Denzel Boston is all alone on the touchdown catch in the second quarter against Boise State in the LA Bowl, Dec. 13, 2025 at SoFi Stadium, in Inglewood, Calif. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
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By
Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
Washington will be well represented in Indianapolis on Feb. 23.
Five former Huskies — wide receiver Denzel Boston, running back Jonah Coleman, offensive lineman Carver Willis and cornerbacks Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock — were among the 319 players invited to the 2026 NFL combine Wednesday morning while the Seahawks’ Super Bowl parade rolled through the city.
It’s a vast improvement from the past season, when linebacker Carson Bruener was the only former Husky invited to the 2025 combine. Washington sent a program-record 13 players to the 2024 combine after its 2023 run to the College Football Playoff championship game.
Boston may be the most intriguing former Husky for NFL teams. The South Hill native tallied consecutive 800-yard receiving seasons in 2024 and 2025, earning consensus third-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior despite battling an ankle injury late in the season. Boston, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound wideout, became just the eighth player in UW history to catch 20 touchdowns during his career, joining Mario Bailey (30), Jermaine Kearse (29), Rome Odunze (24), Dante Pettis (24), John Ross III (22), Reggie Williams (22) and Austin Seferian-Jenkins (21).
Coleman enjoyed a strong 2024 campaign at Washington after transferring from Arizona to follow coach Jedd Fisch and running backs coach Scottie Graham, becoming the 15th player to tally a 1,000-yard rushing season. The 5-9, 220-pound tailback was slowed by a knee injury during his senior season, but registered a career-high 15 touchdowns rushing.
His 31 receptions in 2025 ranked sixth for a single season by a running back in UW history, tying Chris Polk’s 2011 campaign and Vince Weathersby’s 1986 season. Coleman was a consensus All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2025 and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the media in 2024.
Willis arrived at Washington after spending five seasons primarily playing right tackle at Kansas State. The 6-5, 312-pound offensive lineman flipped to the left side in 2025 and earned consensus All-Big Ten honorable-mention status during his lone season at UW, even though he missed time in the middle of the season with a knee injury. Pro Football Focus graded Willis as UW’s best run blocker in 2025. He allowed 22 pressures — 18 hurries, two quarterback hits and two sacks — in 575 offensive snaps for the Huskies.
Prysock spent two seasons at UW, transferring from Arizona to follow Fisch and secondary coach John Richardson before 2024. After a difficult first season at UW, Prysock rebounded in 2025. The 6-4, 195-pound cornerback was selected as an All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media after making 48 tackles, a tackle for a loss, an interception and defending eight passes.
Both Prysock and Willis had strong performances at the Senior Bowl to help them earn invitations to the combine.
Davis earned UW’s final combine invite. The 6-4, 200-pound cornerback made 19 tackles, a tackle for a loss, two interceptions and five pass deflections during his lone season on Montlake, but was limited to just seven games because of an early rib injury and a late hamstring injury. He still earned All-Big Ten honorable mention from the media. Davis played three strong seasons at Arizona, earning All-Pac-12 honorable-mention status in 2023 and second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2024.
While Boston, Coleman, Davis, Prysock and Willis head to Indianapolis, a few notable Huskies missed out on a combine invite including edge rushers Zach Durfee and Deshawn Lynch, defensive tackles Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei and Anterio Thompson, wide receiver Omari Evans, tight end Quentin Moore and safety Makell Esteen. They — along with the five Huskies heading to the combine — will be able to show off their skills to NFL scouts at UW’s Pro Day, currently scheduled for March 16.
The five Huskies aren’t the only ones with Washington connections going to the combine. While Washington State did not receive any invitations in 2025, former Cougar offensive lineman Fa’alili Fa’amoe was invited after a standout season at Wake Forest playing for former WSU coach Jake Dickert. Wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, who finished his college career at Ole Miss, and defensive tackle David Gusta, who spent the past season at Kentucky, also earned invites after starting their careers in Pullman.
Wide receiver Germie Bernard, tight end Josh Cuevas and center Parker Brailsford — all former Huskies who followed coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama — also earned invitations. Former UW cornerback Thaddeus Dixon, who spent the past season at North Carolina, will be in Indianapolis, too.
Additionally, Penn State offensive lineman and former Graham-Kapowsin High star Olaivavega Ioane also received an invitation. The Graham native was a consensus 2024 second-team All-Big Ten selection before earning first-team honors from the media in 2025. Former Eastside Catholic standout and Bellevue native DJ Rogers, who spent the past five seasons at TCU, also earned a combine invitation.
Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes.com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.
