Georgia Tech running back Trey Cooley, left, attempts to avoid a tackle during an NCAA college football game against Miami, Oct. 7, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / AP)
Georgia Tech running back Trey Cooley, left, attempts to avoid a tackle during an NCAA college football game against Miami, Oct. 7, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / AP)
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By
Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
Jedd Fisch and the Huskies are adding more experience to Washington’s running back room just about two weeks before the start of spring practices.
Trey Cooley, a 5-foot-10, 208-pound running back who spent the previous season at Troy, reportedly signed with UW on Tuesday afternoon according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Cooley previously played at Georgia Tech and Louisville before missing the entire 2025 season at Troy with a knee injury.
He has one season remaining and adds another veteran option to a young UW running back group that has to replace Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammed, its top-two contributors from the past season.
A former standout at Knightdale High in North Carolina, Cooley was a 247Sports composite four-star prospect and one of the top running back recruits in the country. He was considered the No. 9 running back and the No. 135 player in the 2021 recruiting class by 247Sports’ own rankings.
Cooley started his college career at Louisville in 2021, playing for coach Scott Satterfield. The Knightdale, N.C., native rushed for a career-high 431 yards and a touchdown in 12 games while averaging 5 yards per carry. He also showed encouraging signs as a pass catcher, hauling in 12 receptions for 173 yards and two touchdowns.
His sophomore season, however, was derailed by injuries. Cooley was limited to just seven games in 2022, carrying the ball 59 times for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He also added nine catches for 66 yards receiving and a score. Cooley forced 31 missed tackles during his two seasons at Louisville according to Pro Football Focus, while adding 24 carries of 10 yards or more.
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Satterfield departed for Cincinnati after the season, and Cooley entered the transfer portal, eventually landing at Georgia Tech.
During his first year with the Yellow Jackets, Cooley totaled 274 yards rushing on 64 carries in 12 games while scoring a career-high three touchdowns. However, he also fumbled three times according to PFF.
Cooley stayed at Georgia Tech in 2024, playing in three games before announcing he was going to redshirt the remainder of the season and return to the portal. He transferred to Troy before the 2025 campaign, but suffered a season-ending knee injury before the team’s first game in 2025.
During his four seasons at Georgia Tech and Louisville, Cooley averaged 4.7 yards per carry in limited snaps. He was also a productive blocker, allowing just eight pressures in 82 pass-blocking snaps. Cooley hasn’t surrendered a sack since his freshman season in 2021.
At Washington, the sixth-year running back joins a young, inexperienced group. Coleman, a projected NFL draft pick this year after his eligibility expired, was the team’s undisputed featured back during his two seasons at UW. Mohammed was expected to step into Coleman’s role, but abruptly departed for California after Washington’s 38-10 victory in the LA Bowl on Dec. 13.
Coleman and Mohammed’s exits left UW and running backs coach Scottie Graham with five young tailbacks at their disposal entering 2026: sophomore Jordan Washington, redshirt freshmen Quaid Carr and Julian McMahan and incoming freshmen Ansu Sanoe and Brian Bonner.
Washington was productive in a change-of-pace role during 2025, rushing for 233 yards and a touchdown. Bonner, a composite four-star tailback from Southern California, is UW’s highest-rated running back signee since 1999, when recruiting websites began tracking the information.
Graham and the Huskies partially addressed the lack of experience by adding senior tailback Jayden Limar, a former Lake Stevens High standout who spent three seasons at Oregon, from the transfer portal. Now, Cooley gives them another veteran voice for the group.
Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes.com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.
Georgia Tech running back Trey Cooley, left, attempts to avoid a tackle during an NCAA college football game against Miami, Oct. 7, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / AP)
Skip Ad
By
Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
Jedd Fisch and the Huskies are adding more experience to Washington’s running back room just about two weeks before the start of spring practices.
Trey Cooley, a 5-foot-10, 208-pound running back who spent the previous season at Troy, reportedly signed with UW on Tuesday afternoon according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Cooley previously played at Georgia Tech and Louisville before missing the entire 2025 season at Troy with a knee injury.
He has one season remaining and adds another veteran option to a young UW running back group that has to replace Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammed, its top-two contributors from the past season.
A former standout at Knightdale High in North Carolina, Cooley was a 247Sports composite four-star prospect and one of the top running back recruits in the country. He was considered the No. 9 running back and the No. 135 player in the 2021 recruiting class by 247Sports’ own rankings.
Cooley started his college career at Louisville in 2021, playing for coach Scott Satterfield. The Knightdale, N.C., native rushed for a career-high 431 yards and a touchdown in 12 games while averaging 5 yards per carry. He also showed encouraging signs as a pass catcher, hauling in 12 receptions for 173 yards and two touchdowns.
His sophomore season, however, was derailed by injuries. Cooley was limited to just seven games in 2022, carrying the ball 59 times for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He also added nine catches for 66 yards receiving and a score. Cooley forced 31 missed tackles during his two seasons at Louisville according to Pro Football Focus, while adding 24 carries of 10 yards or more.
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Satterfield departed for Cincinnati after the season, and Cooley entered the transfer portal, eventually landing at Georgia Tech.
During his first year with the Yellow Jackets, Cooley totaled 274 yards rushing on 64 carries in 12 games while scoring a career-high three touchdowns. However, he also fumbled three times according to PFF.
Cooley stayed at Georgia Tech in 2024, playing in three games before announcing he was going to redshirt the remainder of the season and return to the portal. He transferred to Troy before the 2025 campaign, but suffered a season-ending knee injury before the team’s first game in 2025.
During his four seasons at Georgia Tech and Louisville, Cooley averaged 4.7 yards per carry in limited snaps. He was also a productive blocker, allowing just eight pressures in 82 pass-blocking snaps. Cooley hasn’t surrendered a sack since his freshman season in 2021.
At Washington, the sixth-year running back joins a young, inexperienced group. Coleman, a projected NFL draft pick this year after his eligibility expired, was the team’s undisputed featured back during his two seasons at UW. Mohammed was expected to step into Coleman’s role, but abruptly departed for California after Washington’s 38-10 victory in the LA Bowl on Dec. 13.
Coleman and Mohammed’s exits left UW and running backs coach Scottie Graham with five young tailbacks at their disposal entering 2026: sophomore Jordan Washington, redshirt freshmen Quaid Carr and Julian McMahan and incoming freshmen Ansu Sanoe and Brian Bonner.
Washington was productive in a change-of-pace role during 2025, rushing for 233 yards and a touchdown. Bonner, a composite four-star tailback from Southern California, is UW’s highest-rated running back signee since 1999, when recruiting websites began tracking the information.
Graham and the Huskies partially addressed the lack of experience by adding senior tailback Jayden Limar, a former Lake Stevens High standout who spent three seasons at Oregon, from the transfer portal. Now, Cooley gives them another veteran voice for the group.
Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes.com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.
