Former Husky, drafted by the Cleveland Browns, Denzel Boston visits spring practice on the University of Washington campus, April 28, 2026, in Seattle. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
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By
Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
The Huskies had a special — if familiar — visitor Tuesday.
Four days after hearing his name called in the second round of the 2026 NFL draft, Denzel Boston was back on Montlake during Tuesday’s spring practice. Boston, who was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 39 pick, was all smiles on the sideline as he joked with the coaching and training staff.
But Boston’s presence at practice Tuesday was also a reminder of exactly what the Huskies are losing entering 2026. For two seasons, the 6-foot-4, 212-pound wide receiver was Washington’s premier perimeter target — offering quarterback Demond Williams Jr. a capable No. 1 option whose size and strong hands made him a useful option in a wide range of situations.
“Just a great, motivational guy,” Williams said on April 23. “He comes to work every day ready to work. Brings energy every single day. Somebody that anybody would like on their team.”
So the Huskies will have to find someone to step into Boston’s role as the team’s primary X receiver. They certainly have some options. Kennesaw State transfer Christian Moss, Ohio State transfer Bodpegn Miller, sophomores Justice Williams and Chris Lawson, and true freshmen Jordan Clay and Trez Davis are all in the mix.
Yet, with spring practices nearly complete, coach Jedd Fisch made it clear Saturday that he’s still waiting for someone to seize the job.
“Offensively, we’ve got to make more plays,” Fisch said. “We’ve got to find guys that want to step up and make those plays. This offense is built upon that outside receiver that wants to be elite.
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“So right now, it’s a great challenge to see which one of those guys it’s going to be.”
Fisch and wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings have certainly enjoyed significant success leaning heavily on their X receiver during the past several seasons.
At Arizona in 2022, they gave a majority of the snaps at the position to true freshman Tetairoa McMillan, the future 2025 first-round draft pick. He rewarded them with 39 catches for 702 yards receiving and eight touchdowns before his breakout 2023 campaign, where the 6-5, 212-pound McMillan hauled in 90 catches for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Fisch and Cummings inherited Boston when they arrived at Washington in 2024. The former Emerald Ridge standout posted consecutive 800-yard receiving seasons and added 20 touchdowns — nine in 2024 and 11 in 2025 — on 125 receptions during two seasons in Fisch’s offense.
To replace Boston for 2026, Fisch and Cummings have several intriguing options. All with vastly varying levels of experience.
Moss, listed 6-3, 205 pounds, has played the most college football by a significant margin. The fifth-year receiver started at Virginia Tech before transferring to Kennesaw State, where he registered 892 yards receiving and four touchdowns on 59 catches during the past two seasons.
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The rest of UW’s options are more unknown. Justice Williams, a 6-3, 219-pound wideout who originally signed for former Husky coach Kalen DeBoer, redshirted while recovering from an injury suffered in high school during his true freshman season at Washington in 2024. He played in four games in 2025 before a toe injury ruled him out near the end of the season.
Lawson was a true freshman standout during UW’s spring practices in 2025, but missed the majority of fall camp because of injury. The 6-0, 184-pound receiver played in eight games as a true freshman, making 10 catches for 115 yards receiving.
Miller, a 6-3, 200-pound converted high school quarterback, redshirted in 2025 at Ohio State and never saw the field. The 6-3, 207-pound Clay was a 247Sports composite four-star prospect who flipped to UW from Baylor late in the 2026 recruiting cycle and enrolled at Washington in January.
Spring practices were supposed to offer the first opportunity for Moss, Justice Williams, Miller and Clay to begin the competition to replace Boston. Injuries, however, have altered those expectations.
Moss dressed Tuesday for the first time since the first week of spring. Miller and Lawson also missed significant time during the first two weeks of spring practices.
Miller made his return during the third week of practices, coinciding with Clay’s departure because of injury. On April 18, Fisch said Moss, Miller and Clay were all dealing with soft-tissue injuries. Lawson, Fisch added, had a hamstring issue. Fisch said they were all considered questionable.
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That appeared to leave the door open for Justice Williams, who took repetitions with the top offense throughout the past week. But Fisch made it clear he wanted more from his wide receivers Saturday, specifically noting of a play during an 11-on-11 scrimmage period where Justice Williams had a pass from Demond Williams Jr. wrestled out of his hands in the end zone by walk-on defensive back Kayden Greene.
“I saw a great play by Kayden Greene today on the interception in the end zone,” Fisch said when asked who he’d seen step up during spring practices.
Wide receiver Trez Davis runs through drills Tuesday at camp. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
Perhaps no wide receiver, however, has taken more advantage of the situation at the X-receiver spot than Davis. Listed 6-0, 190 pounds, the West Lafayette native and former four-star prospect doesn’t have the same physical frame as McMillan, Boston or the other current Huskies competing for the starting job outside of Lawson.
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Whether Davis, Justice Williams and Miller can continue to take advantage of their opportunities, including Friday evening’s spring game, remains to be seen. And the position battle will almost certainly continue into fall camp, when UW hopes to have Moss, Lawson and Clay available.
Fisch warned opportunities will be limited when the Huskies get closer to a decision. He challenged all the candidates for the role to force him into a choice with their play on the field.
“There’s a lot of guys that have stepped up,” Fisch said. “I’d just like to see all of these guys that might be running out of reps — because of the guys coming back — to see how good they can be.”
Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes.com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.