing for reps in spring practice: redshirt freshman Quaid Carr, freshman Brian Bonner Jr., freshman Ansu Sanoe, redshirt freshman Julian McMahan and redshirt freshman D'Aryhian Clemons. Carr is considered one of the team's fastest players and has impressed the coaching staff, while Bonner comes in as a highly touted 4-star recruit. The staff is also high on the physical tools of Sanoe and McMahan, and have even converted Clemons from cornerback to add depth at the position.

  • Jordan Washington was injured in practice on April 4th.
  • Jayden Limar is recovering from ankle surgery and won't participate in spring practice.
  • Trey Cooley is recovering from knee surgery and won't arrive on campus until June.

The players

Jordan Washington

A sophomore running back who suffered a neck injury in practice and won't return for the rest of spring.

Jayden Limar

An Oregon senior transfer running back who is recovering from ankle surgery and won't participate in spring practice.

Trey Cooley

A Troy senior transfer running back who is recovering from knee surgery and won't arrive on campus until June.

Quaid Carr

A redshirt freshman running back who is considered one of the team's fastest players and has impressed the coaching staff.

Brian Bonner Jr.

A freshman running back who was a 4-star recruit and comes off consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons in high school.

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What they’re saying

“Jordan's doing well right now, but there's going to be some rehab and recovery involved here. So, we're going to not see him the rest of spring.”

— Jedd Fisch, Head Coach, University of Washington

“I felt like he's an exceptional talent. I thought we absolutely got very lucky. We got him at the very, very end of recruiting and I believe that he's a special talent as a runner.”

— Jedd Fisch, Head Coach, University of Washington

What’s next

The Huskies have 10 more spring practices to evaluate their young running backs and determine the depth chart heading into the fall season.

The takeaway

The rash of injuries to the Huskies' top running back recruits has created an opportunity for a group of unproven but talented young players to step up and earn playing time. How they perform in spring practice could be crucial in shaping the team's backfield rotation for the 2026 season.